Irvin’s outstanding start leads Orioles to 3-0 win over Reds

CINCINNATI—Cole Irvin wasn’t bothered by a lengthy rain delay. After the Orioles and Cincinnati Reds had to wait two hours, 41 minutes to start Friday night’s game, Irvin was magnificent, allowing just two hits in 6 1/3 innings in a 3-0 Orioles win before 25,861 at Great American Ballpark.

Irvin’s scoreless streak reached 20 2/3 innings. His last runs were allowed three starts ago on April 15^th against Minnesota.

He allowed a one-out single to Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who appeared to steal second when Spencer Steer was up, but Steer was called for batter’s interference with catcher Adley Rutschman, and struck out. De La Cruz was sent back to first, but he immediately stole second, his 19^th steal in just 32 games.

Irvin retired 17 straight until De La Cruz doubled to left to start the seventh. After Irvin struck out Steer, his fourth without a walk, Yennier Cano replaced him and retired Tyler Stephenson on a grounder to second and made a nifty pickup of Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s grounder for the third out.

Danny Coulombe retired the three batters he faced in the eighth. Craig Kimbrel, who blew his last two save chances and left with upper back tightness on Sunday, pitched for the first time since then, and struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save and the 425^th of his career, tying him with Boston’s Kenley Jansen for fifth on the all-time saves list.

It was the Orioles’ third shutout of the season, all in the last five games.

The Orioles (21-11) scored in the seventh when Jorge Mateo led off with a single against Emilio Pagan (2-2) and stole second, his fifth straight without being caught. Mateo moved to third on Gunnar Henderson’s fly to center and scored on Rutschman’s double to right that Jake Fraley deflected but couldn’t catch.

Ryan O’Hearn homered to right-center, his fifth, and the Orioles led, 3-0.

Hunter Greene pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to begin the game for the Reds (16-16).

It was a strange scene before the game finally started at 8:51 p.m. Because of noise regulations that prohibit late-night fireworks, the postgame fireworks show was presented before the game while players were going through their stretching in the outfield.