The Baltimore Orioles appear to be fading as they approach the All-Star break. The team has now lost three games in a row and nine of their last thirteen games with Wednesday night’s 9-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs (52-40). Losers of ten of the last 15 games at Camden Yards, the Orioles have a losing record at home (24-25).
If nothing else, the game had excitement. In all there were nine homeruns hit in the game as well as a dancing fan on the left field warning track with one out away from the end of the game.
The night was not kind to Dean Kremer (1-2). The veteran righty left the game with the team trailing 4-3 after 5.0 innings. Kramer had allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and a walk in the start. While he struck out 4, all 4 runs were the result of 4 solo homeruns, including 2 by the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong.
The Orioles countered those runs with a run in the third inning and a Pete Alonso (1 for 5) two-run homerun in the fourth.
The Cubs extended their lead to 9-3 with a five-run seventh inning. Rico Garcia, who relieved Kremer in the sixth, left the contest with runners on first and second and one out. Grant Wolfram came in for Garcia and immediately issued a walk to load the bases. After a RBI sacrifice fly by Alex Bregman, Wolfram again walked the bases loaded. He allowed a run on a wild pitch before giving up a three-run homerun to Seiya Suzuki.
Pinch-hitting for Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill (2 for 2) homered to lead off the Baltimore seventh. Taylor Ward‘s two-out single with runners on first and second resulted in the second run of the inning.
Pinch-hitters were front and center once again in the Baltimore eighth as Coby Mayo, pinch-hitting for Dylan Beavers, hit a majestic solo homerun 420 ft. to left field with the ball landing in the Club level. O’Neill then went back-to-back with a 433 ft. homerun that landed in the Cubs bullpen.
Despite showing signs of life in a pinch, three consecutive groundouts in the ninth ended the Orioles’ night.
Four games remain before the All-Star break, the question now is will that break even make a difference?
2026 Record: 42-51
Next Game: Thurs. 7/9 @ 1:35 pm vs. Chicago Cubs (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE)
