The Baltimore Orioles hit three homeruns among a dozen hits on Monday night in their 8-5 defeat of the Detroit Tigers (50-57). The hits were a welcome sight for both the team and starter Kyle Bradish. After a weekend at home with three one-run games against the Atlanta Braves, a win by three runs had to be a huge relief.
Bradish did not have his best stuff Monday night. The newly extended right-hander needed 93 pitches (60 K’s) to get through 24 Detroit batters across 4.2 innings. The Orioles were leading 7-5 when Yennier Cano relieved Bradish, who at that point had allowed all 5 Tigers’ runs on 10 hits while walking 1, striking out 4 and throwing a wild pitch.
Grant Wolfram (3-2) was credited with the win for his 1.1 inning, 2 strikeout performance and Rico Garcia earned his 5th save for striking out 2 in a clean 9th inning.
The Orioles received outstanding offensive performances from both Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday. Mayo hit his 14th homerun of the season, a two-run shot to left center field in the fifth inning on his way to a 2 for 4, 2 run, 3 RBI night. Holliday, who scored on Mayo’s homerun, produced a 4 for 5 night with a double and 2 runs scored. It was his fourth career four hit game.
The fifth inning also saw Leody Taveras (1 for 5, 2 R, RBI) hit his fifth homerun of the season.
Pinch hitting for Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill (1 for 1) hit his 7th homerun of the season to left center field to lead-off the sixth inning.
The Birds struck early with Pete Alonso (2 for 5, 2B, R) at third and Gunnar Henderson at first with one out in the first, Taylor Ward‘s forceout to second base allowed Alonso to score. Alonso’s double was his 100th hit of the season, tying him with Atlanta’s Matt Olson as the only two players with seven or more seasons with at least 100 hits and 20 homeruns since 2019.
In the second inning Holliday doubled to open the inning and advanced to third on a fielding error by Detroit’s Colt Keith on a groundball by Mayo. Holliday scored on Jeremiah Jackson‘s ground out to third and Mayo scored on a Beavers’ single with two outs.
Mayo knocked in Taveras with a RBI-single in the fourth.
By far the highlight of the game was the black squirrel who toured the Comerica Park field in the middle innings. Much to the disdain of the crowd of 21,913, the squirrel was removed during the seventh inning stretch by the grounds crew; the crowd booed the grounds crew for that. Taveras also had a glove in the effort to retire the squirrel. Home plate umpire Bill Miller even took to the microphone to thank the crew for their efforts.
The game was certainly one for the zoo as there were tigers, oriole birds, a wolf, a cow and a squirrel.
2026 Record: 52-55
Next Game: Tues. 7/28 @ 6:40 pm @ Detroit Tigers
