8 October 2023
As the Orioles fought for an American League East title and the Triple-A Norfolk Tides similarly vied for a league crown, top prospect DL Hall was with neither ballclub. The left-hander, who debuted for Baltimore in 2022, instead spent six of his summer weeks in Florida at the team’s spring training facility to focus on strength training and rebuilding his velocity.
He returned to Triple-A in late July, was called up to the Orioles in August and, on Saturday, turned in a strong relief performance in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Despite Baltimore’s 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers, Hall provided stability out of the bullpen, striking out three and not allowing a hit in 1 2/3 innings.
“The ultimate goal was to get up here and be able to help these guys,” the 25-year-old Hall told The Baltimore Sun after the game. “It was a long road, obviously wish I could’ve been up here sooner, but it’s the end of the year and we got here.”
Hall nearly allowed an extra-base hit in the seventh inning when Jonah Heim smacked a pitch into left field, but Austin Hays stalked the ball, making a diving catch near the foul line. Hall waited outside the dugout for Hays to embrace the outfielder for one of the best defensive plays of the day as Baltimore remained within striking distance of the Rangers, who narrowly led throughout.
Hours later, Hall similarly embraced a teammate. He put an arm around reliever Jacob Webb, who allowed a home run to Josh Jung in the loss, before departing the clubhouse.
It was overall a strong performance by the pitching staff. Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish was hit hard by the hard-hitting Rangers in the fourth inning, but allowed just two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Manager Brandon Hyde then turned to his bullpen, deploying five relievers in a chess match as the Orioles waited for the offense to break through. Instead, the big hit never came — as it often has this year — and the Orioles fell behind 1-0 in the best-of-five ALDS.
“It feels good to go out and throw the ball well and give us a chance to come back and win,” Hall said, “but ultimately we’re trying to win as a team and we didn’t get that done today, so hopefully we come out tomorrow and do what we’re supposed to.”
After Bradish exited in the fifth, a decision that he said he agreed with, Orioles relievers allowed just one run. Combined, Baltimore pitchers racked up 16 strikeouts as the Orioles awaited a comeback that never came.
Hyde said Hall has “been doing that since September. He got lefties and righties out with great stuff. He picked up five big outs in a big part of the game.”
A sold-out crowd of 46,450, which had waited years to witness playoff baseball, could not contain itself before the game as organic chants of “Let’s Go, O’s!” flooded the ballpark. It was so loud after Rangers leadoff hitter Marcus Semien struck out on three pitches that Bradish felt the ground shake, he said. Hall called the environment “unbelievable.”
“These are the moments that you always wish for as a kid, to be in front of a big crowd like that,” he said. “It was awesome.”
Game 2 will likely feature the same crowd and one that’s even hungrier as Baltimore looks to even the series. As one of only three left-handed pitchers on the Orioles ALDS roster — joined by Danny Coulombe and Cionel Pérez — Hall could be key as the series continues, perhaps as soon as Sunday. “Whenever the phone rings and they say my name, I’ll be ready,” he said.
He’s only a call away from another MLB postseason appearance, a far cry from where he was three months ago, spending the summer in Sarasota away from competitive baseball.
“It was a huge challenge, just to not be here with the team winning and, super exciting, so wanted to get up here as quick as I could,” he said. “[I’m] just glad to be here.”
ALDS, Game 2
Rangers at Orioles
Sunday, 4:07 p.m.
TV: FS1
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
()