Alonso takes the blame as Orioles lose another 1-run game, 3-2 to Braves in 11

BALTIMORE—Pete Alonso was at his locker waiting as the Orioles’ clubhouse door opened, and as usual after difficult losses eagerly took his share of responsibility.

In the 10^th inning of a 2-2 tie with the Atlanta Braves, the Orioles had the bases loaded with none out after Alonso was walked intentionally, allowing left-hander Danny Young to face left-hand hitting Gunnar Henderson, who was hitless in four at-bats.

Henderson lined out to Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson, who stepped on the bag to complete the double play on Alonso, who had wandered a few feet off first base.

“I just should have took a shorter lead,” Alonso said. “I thought I was pretty close to the bag, but it turned out that it still needed to be shorter. Yeah, that’s really tough.”

After the double play, Tyler Ward popped out to first, sending the game to the 11^th.

In the 11^th, Austin Riley’s double scored automatic runner and former Oriole Jorge Mateo, and the Braves won the third one-run game of the weekend, 3-2, on Sunday before 25,032 at Camden Yards.

On Friday night, the Orioles lost, 7-6, in 11 innings and scored a dramatic 3-2 win in the ninth inning on Saturday night.

The Orioles (51-55) played close games with the Braves, leaders of the National League East, but that wasn’t good enough.

“It was a hard-fought series on both sides,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “All three games could have gone either way … It’s one of those things where, yeah, moral victory, but also, we want the real victory.”

The Orioles are 2 ½ games behind in the wild-card race with a three-game series in Detroit beginning Monday night.

Andrew Kittredge (1-3), who allowed four unearned runs in the 10^th inning of Friday’s 7-6 loss, was the losing pitcher in both Oriole losses this weekend.

Tyler Kinley (6-4), who recorded the last out of the 10^th inning, retired the Orioles in the 11^th, but there was some drama. After Coby Mayo struck out and Tyler O’Neill grounded out to short, Leody Taveras walked and Jackson Holliday was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Sam Huff, who was hitless in his last 17 at-bats, grounded to third to end the game.

The Orioles have been playing this week without frontline catchers, Adley Rutschman, who’s on the injured list with left wrist inflammation, and Samuel Basallo, who’s on the IL with right shoulder inflammation.

In their place, the Orioles are using Huff and Chadwick Tromp, who are a combined 1-for-24 this week.

“They’re doing a phenomenal job calling pitches and a great job defensively back there,” Alonso said. “They’re doing everything and more than what’s being asked of them. They’re not being asked to be Sammy. They’re not being asked to be Adley. What they’re doing is, they’re calling a great game, giving professional at bats, and that’s really all you can ask for.”

Oriole starting pitcher Shane Baz labored through 4 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the season, throwing 90 pitches, giving up two runs, one unearned, on six hits, walking two and striking out two.

Atlanta scored in the second when Michael Harris singled to center, and advanced to second on Colton Cowser’s error. Harris scored on Dominic Smith’s single.

Their second run came on Olson’s leadoff double against Baz in the fourth and Smith’s run-scoring single. Leftfielder Dylan Beavers broke late on Smith’s ball.

The Orioles didn’t score until Alonso hit his 22^nd home run of the season with one out in the eighth against Dylan Lee.

Reynoldo López gave up five hits, all singles, in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, Christian Encarnacion-Strand walked. Tyler O’Neill struck out, and Taveras grounded what looked like a game-ending double play, but the ball went through second baseman Ozzie Albies’ legs for an error.

Mayo, who ran for Encarnacion-Strand,  scored from third when Jackson Holliday’s grounder to second tied the score, 2-2.

How difficult was this loss? Alonso knows how important these game are.

“You can boil it down to the last out or look at guys on base,” he said. “But if you look at stuff that happens in the losses, there could have been things done preventatively to not be in that situation.

“So, again, great fight, great collective effort. But if you look outside the box score, there’s things that we need to get better on. I know we’re late in the year, but every series loss … like yes, this one hurts. But every one hurts. It doesn’t matter what time of the year. They all count the same. This counts the same as the one that happened in June, same as one in April. But every single one of them collectively, it doesn’t feel good. Especially when you know you’re within reach of winning games.”

Are the Orioles running out of time? Alonso has been in many playoff pushes, and this one is especially hard.

“We have two whole months of baseball, which is which is a lot of time,” Alonso said. “It’s it is, but it isn’t. Take that how you will. But I think for us, minimize mistakes and play clean baseball. We’re way better than what our record shows. But we’ve given a lot of stuff away collectively through mistakes and what have you throughout the year. So that’s why our record is what it is. But we have the ability to go on a run. We have the ability to do damage and win a lot of games. We have that ability. We just need to execute and do that.”

What does it mean? There is still time for the Orioles to catch up, but it will be difficult with the catchers they’re currently using.

“It’s just one of those things where everyone has to step up a little bit, pick up the slack,” Albernaz said.

What’s the stat of the day? 9-17. The Orioles are 9-17 in one run games.

“You’re going to have to find a way to scrap and claw to win those 3-2 games, 4-3 games, and we’ve shown we can do that,” Albernaz said. “There’s definitely room for improvement.”

What’s the word?  “We’re not trying to replace people. ‘Hey, you got to be someone you’re not.’ They’re doing a phenomenal job. Those guys understand the role. They’re true high-quality professionals, and they’ve done a phenomenal job with the pitching staff, the game calling defensively back there.”-Alonso on missing Basallo and Rutschman.

What’s going on in the minor leagues? The Orioles are promoting several top prospects. Left-handed starter Luis De León and right-hander Juaron Watts-Brown go from Double-A Chesapeake to Triple-A Norfolk.

Infielder Wehiwa Aloy, first baseman Victor Figueroa, right-hander Joe Glassey and left-hander Caden Hunter moved from High-A Frederick to Chesapeake.

Infielder Félix Amparo, catcher Andrés Nolaya, right-hander Christian Rodriguez and left-hander Stephen Still go to Frederick from Single-A Delmarva.

Heston Kjerstad homered twice and drove in all four runs in Norfolk’s 7-4 loss to Charlotte.

De León allowed a run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine in Chesapeake’s 6-2 win over Erie. Griff O’Ferrall and Tavian Josenberger homered.

Frederick starter Boston Bateman was removed in the first inning of the Keys’ 6-2 loss to Rome with right hip/flexor discomfort. Yasmil Bucce homered and Figueroa had three hits.

What’s next? The Orioles will play a three-game series at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers. Kyle Bradish (7-9, 3.49) will start against Keider Montero (7-5, 3.14) at 6:40 p.m.

Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com