The Oakland Coliseum has long had a reputation as a pitcher’s park, thanks to its huge foul areas and spacious outfield, but the Orioles found out on Tuesday night that appearances can be deceiving.
Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa and two relief pitchers combined to give up six home runs in an ugly 16-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics that featured a 10-run seventh inning and, amazingly, lasted only two hours and 28 minutes.
And as a witness to a train wreck might say, it all happened so fast.
The score was 4-2 entering the sixth inning and the game was humming along when Ynoa allowed a two-run homer to A’s outfielder Robbie Grossman to stretch the Oakland lead to a fairly comfortable four runs.