Before he powered a sweep of the Athletics on Sunday with his bat, and before he helped win Saturday’s game with his glove and arm, Gunnar Henderson showed me something on a play he didn’t make. He sprinted into foul territory in pursuit of a foul ball, with Dylan Beavers and Christian Encarnacion-Strand also giving chase. Henderson was the only one who had a chance to catch it and made a headfirst dive, the ball landing just beyond his reach. It was an all-out attempt from a player who might be struggling but not with his effort.
It was four years ago today when he made his major league debut, hitting a home run and having trouble keeping his helmet on when he ran the bases. He said he likes to play as if his hair is on fire, and that’s how he looked when he lost his helmet. This season, he has just appeared lost at times, raising his average to .223 with his 21st and 22nd home runs among his four hits in Sunday’s 8-5 win that kept the Orioles one game back in pursuit of a wild-card spot heading into Monday night’s game in Colorado.
If Sunday marks the start of something big for Henderson, the Orioles’ chances are considerably brighter. But nothing has been easy for this team, and the Orioles had to work hard for every victory against the A’s. The series was loaded with drama.
On Friday, they failed to hold on to a 2-0 lead, yielding a single run in the seventh and one more in the eighth, with leftfielder Dylan Beavers preventing the A’s from taking the lead by throwing out Jeff McNeil at the plate for his first outfield assist. It allowed the Orioles to take a 2-2 game into the 10th, where, with two outs and Carlos Narváez and Henderson on base, Coby Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand delivered back-to-back hits for a 4-3 win the Orioles had to have.
On Saturday, the Orioles were leading 4-0 in the top of the sixth when a struggling Samuel Basallo grounded out and took out his frustration on the equipment in the dugout and himself. The frustration would spread to starter Shane Baz, in the bottom of the inning. Baz, who has received minuscule run support, suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone. He walked two, hit a batter and gave up two runs before manager Craig Albernaz signaled for Alex Hoppe with two outs and the bases loaded. As Baz left the mound, he covered his face and screamed into his glove.
Hoppe added to the tension by missing the strike zone badly on his first three pitches before he got Max Muncy to hit a slow roller to Encarnacion-Strand, who’s been the Orioles’ unsung hero since taking over third. The drama, however, wasn’t over.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Athletics loaded the bases against Rico Garcia with one out. Yennier Cano struck out back-to-back hitters to preserve the 4-2 lead. During the threat, Basallo tried to block a pitch with his bare hand and was removed from the game after he grounded out in the top of the eighth. He didn’t play on Sunday.
The bottom of the frame was no easier to watch. Cam Sanders walked two and gave up a run-scoring single to make it 4-3, with runners on a first and third and one out. That’s when Encarnacion-Strand made the play of the game. Jonah Heim hit a bouncer to third and, instead of throwing home, Encarnacion-Strand threw to Henderson for a force at second, and Henderson fired a bullet to Mayo at first for an inning-ending double play in an eventual 5-3 win.
Sunday’s win required a comeback from a 5-1 deficit before Mayo and Henderson unloaded three-run homers to pull the Orioles to within one game of .500. They struggled against a team that is 53-84, and now they get the Rockies, who are 52-85.
They’ve added a right-handed hitting outfielder with power, Luis Robert Jr., and have called up left-hander Cade Povich, who will pitch Monday night’s game. They handled adversity well in Sacramento, even it was against the A’s, and they appear poised to make a playoff push. If nothing else, they’re making things interesting, and that’s a good thing as September begins.