Orioles Waste Another Quality Start by Shane Baz in 5-2 Loss to Cubs

The Orioles continue to find frustrating new ways to lose.

Despite another quality outing from Shane Baz, Baltimore’s offense went quiet for most of the night as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Orioles 5-2 Tuesday night at Camden Yards. Matthew Boyd dominated Baltimore for six shutout innings, while the Orioles didn’t break through until the seventh inning when the game was already slipping away.

Baz deserved better.

The right-hander retired the first eight Cubs hitters he faced and battled through one of baseball’s best lineups. When the dust settled, Baz had completed six innings, allowing three runs on six hits while recording another quality start. Unfortunately, it was another night where the Orioles’ offense failed to reward strong starting pitching. Baz fell to 4-9 despite giving Baltimore every chance to win.

Chicago finally broke through in the third inning on an RBI from Alex Bregman before adding two more runs in the fifth. Baz limited the damage and kept the Orioles within striking distance, but Baltimore’s bats couldn’t solve Boyd.

The veteran left-hander was outstanding, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Baltimore managed only scattered base runners and never produced the big hit they desperately needed.

The Orioles finally showed some life in the seventh.

Adley Rutschman delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to 3-2 and briefly gave the Camden Yards crowd hope of another comeback. However, the Cubs answered with insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings, putting the game out of reach. Anthony Núñez was charged with two late runs out of the bullpen as Chicago finished with 10 hits.

Baltimore’s offense simply wasn’t good enough.

The Orioles finished with just six hits, failed to record an extra-base hit, and repeatedly came up empty in key situations. Against a quality opponent like the Cubs, that isn’t a winning formula. Rutschman drove in both Baltimore runs, but there was little production elsewhere in the lineup.

Turning Point

The fifth inning proved decisive. After Baz had settled into a groove, the Cubs strung together timely hits to extend their lead to 3-0. Baltimore never recovered despite Rutschman’s seventh-inning RBI single.

Player of the Game

Shane Baz (Orioles):
While the loss goes on his record, Baz once again pitched well enough to win. Six innings and three earned runs against one of the National League’s top offenses should be enough to give your club a chance. Instead, Baz received almost no offensive support.

Final Thoughts

This has become an all-too-familiar story for the Orioles. Quality starts are being wasted because the offense disappears. Baz has pitched significantly better than his win-loss record suggests, and Tuesday night’s performance was another example.

If Baltimore hopes to climb back into the playoff race before the All-Star break, the lineup has to start capitalizing when its starting pitchers deliver outings like this. Nights like these are difficult to overcome, and wasting quality starts will continue to bury a team in the standings.