Inside The Orioles

Former Baltimore Orioles Prospect Destroys Yankees With New Team

Former Baltimore Orioles prospect Joey Ortiz did his old team a favor on Friday.

Tyler Maher

Apr 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third base Joey Ortiz (3) drives in the game-winning run.
Apr 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third base Joey Ortiz (3) drives in the game-winning run. / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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Joey Ortiz doesn't play for the Baltimore Orioles anymore, but he's still finding ways to help his old team from afar.

Now with the Milwaukee Brewers, Ortiz almost single-handedly defeated the New York Yankees on Friday night. The Brewers pulled out a 7-6 win in 11 innings largely thanks to Ortiz, who led the way by going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs.

Ortiz kicked off his big night by launching a two-run homer in his first at-bat in the bottom of the second, tying the game at 2-2 with the first long ball of his MLB career. After flying out in the fourth, he tied the game again in the seventh with a sacrifice fly, making the score 5-5.

Ortiz struck out to end the eighth inning but saved his best for last, roping a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th to give Milwaukee the 7-6 victory.

The big game snapped Ortiz out of his 1-for-15 funk at the plate, and it couldn't have come at a better time for the Orioles. Baltimore lost 3-2 in extra innings to the Oakland A's on Friday but maintained first place in the AL East with New York losing as well.

The 25-year-old infielder was part of the Corbin Burnes trade last offseason, getting packaged with DL Hall and future considerations for the former Cy Young winner. The trade has worked out beautifully for the Orioles, as Burnes is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP for his new team.

A former fourth-round draft pick, Ortiz debuted with Baltimore in 2023, batting just .212/.206/.242 in 15 games. Given the Orioles' remarkable infield depth, Ortiz was deemed expendable and used to fetch a much-needed ace.

Ortiz was off to a slow start prior to Friday's eruption (.657 OPS), but he picked the perfect time to break out.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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