O so close.
Orioles rookie Brandon Young lost a perfect game bid in brutal fashion Friday night when he threw away a dribbler with two outs in the eighth inning, resulting in the Astros’ only hit in Baltimore’s 7-0 win at Dalkin Park.
The official scorer potentially could have ruled the play an error, which would have kept the no-hit bid alive, but ex-Orioles infielder Ramon Urias instead received credit for a hit.
“I thought I could make the play,” said Young, who tallied his first career win with eight shutout innings. “I got there in time, I think I had a little more time to maybe take a step and make a better throw. I obviously rushed it, yanked it. It sucks. Definitely want it back.”
Young, 26, grew up going to games in Houston and actually had family and friends in attendance while he attempted to make history.
He tallied the first 23 outs when Urias, sent to the Astros at the deadline, hit a 56-mph dribbler in a 2-2 count to Young’s right that he chased and grabbed with one hand.
Instead of stopping so he could square and throw, Young attempted to do it all in one motion and he fired across his body toward first base.
His wide throw veered toward where the infield grass met the dirt and skipped past first baseman Coby Mayo, allowing Urias to reach safely.
It would have taken a great throw to nab Urias going down the line, but Young’s throw did not afford that opportunity.
He rebounded to strand Urias at second, but that throw still lingered with him after his teammates congratulated him in the dugout.
“I was literally thinking about me yanking a ball down the line,” Young said. “Pretty upset about that.”
Teammate Jordan Westburg said he thought Young had a real chance at making the play.
“I thought he had a real shot,” Westburg said, according to MLB.com. “It’s a shame, but it’s still a special night for him, and I don’t think he needs to dwell on that too much.”
Young struck out six batters in the best and longest performance of his career, having carried a 6.70 ERA into the game.
He credited his fastball command for allowing him to tame the AL West co-leaders and finally grab that first career win.
“It means a lot,” Young said of the confidence he’ll gain from this outing. “Just getting the first one, I can kind of get that money off my back and breathe a little bit.”