The Baltimore Orioles snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating the Athletics (21-19) by a score of 2-1 on Mother’s Day. The win was a nice gift for all the mothers in Birdland, both watching at home and among the 24,213 fans in attendance at Camden Yards.
The game was mainly a pitcher’s duel between the Athletics’ Luis Severino (2-4) and Baltimore’s Chris Bassitt (3-2). When President of Baseball Ops and General Manager Mike Elias signed Bassitt on February 13th of his year a performance like today’s was what was expected, just not in the way it played out.
Bassitt gave the Orioles 6 innings in which he allowed 1 run on 4 hits, walked 1, struck out 6 and hit a batter; he just didn’t start the game. Keegan Akin (1.0 IP, 2 K) started as the “opener” before giving way to Bassitt in the second inning. Bassitt got the best of Severino (5.1 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 4 BB, 4 K) by relying on his sinker (35% of 94 total pitches) and his cutter (31%). His cutter gave the A’s’ batters the most trouble.
The Athletics scored their lone run in the second inning on a lead-off double by Tyler Soderstrom, a fielding error by Bassitt which moved him to third and a sacrifice fly by Carlos Cortes.
The Orioles scored a run in the third inning on Dylan Beavers‘ (2 for 4, R, RBI) lead-off double, a Weston Wilson walk, Blaze Alexander‘s sacrifice bunt and a RBI single by Gunnar Henderson (2 for 4, RBI) with one out. The rally died with runners stranded at first and third.
Baltimore had the bases loaded with two outs in the fifth inning and did not cash in.
While the O’s added a run in the sixth on a Samuel Basallo (1 for 4, R) double and a Beaver’s RBI single, they failed to cash in on a bases loaded with 1 out situation.
In the seventh Leody Taveras teamed up with Basallo to throw out Cortes at the plate on a Zack Gelof single.
The bullpen did its’ job with Anthony Nunez (2 BB, K, WP) in the eighth and Rico Garcia (BB, K) in the ninth. Garcia earned the save, his third, and made Bassitt the winning pitcher.
2026 Record: 18-23
Next Game: Mon. 5/11 @ 6:35 pm vs. New York Yankees
