Orioles Fall Just Short in Series Finale, Lose 3-2 to Reds

The Baltimore Orioles’ bid for a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds came up just short Sunday afternoon, as Cincinnati held on for a 3-2 victory at Great American Ball Park. Baltimore had the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run on base in the ninth inning, but could not complete the comeback.

Despite the loss, the Orioles still won the weekend series after taking the first two games and continued to show encouraging signs heading into their return home. The defeat snapped Baltimore’s three-game winning streak and once again prevented the club from earning its first four-game winning streak of the season.

Kyle Bradish turned in another quality outing and looked sharp for much of the afternoon. The right-hander retired the first 12 Reds he faced, carrying a perfect game into the fifth inning while keeping Cincinnati’s hitters off balance with excellent command. Bradish ultimately worked 7.2 innings, allowing five hits, three earned runs, one walk and striking out five in a performance that deserved a better outcome.

The game changed in the fifth. After Bradish issued his first walk, Spencer Steer connected for a two-run home run that broke the scoreless tie and gave Cincinnati a 2-0 advantage. It was one of the few mistakes Bradish made all afternoon.

Baltimore answered in the sixth. Taylor Ward ripped an RBI double to cut the deficit to 2-1 and ignite an Orioles rally. The Birds loaded the bases with one out, putting serious pressure on Reds starter Nick Lodolo. However, Lodolo escaped the jam by recording a key strikeout to strand three runners, a sequence that proved to be the turning point of the game.

Cincinnati added an important insurance run in the eighth. Edwin Arroyo reached base and eventually came around to score on Sal Stewart’s RBI double, extending the Reds’ lead to 3-1 before Bradish exited.

The Orioles refused to quit in the ninth. Facing closer Emilio Pagán, Baltimore loaded the bases and forced the Reds into another high-pressure situation. Gunnar Henderson lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home a run and make it 3-2, moving the tying run into scoring position. With two outs, the Orioles had one final opportunity, but Adley Rutschman flew out to end the game, leaving Baltimore one hit away from completing the comeback.

Offensively, the Orioles generated opportunities throughout the afternoon but struggled to deliver the timely hit when they needed it most. Leaving the bases loaded in the sixth inning ultimately loomed as the biggest missed opportunity of the day, while the ninth-inning rally fell just short.

Lodolo earned the victory after allowing one run over six innings, while Pagán survived a tense ninth inning to record the save in just his second appearance since returning from the injured list.

MSB Take

A loss is never ideal, but there were positives for Baltimore. Bradish continues to look like a dependable rotation piece, and the Orioles still left Cincinnati with a series victory after winning two of three. The offense simply couldn’t capitalize on its biggest chances Sunday. If the Orioles continue getting starts like the one Bradish delivered, they’ll win far more games than they lose. The key moving forward will be turning those bases-loaded opportunities into crooked numbers instead of missed chances.