BALTIMORE – Jordan Westburg kept his hands inside on a fastball, drove it to left-center field and sped into second for an RBI double to give the Orioles an early lead. As if it was second nature, he looked toward Baltimore’s dugout at Camden Yards and hit the sprinkler – the club’s signature doubles celebration. His teammates on the top step leaned over the railing and squirted water from their mouths to complete the players’ half of the celebration. And with hose in hand as Mr. Splash on the chilly Friday night, Orioles owner David Rubenstein did his duty by soaking fans in the Bird Bath Splash Zone. There weren’t too many more opportunities for spraying, but it was too cold for that anyway and Cole Irvin and Baltimore’s bullpen didn’t need the help. Irvin delivered another solid start, closer Craig Kimbrel pitched well after being demoted to the seventh inning and setup man Yennier Cano filled in to slam the door in the ninth to lead Baltimore to a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Westburg’s double in the second inning put him one RBI behind Gunnar Henderson for the team lead. The Orioles wouldn’t smack another extra-base hit and get the fans in Section 86 wet until the seventh inning – after Rubenstein handed the reigns back to Mr. Splash on his bobblehead night – when Henderson doubled home Jorge Mateo from first base. In between, Cedric Mullins hit an RBI groundout after Westburg’s double and Ryan O’Hearn singled home Henderson in the fifth. Irvin’s scoreless streak ended at 22 2/3 innings when he allowed a solo homer to Ketel Marte in the third, but he pitched into the sixth to maintain his surprise standing as one of Baltimore’s most reliable starting pitchers this season. The veteran left-hander worked around five hits and one walk while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. Irvin (4-1) has a 2.90 ERA this season – it’s 0.70 over his past four starts – and the Orioles are 6-1 when he starts. Kimbrel said before the game he expected to continue serving as Baltimore’s closer despite his recent struggles. Manager Brandon Hyde said after Kimbrel’s most recent outing Wednesday – in which the veteran right-hander failed to close out a game for the fourth time in his past five outings – that he was “going to stick with him” as the club’s closer. Instead, at least for one night, Kimbrel didn’t get the chance to record the final three outs. He entered to boos from Baltimore fans and exited mere minutes later to cheers from those same fans after he retired the side in order. Jacob Webb, Cionel Pérez and Cano combined to cover the final two innings without giving up a run. Cano, who has struggled in the ninth compared with his normal dominance, worked around a leadoff double for his second save of the season. The Orioles are 25-12 and have won six of their past seven and nine of 12. The victory keeps them a half-game above the New York Yankees for the best record in the American League. It also extends the club’s AL-record streak without being swept in the regular season to 103 series. The stretch, which dates to mid-May 2022, is the longest in MLB since World War II.
