Orioles Waste Strong Start From Brandon Young, Fall 3-1 to Mariners

The Baltimore Orioles opened their West Coast road trip with a frustrating 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park. Baltimore jumped out to an early lead and received another quality outing from Brandon Young, but the offense disappeared after the first inning as Seattle rallied late behind Logan Gilbert and a clutch hit from Cal Raleigh.

The loss dropped the Orioles to 34-40 on the season, while Seattle improved to 38-36 and strengthened its position atop the American League West.

Quick Strike Offense Doesn’t Last

Baltimore looked ready to continue its recent offensive success in the first inning.

Taylor Ward opened the game with a double and moved into scoring position. After two outs, Samuel Basallo delivered an RBI single to center field to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. It would be the only run Baltimore scored all night.

That early success proved deceptive.

After Basallo’s RBI knock, Gilbert completely took over the game. The Mariners’ right-hander retired 16 consecutive Orioles hitters and prevented Baltimore from generating any sustained offense. By the time Gilbert exited after seven innings, the Orioles had managed only two hits against him.

Baltimore finished with just three hits, struck out 12 times, and never mounted a serious threat after the opening frame.

Logan Gilbert Dominates

Gilbert looked every bit like the ace Seattle expected when the season began.

The right-hander worked seven innings, allowed one run on two hits, struck out a season-high 10 batters, and walked only one. Gilbert threw 94 pitches and controlled the game from the second inning forward.

Baltimore hitters struggled to catch up to Gilbert’s fastball and failed to make adjustments as the game progressed. Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, and Leody Taveras combined for six strikeouts against Seattle pitching.

Gilbert’s outing represented one of the best pitching performances the Orioles have faced this season.

Young Gives Orioles a Chance

The loss should not fall on Brandon Young.

Young continued his breakout season with another competitive outing against a dangerous Mariners lineup. The rookie right-hander allowed one run on four hits across six-plus innings while striking out several key Seattle hitters and working through traffic throughout the night.

Seattle finally tied the game in the third inning.

Miles Mastrobuoni and J.P. Crawford worked walks before Julio Rodríguez lined a two-out RBI single to center field, evening the score at 1-1. Young escaped further damage and kept the game tied through six innings.

At that point, the Orioles appeared positioned for a low-scoring battle that could go either way.

Seventh Inning Turns the Game

Everything unraveled in the seventh.

Victor Robles opened the inning with an infield single and highly regarded rookie Colt Emerson followed with another base hit. Young departed after allowing the two runners, turning the game over to the bullpen.

The Mariners quickly loaded the bases.

With one out and the crowd energized by the return of Cal Raleigh from the injured list, Seattle’s star catcher stepped to the plate. Raleigh lined a two-run single to center field, scoring Robles and Emerson and giving the Mariners a 3-1 advantage.

Those two runs proved decisive.

Young was charged with three runs and suffered his first loss in eight starts, dropping to 5-2 on the season. Despite the defeat, the right-hander once again demonstrated why he has become one of Baltimore’s most reliable starters in 2026.

Orioles Offense Goes Quiet

The most concerning aspect of the loss was Baltimore’s offensive performance.

The Orioles collected only three hits:

• Taylor Ward double
• Adley Rutschman single
• Samuel Basallo RBI single

After Basallo’s first-inning hit, Baltimore’s lineup never found a rhythm.

Gunnar Henderson went hitless.

Pete Alonso failed to record a hit.

Leody Taveras struck out three times.

The Orioles repeatedly chased pitches outside the strike zone and struggled to put together competitive at-bats against Gilbert and the Seattle bullpen.

For a club trying to climb back into the playoff race, games like this highlight the inconsistency that has plagued the offense throughout the season.

Bullpen Performance

Despite allowing the deciding runs, Baltimore’s bullpen was not entirely at fault.

Grant Wolfram inherited a difficult situation in the seventh inning and Raleigh’s two-run single ultimately broke the game open. After that, the relief corps kept Seattle off the board and gave the offense opportunities to rally.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, those opportunities never materialized.

Seattle’s bullpen combination of Eduard Bazardo and Andrés Muñoz slammed the door. Bazardo tossed a scoreless eighth inning before Muñoz recorded his 11th save of the season.

Player of the Game

Logan Gilbert, Mariners

Gilbert completely controlled the game after the first inning.

Final Line:

• 7 innings
• 2 hits
• 1 run
• 1 walk
• 10 strikeouts

The Orioles had no answer once Gilbert settled into a groove. His ability to retire 16 consecutive hitters changed the entire complexion of the game.

Orioles MVP

Brandon Young

The final line won’t fully capture how well Young pitched.

Young kept one of the American League’s better lineups in check for most of the evening and left with the game tied. The Orioles simply failed to provide enough offensive support.

By the Numbers

• Orioles: 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors
• Mariners: 3 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors
• Orioles strikeouts: 12
• Logan Gilbert: 10 strikeouts
• Samuel Basallo: Orioles’ lone RBI
• Cal Raleigh: Game-winning two-run single
• Brandon Young: First loss in eight starts
• Andrés Muñoz: 11th save of the season

Looking Ahead

The Orioles will attempt to even the series Wednesday night when Kyle Bradish takes the mound against George Kirby. Baltimore will need a significantly better offensive effort if it hopes to avoid another frustrating night against Seattle’s pitching staff.

One game does not define a road trip, but Tuesday’s loss served as a reminder that quality pitching can still expose Baltimore’s biggest weakness. The Orioles received a winning-caliber start from Brandon Young. Unfortunately, the bats never showed up.