Orioles’ comeback bid falls short in 9-5 loss to Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 9-5, Tuesday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Baltimore rallied to within one run after falling behind 6-0, but Cleveland answered with three unearned runs in the seventh inning. The loss dropped the Orioles to 70-76 and marked their seventh defeat in eight games.
Cleveland struck immediately against Orioles starter Brandon Young. Steven Kwan scored on Jo Adell’s two-out single in the first inning before Patrick Bailey delivered an RBI single in the second. Travis Bazzana then launched a 378-foot, three-run home run to right-center field, extending the Guardians’ lead to 5-0 before Baltimore had recorded a hit.
The Guardians added another run in the third when Petey Halpin singled home Nathaniel Lowe. Young never found a rhythm, allowing a season-high six earned runs on eight hits across 3 2/3 innings. He walked two, struck out two, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch while throwing 86 pitches.
Baltimore finally broke through against Tanner Bibee in the fourth inning. Jackson Holliday opened the inning with a double, Pete Alonso followed with a single and Coby Mayo drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Samuel Basallo brought home Holliday with a groundout, but Dylan Beavers flied out on the first pitch of his at-bat to leave two runners stranded.
The Orioles mounted their strongest charge in the fifth. Blaze Alexander doubled and scored on Leody Taveras’ RBI double, ending Taveras’ 19-at-bat hitless stretch. Holliday followed with an RBI single before Alonso crushed a two-run home run 420 feet to left field, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 6-5.
Alonso’s homer, his 34th of the season, left the bat at 107.1 mph and brought an announced crowd of 13,279 back into the game. Baltimore had turned a six-run deficit into a one-run game in just two innings. However, the Orioles did not record another hit after Alonso’s blast.
The game shifted decisively in the seventh after Alex Hoppe allowed the first two Cleveland batters to reach base. With runners at first and second, Angel Martínez hit a ground ball to Alonso, who attempted to force Adell at second instead of taking the out at first. Alonso’s throw struck Adell on the helmet, allowing José Ramírez to score and Adell to advance to third.
Brayan Rocchio made the Orioles pay for the mistake later in the inning. Rocchio worked a full count before lining a two-run single into center field, giving Cleveland a 9-5 advantage. All three runs charged to Hoppe were unearned, but they effectively ended Baltimore’s comeback attempt.
Cleveland’s bullpen completely shut down the Orioles after Bibee departed with one out in the fifth. Tim Herrin, Craig Yoho, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for 4 2/3 hitless and scoreless innings while recording seven strikeouts. Herrin earned the victory after retiring all four batters he faced.
Holliday and Alonso accounted for four of Baltimore’s six hits. Alonso finished 2-for-4 with the home run and two RBIs, while Holliday went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI. Cleveland collected 12 hits, with Martínez, Bailey, Halpin and Rocchio each recording two.
The Orioles also ended the night with two injury concerns. Gunnar Henderson left in the eighth inning after fouling a ball off his left knee, although he said afterward that he expected the injury to be day-to-day. Alexander exited after his back tightened while he fielded a bunt in the seventh, forcing catcher Carlos Narváez to make his first professional appearance at second base.
Baltimore fell four games behind Cleveland for the final American League wild-card position with 16 games remaining. The Guardians also clinched the season series, giving them the tiebreaker if the clubs finish with identical records. Baltimore will send Shane Baz to the mound against left-hander Foster Griffin in Wednesday’s 6:35 p.m. series finale.
MSB Take
The Orioles showed heart by turning what looked like a blowout into a 6-5 game, but moral victories have no value during a September playoff chase. Baltimore did the difficult part by climbing out of a six-run hole, only to hand Cleveland three unearned runs through a poor defensive decision. The offense also disappeared after Alonso’s home run and failed to produce a hit over the final 4 2/3 innings.
This loss leaves Baltimore with virtually no margin for error. The Orioles now trail the team holding the final wild-card spot by four games, and Cleveland owns the tiebreaker. Baltimore needs to win Wednesday’s finale and follow it with a dominant road series against Toronto if it wants to keep its postseason hopes alive.
