Bruce Zimmermann put on a self-deprecating grin when asked to reveal his secret for striking out AL MVP Shohei Ohtani three straight times.
“Trust the slider, I guess,” he said.
The Orioles’ tricky lefty and his teammates have ample reason to trust the progress of Baltimore’s rebuilding effort after putting up one of their best performances of the season against the Angels.
Robinson Chirinos drove in three runs and Zimmermann pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning of the Orioles’ 5-3 victory over Los Angeles on Friday night.
Zimmermann (1-0) had another solid start, facing the minimum 15 batters through five innings while extending his season-opening scoreless streak to 14 innings.