Hours before the American League’s worst and best teams played 11innings Friday night at Minute Maid Park, an executive overseeing the former after working for the latter remarked on how hard the players on his current roster have played throughout a trying season.
Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is well aware of the rebuilding effort in front of him, but games like Friday’s 4-3 loss show that even if the talent he is trying to add remains a work in progress, a competitive spirit is already developing.
At times, the Orioles looked overmatched, yet they never looked out of it.