The Baltimore Orioles lost to the Atlanta Braves (62-43) 3-2 in 11 innings on Sunday in front of a crowd of 25,032. The loss which was the Orioles’ 27th at Camden Yards and their 35th to teams with a winning record this season. The Orioles are currently 9-17 in one run games this season.
A total crowd of 98,690 mostly Hawaiian shirt clad Orioles fans witnessed an exciting three game series and saw three one-run games, two that went into extra innings, and an Orioles’ walk-off win; the Braves, however. won the series.
Sunday’s game saw the Braves take a 2-0 lead by the fourth inning. Michael Harris II singled, advanced to second on Colton Cowser‘s fielding error and scored on a Dominic Smith RBI-single in the second inning. Smith also added a RBI-single in the fourth that allowed Matt Olson, who doubled to lead off the inning, to score. Those runs were hung on Baltimore starter Shane Baz who did not have a game that we are acostomed to. Baz lasted a season low 4.1 innings and allowed the two runs, 1 that was unearned, on 6 hits with a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts. A victim of long innings, he needed 90 pitches (55 K’s) to get through the short outing.
Pete Alonso (2 for 4, BB) got the O’s back in the game with his 22nd homerun of the season in the eighth inning, a 419 ft. shot to left field.
The Orioles tied the game in the ninth thanks in part to the Braves. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1 for 3, BB) walked to open the inning and then was pinch-ran for by Coby Mayo. Mayo advanced to third on an Ozzie Albies fielding error on a Leody Taveras ground ball and scored on Jackson Holliday‘s ground out to second.
The tenth inning presented the first missed opportunity for the Birds. Dylan Beavers walked and Alonso was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs; Sam Huff was the ghost runner. Gunnar Henderson lined out to first with Alonso tagged out returning to the base (the call was upheld upon challenge). Taylor Ward flied out to first to end the inning.
Andrew Kittredge (1-3) came on to pitch the eleventh and gave up a RBI-double to Austin Riley.
The Braves repeated their 10th inning strategy in the eleventh, intentionally walking Holliday to load the bases with two outs. Huff grounded out to third to end the game.
The Orioles were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base. They had runners on first and third with two outs in the first, runners on first and second with one out in the second and runners on first and second with one out in the fourth, all missed opportunities in the game.
These issues need to be addressed and corrected if the Orioles have any hope of playing any kind of post-season baseball in 2026.
2026 Record: 51-55
Next Game: Mon. 7/27 @ 6:40 pm @ Detroit Tigers
