Orioles Waste 14-Hit Night, Fall 9-7 to Cubs as Home Run Barrage Continues

The Orioles’ offensive slump finally showed signs of life Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the pitching staff could not hold up its end of the bargain.

Baltimore collected 14 hits and hit four home runs, but five Chicago home runs—including two from Pete Crow-Armstrong—proved to be the difference as the Cubs defeated the Orioles 9-7 at Camden Yards. The loss guaranteed the Orioles would lose the series and extended their losing streak to three games.

Orioles Jump Ahead Early

Baltimore struck first in the opening inning when Jackson Holliday continued his torrid stretch with a leadoff single before eventually coming around to score.

After the Cubs briefly tied the game, Pete Alonso gave the Orioles a 3-1 advantage in the fourth inning with a towering two-run home run into the left-field seats. At that point, it looked as though Dean Kremer was in position to pick up an important victory in just his second start since returning from the injured list.

Fifth Inning Changes Everything

Everything unraveled in the fifth.

Chicago erased Baltimore’s lead in dramatic fashion, launching three home runs in the inning. Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly opened the frame with back-to-back solo blasts before Crow-Armstrong crushed his second homer of the night to suddenly put the Cubs ahead 4-3.

Kremer had cruised through much of the game before the barrage, but Chicago’s lineup punished nearly every mistake during the middle innings. The Orioles starter was charged with the loss after surrendering multiple long balls that completely shifted the momentum.

Cubs Add More Damage

Baltimore never recovered.

The Cubs added four more runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by Seiya Suzuki’s three-run homer that pushed the lead to 8-3. Chicago’s relentless power display ultimately produced five home runs on the evening, burying an Orioles club that simply could not keep the baseball in the ballpark.

Orioles Fight Back

To Baltimore’s credit, the offense refused to quit.

Coby Mayo launched a solo homer, while Tyler O’Neill belted two late home runs to make the score respectable. Holliday enjoyed one of his best games of the season, finishing 4-for-4 and consistently setting the table for the middle of the lineup.

The Orioles finished with 14 hits, one of their better offensive performances in recent weeks. Alonso added his two-run homer, Mayo went deep, and O’Neill’s two-homer night nearly sparked an improbable comeback.

However, every rally came after the Cubs had already built a comfortable cushion.

Missed Opportunity

This was one of those frustrating games that perfectly summarizes Baltimore’s recent struggles.

The offense finally produced enough runs to win most nights. Four home runs and 14 hits should normally be enough to secure a victory.

Instead, the pitching staff allowed five home runs and nine runs overall. When the offense finally broke through, the pitching collapsed. On nights when the pitching has excelled recently, the bats have often disappeared. The Orioles simply have not been able to put together a complete game consistently.

Another concern was Baltimore’s inability to capitalize on several additional scoring opportunities despite constantly putting runners on base.

Looking Ahead

The Orioles will try to avoid being swept Thursday afternoon after Major League Baseball moved the series finale to an earlier start because of expected severe weather. Baltimore desperately needs a strong outing from its starting pitcher and a cleaner performance from the bullpen after surrendering nine runs in Wednesday’s defeat.

Maryland Sports Blog Player of the Game

Jackson Holliday — 4-for-4, scored a run, sparked the Orioles’ offense from the leadoff spot and was Baltimore’s most consistent hitter throughout the night. Despite the loss, Holliday’s performance was one of the few bright spots in another frustrating defeat.