BALTIMORE—After manager Brandon Hyde insisted he was sticking with Craig Kimbrel as his closer, and Kimbrel said he expected he’d pitch in the ninth, Hyde called on him in the seventh inning of Friday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the Orioles leading by a run, Kimbrel retired all three Arizona hitters he faced. Yennier Cano got the ball in the ninth and finished off a 4-2 win before 27,703 at Camden Yards.
Oriole starter Cole Irvin (4-1) allowed two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking one. His scoreless streak ended at 22 2/3 innings when Ketel Marte homered in the third.
Albert Suárez relieved Irvin in the sixth and allowed an RBI single to Eugenio Suárez. After Gabriel Moreno flied to right to end the inning, Kimbrel began to warm up.
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There were some boos, and Blaze Alexander, Kimbrel’s first batter, lined to Ryan Mountcastle at first before he struck out Kevin Newman and Marte flied to right. It was Kimbrel’s first appearance in the seventh inning since the final game of the 2023 season with Philadelphia. He received an ovation as he returned to the dugout.
Jacob Webb retired his first two batters in the eighth and walked Christian Walker. Cionel Pérez hit pinch-hitter Joc Pederson, and he left for pinch-runner Jake McCarthy. Suárez grounded into a force play to end the inning.
Moreno doubled to right against Cano to begin the ninth. Alexander struck out. Pinch-hitter Pavin Smith grounded to first, and Marte hit a ground ball off Cano’s leg He quickly fielded the ball and threw to first for his second save of the season.
Mountcastle and Anthony Santander singled in the second against Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt (1-3). Lourdes Gurriel made a fine play to catch Colton Cowser’s fly ball, with Mountcastle moving to third. Jordan Westburg’s double scored Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins’ grounder to second scored Santander.
Ryan O’Hearn’s two-out single scored Gunnar Henderson in the fifth for a 3-1 lead. In the seventh, Jorge Mateo singled with one out and scored on Henderson’s double to the gap in right-center.