NEW YORK–What happened? After three lopsided losses and three short starts, the Orioles turned to Trey Gibson, last season’s organizational minor league pitcher of the year, to try to secure a win against the New York Yankees.
Gibson did give them a chance, allowing three runs in 4 2/3 innings in his major league debut. Grant Wolfram allowed a run in the sixth, but the game got out of hand in the eighth as Andrew Kittredge allowed seven runs in an unsightly 11-3 loss before 43,416 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
The feel-good part of the day happened early when Gibson was matched up against left-hander Max Fried, one of baseball’s best. When Gibson left, the Orioles were tied with the Yankees, 3-3, despite some more defensive and fundamental lapses.
Jasson Domínguez doubled in the sixth against Wolfram (1-1) and scored on a one-out infield single by Ryan McMahon.
The Orioles (15-19), who lost a season-high fourth straight game, didn’t score after the fourth inning and hit into a season-high three double plays.
The seven-run inning against Kittredge was disheartening.
“We just couldn’t stop the bleeding that inning,” manager Craig Albernaz said.
In Albernaz’s first year as a major league manager, he’s been faced with injuries and poor play.
“There’s adversity in this game at all times,” Albernaz said. “All those guys have been through adversity, that’s how they got into that clubhouse. For me, it’s at a crucial point where, what team do you want to be?
“We can fold up and just think that everything will turn around just by itself, or we gotta put the work in and really make this happen. I feel with those guys in the clubhouse, it’ll be the latter. These guys have put the work in and moving forward as the season goes on.”
Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, who was behind the plate for Gibson’s debut and Kittredge’s implosion, remains confident the team will pull out of its recent funk.
“It’s a crucial point, and I think our guys are up to the challenge,” Rutschman said. “I know our guys are up to the challenge. And I’ve said it before, but the level of character we have in this clubhouse is very high and with that comes the responsibility to make changes and do what’s necessary in order to turn it around.”
How was Gibson’s debut? Despite another bad loss, it was a triumph for Gibson, who was signed after he wasn’t drafted in 2023 and made his way methodically through the minor leagues.
He allowed three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out three in 4 2/3 innings.
“To be honest, leading up to the game, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be,” Gibson said. “I felt pretty composed with myself. I just want to go out there and give the team the best chance to stay within the ballgame.”
Albernaz removed Gibson, who didn’t allow a hit after Aaron Judge’s two-run homer in the third gave the Yankees (23-11) a 3-1 lead, after he walked Judge with two outs in the fifth. Gibson also allowed a home run to the second batter he faced, Ben Rice, who later left with a bruised right hand.
“He just told me, ‘Good job,’” Gibson said. “I kept us in the ballgame, and I just said — I honestly don’t really remember what I said, to be quite fair. I just know that he said, ‘Good job,’ and I thanked all the guys that came up to the mound for a special day.”
Albernaz had just watched three starts from Brandon Young, Cade Povich and Kyle Bradish that each lasted four innings, and Gibson’s outing gave hm hope that the 23-year-old can be a quality major league starter.
“I was really encouraged,” Albernaz said. “It looked like he wasn’t fazed. He was attacking the strike zone. He had all his pitches going. There were mistakes, but for his first big league outing, being in Yankee Stadium, I thought it was really encouraging for him and hope he can build off that.”
What went wrong with Kittredge? Kittredge allowed seven runs on seven hits, recording just one out, on a sacrifice fly, as the Orioles’ deficit went from one run to eight.
The big hits were a two-run home run by Domínguez, who later doubled in the inning, and a two-run single by Paul Goldschmidt.
“We’re in this game today,” Kittredge said. “That eighth inning, we just talked about it, it got out of hand. It’s a one-run game at that point. We’ve just got to keep battling. We’ve got talent.
“We’ve just got to find ways to win games, stop talking about it and start doing it. A lot of that is on me today, throw up a zero today, and we’ve got a chance in the ninth. It’s kind of one of those things where it’s one thing one day, a different thing a different day. We’ve just got to start stepping up and playing better baseball.”
What went wrong fundamentally? Third baseman Weston Wilson made a two-base error on Judge’s grounder in the first. In the third, Wilson ran far into left field and nearly collided with leftfielder Taylor Ward as Rice’s ball landed between the two sprawled bodies for a double.
In the third, Wilson singled and was nearly picked off first but beat the rundown throw to second for a stolen base. He scored on Blaze Alexander’s single, just his second RBI. Alexander stumbled getting back to first and was tagged out.
Coby Mayo, playing third base in the eighth, fielded José Caballero’s bunt as it was about to go foul, and turned it into a base hit.
“Like we keep on saying, we can’t give another team [more than] 27 outs, especially Yankees and their lineup,” Albernaz said. “We’ve got to convert those outs all the time, not just today. We’ve got to do it all the time. We’re going to stay with our work and stay with our practice and our prep, and keep on trying to get to where you need to go and continue the dialogue with them on getting better and being the best version of ourselves.”
What does it mean? The Orioles are falling rapidly and need to start playing better and winning immediately if they want to make this season meaningful.
What’s the word? “There’s no hiding in this league anymore. Obviously, his first outing was really encouraging. I was just impressed with the strike-throwing, that was the biggest thing, and how we attacked.”–Albernaz on Gibson
What’s the stat of the day? 0-8. The Orioles are winless in eight games against left-handed starters.
What’s going on in the minor leagues? In his first Triple-A start, Trace Bright allowed two runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out four in Norfolk’s 5-1 loss to Nashville. Johnathan Rodríguez homered.
Alfredo Velásquez drove in two runs and Frederick Bencosme homered in Double-A Chesapeake’s 4-3 loss to Erie.
Carson Dorsey pitched six scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit, as High-A Frederick beat Brooklyn, 4-1, holding the Cyclones to two hits. Nate George drove in two runs and Elis Cuevas homered.
Reed Trimble and Jose Perez homered as Single-A Delmarva beat Hill City, 10-6.
What’s next? Shane Baz (1-2, 4.50) will start against Cam Schlitter (4-1, 1.51) on Monday night at 7:05 in the fourth and final game of the series against the Yankees.
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