Gunnar Henderson Delivers Late as Orioles Edge Mets, 2-1
The Baltimore Orioles opened their three-game series at Citi Field with a badly needed victory Monday night, defeating the New York Mets 2-1 behind another clutch swing from Gunnar Henderson and a strong performance from the pitching staff.
Henderson broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, while Heston Kjerstad drove in Baltimore’s first run with a second-inning double. Brandon Young battled through traffic for five innings before the Orioles bullpen combined for four scoreless frames to preserve the victory. Baltimore improved to 73-78 and moved within three games of Cleveland for the final American League wild-card position.
The win was particularly important considering how difficult September has been for Baltimore. The Orioles entered Monday having won just three of their first 12 games this month, but they found a way to win a low-scoring game in which neither offense could create much separation. Baltimore finished with nine hits, committed no errors and held New York to six hits while the Mets stranded nine runners.
Orioles Strike First
Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Jackson Holliday singled with one out. Holliday advanced to second on a passed ball during Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s plate appearance, putting a runner in scoring position for Kjerstad.
Kjerstad delivered, lining a two-out RBI double to right field that scored Holliday and gave Young an early advantage. It was part of a productive night for Kjerstad, who finished with two hits and drove in one of Baltimore’s two runs.
The Orioles had opportunities to produce more offense but could not break the game open. New York rookie Jonah Tong settled in after Baltimore’s early run and delivered six strong innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six. The run charged against Tong was unearned.
Baltimore’s offense struck out 12 times overall, but the Orioles ultimately produced the hit that mattered most.
Young Battles Through Five
Young did not dominate New York, but he repeatedly found ways out of trouble.
The Orioles right-hander pitched five innings, allowing five hits, five walks and one earned run while striking out six. New York consistently put runners on base against him, but Young prevented those opportunities from developing into big innings.
That was arguably the most important part of his outing. With five walks and five hits allowed, the game easily could have gotten away from Baltimore. Instead, Young limited the damage and handed the bullpen a tied game.
New York finally broke through in the fourth.
A.J. Ewing drove a one-out pitch over the right-field wall for a solo home run, tying the game at 1-1. It continued an impressive late-season stretch for Ewing, who has now hit three home runs over his past nine games after going 46 games without one from July 9 through Sept. 2.
Young did not allow another run.
The Mets went just 1-for-10 with runners on base against the Orioles starter, allowing Baltimore to survive his five walks. New York repeatedly had chances to take control but could not deliver the big hit.
Bullpen Takes Over
Baltimore’s bullpen was excellent once Young’s night ended.
Jordan Walker entered in the sixth and retired all five hitters he faced across 1 2/3 innings, recording one strikeout. Yennier Cano then recorded the final out of the seventh inning, getting Bo Bichette to keep the score tied heading into the eighth.
That gave Henderson his opportunity.
The Orioles shortstop stepped to the plate against Dedniel Núñez with two outs in the top of the eighth. Núñez had already retired the first two Baltimore hitters of the inning, including former Mets star Pete Alonso.
Henderson changed the game with one swing.
He drove a solo home run to right-center field, putting Baltimore ahead 2-1. It was Henderson’s 23rd home run of the season according to Reuters’ game report and gave the Orioles their first lead since the fourth inning.
In a game in which runs were extremely difficult to find, Henderson’s homer was enormous.
Baltimore did not need anything else.
Wolfram and Garcia Finish It
Grant Wolfram took over in the bottom of the eighth and worked around one hit while striking out one in a scoreless inning. That sent the Orioles to the ninth three outs away from an important road victory.
Rico Garcia handled the rest.
Garcia retired all three hitters he faced in a perfect ninth inning, earning his ninth save of the season. Cano was credited with the victory and improved to 3-3, while Núñez took the loss for New York.
The Baltimore bullpen’s final line was impressive: four innings, one hit, no runs, no walks and two strikeouts.
After Young had to work around 10 baserunners in his five innings, the bullpen completely changed the complexion of the game. New York had almost no opportunities over the final four innings, and Baltimore’s one-run lead suddenly looked much larger.
Alonso Returns to Citi Field
There was also a major storyline surrounding Alonso, who returned to Citi Field for the first time as a visiting player.
Alonso spent his first seven major league seasons with New York and became the Mets’ franchise leader with 264 home runs before signing a five-year, $155 million contract with Baltimore last offseason. New York played a video tribute before the game, and the crowd of 35,800 gave Alonso a standing ovation.
Alonso went 0-for-3 with a walk.
He nearly provided a storybook moment in the third inning when he pulled a potential 300th career home run foul into the upper deck in left field. He eventually walked in that plate appearance before grounding out in the fifth and striking out immediately before Henderson’s go-ahead home run in the eighth.
Alonso may not have delivered offensively, but Baltimore still made his return to Queens a winning one.
Henderson Comes Through Again
Henderson’s homer was the defining moment.
The Orioles have spent much of this season searching for consistency, but Henderson remains one of the players capable of changing a game with a single swing. Monday was a perfect example.
Baltimore did not need a five-run inning or an offensive explosion. The Orioles needed one hitter to win a matchup late in the game, and Henderson did exactly that.
His home run also carried postseason implications.
The victory moved Baltimore within three games of Cleveland for the final American League wild-card spot with 11 games remaining. The Orioles are still facing a difficult climb, particularly after their poor start to September, but they remain mathematically alive.
Meanwhile, Baltimore’s victory officially eliminated New York from wild-card contention. The Mets fell to 69-81 and were guaranteed a losing season despite entering 2026 with enormous expectations.
Orioles Pitching Deserves the Credit
Henderson will receive most of the attention because of his eighth-inning homer, but Baltimore does not win this game without its pitching staff.
Young did not have his best command. Walking five hitters in five innings is usually a recipe for trouble, especially in a one-run game. Yet he continued making pitches when he needed them and never allowed New York to turn its baserunners into a crooked number.
Then the bullpen was nearly flawless.
Walker, Cano, Wolfram and Garcia combined to allow just one hit over the final four innings. They did not issue a walk, and Garcia never allowed New York to build any momentum in the ninth.
For a team trying to remain alive in September, those are exactly the types of innings Baltimore needs.
Orioles Take Series Opener
The final box score reflected how close the game was.
Baltimore scored two runs on nine hits with no errors, while New York managed one run on six hits and committed one error. The Orioles left eight runners on base, while the Mets stranded nine.
Holliday, Kjerstad and Colton Cowser each recorded two hits for Baltimore. Kjerstad supplied the RBI double, while Henderson provided the decisive home run.
Baltimore will now try to turn one win into something larger.
The Orioles and Mets continue the series Tuesday night at Citi Field. Right-hander Shane Baz is scheduled to start for Baltimore against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea.
For Baltimore, every game matters now.
MSB Take
This is exactly the type of game the Orioles have to win if they are going to make this final stretch interesting.
Baltimore was not dominant offensively. Young struggled with his command, Alonso went hitless in his emotional return to New York, and the Orioles struck out 12 times. None of that mattered because Baltimore made the important plays when the game was on the line.
Henderson delivered the biggest one.
His eighth-inning homer was the swing Baltimore desperately needed after watching its offense struggle to solve New York’s pitching staff for most of the night. Henderson has the ability to carry this lineup, and if the Orioles are going to make any kind of improbable late run, they need their best players producing in moments like that.
The bullpen might be even more encouraging. Four scoreless innings with no walks gave the Orioles exactly what they needed after Young battled through five difficult frames.
Baltimore is still below .500 at 73-78, and being three games out of the final wild-card position this late in September leaves almost no room for mistakes. But the Orioles are still alive.
At this point, that is what matters.
Win Tuesday and suddenly Baltimore has taken the first two games on the road. Keep stacking victories, and that three-game wild-card deficit can disappear quickly.
The Orioles gave themselves another day to believe. Henderson made sure of it.
