The Baltimore Orioles are currently in the midst of another losing streak. The streak reached three games following Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the New Youk Yankees (71-55) at Camden Yards. This is a familiar theme for the Orioles, win a few games in a row and follow that up with a few losses in a row.
The Orioles opened the scoring in the first inning. With Gunnar Henderson (1 for 3, BB, SB) on first and Jackson Holliday (0 for 4, R, BB, SB) on second with two outs, the Orioles attempted a double steal and for whatever reason Yankees catcher Austin Wells threw through to second base, allowing Holliday to cross home plate.
Pete Alonso (1 for 4) hit his 29th homerun of the season in the third inning, a 423 ft. solo shot to right centerfield. He would have had #30 in the seventh inning except the hit was ruled foul. Alonso drove the ball down the left field line toward the foul pole and it either went past the pole or over it. A crew chief review determined that tha call on the field would stand. The multiple camera angle views that were shown on the telecast did nothing to deliver a verdict; each replay appeared to show a different outcome.
The call of Alonso’s fly ball could have possibly changed the final outcome of the game as the Orioles were in a 3-3 tie thanks to Dylan Beavers‘ (1 for 3, BB) solo homerun in the sixth inning. There is no way to know how the game would have played out had the O’s taken the lead in the seventh.
Chris Bassitt took the mound for his second start since returning from the Injured List and lasted 5.2 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, walked 1 and struck out 6. Among the hits Bassitt allowed was Ben Rice‘s 34th homerun of the season in the second inning. Bassitt left the start with the O’s trailing 3-2; Beavers’ homerun gave Bassitt a no-decision.
The bullpen imploded in the eighth inning which ultimately led to the Orioles loss. Cam Sanders (1-1) started the inning and exited it with the bases loaded and two outs. A hit batter, a walk and a second hit batter put the runners on base. Yennier Cano relieved Sanders and immediately gave up an RBI single to George Lombard Jr. Coby Mayo fielded Lombard’s grounder and tried to get an out at third once he realized an out at first would be unsuccessful. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the out at third either. That failure was significant because Cano threw a wild pitch with Wells at bat. The ball landed a few feet to the right of Yohel Pozo, who was unable to locate the ball, and allowed Jazz Chisholm Jr to score New York’s fifth run.
Once again the O’s offense sputtered despite the two homeruns it produced. Baltimore recorded 6 hits while going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, a stark contrast from their showing against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles are now five games below .500 with 35 games remaining in the season.
2026 Record: 61-66
Next Game: Thurs. 8/20 @ 6:35 pm vs. New York Yankees
