Henderson comes up short in Home Run Derby; Orioles must improve situational hitting

What happened? Gunnar Henderson, whose 28 home runs were the most of the eight players in Monday night’s Home Run Derby, hit just 11 and failed to advance to the semifinals.

Because he had the most home runs among the contestants, Henderson was the last player to hit. Despite practicing at Oriole Park with his designated pitcher, Norfolk manager Buck Britton, he never got into a groove and failed to advance.

Corbin Burnes will be the first Oriole pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Steve Stone in 1980 when he takes the mound on Tuesday night. His catcher will be teammate Adley Rutschman,  and Henderson will be at shortstop.

Burnes won’t pitch nearly as long as Stone, who threw three perfect innings at Dodger Stadium. He’ll probably throw an inning, and perhaps start the first game after the break, on Friday, also at Globe Life Park against the Texas Rangers.

Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg are the other Orioles on the American League team.

How badly did the Orioles need a break? After the Orioles beat the Yankees, 17-5, on June 20^th, they were 49-25 and trailed by a half-game in the American League East.

The Orioles lost 13 of 22 games, but because New York played even worse, they lead the East by a game. Baltimore is 6-4 against the Yankees and needs to win one game in their final series in September to  secure the season series. If the teams finish the season with the same record, head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker.

The biggest change has been the ascension of the Boston Red Sox, who trailed by 10 games after the Orioles-Yankees series. They went 13-7 and begin the second half trailing the Orioles by 4 ½ games.

In those 22 games, the Orioles had two five-game losing streaks. They hadn’t had one of that length since May 2022, just before Rutschman joined the team.

The Orioles no longer have the best record in the American League. Cleveland, which took two of three from the Orioles late last month, is 58-37 with a winning percentage of .611. The Orioles’ is .604.

The situational hitting must improve. The Orioles were just 2-for-39 with runners in scoring position in their six-game homestand before the break.

Overall, the Orioles are hitting .253 with runners in scoring position, eighth in baseball. The Houston Astros, who concluded the first half 15-6, including a three-game sweep of the Orioles, lead the majors with a .262 average with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles still lead baseball with 149 home runs.

What’s the stat of the day? 3. Burnes’ selection by Texas manager Bruce Bochy gives the Orioles three starters for the first time since 2013 when Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones started.

What’s going on in the minor leagues? There are no minor league games until Friday.

Unlike last year, when Norfolk won the Triple-A championship, the Tides haven’t duplicated their success this year. The Tides are 44-48 and still have the top prospect in baseball, Jackson Holliday.

Holliday, whom the Orioles haven’t allowed to play the field since early June due to inflammation in his right elbow, should return to second base after the break. He returned to Norfolk after a difficult few weeks with the Orioles and he’s hitting .273 with a .442 on-base percentage, eight home runs, 31 RBIs and a .913 OPS.

Coby Mayo is patiently awaiting his call to the Orioles. Despite missing a month with a fractured rib, Mayo is hitting .301 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs and a .983 OPS.

Perhaps 25-year-old right-hander Chayce McDermott will join the Orioles soon. McDermott was named the International League Pitcher of the Week after allowing one hit in 6 2/3 innings against Memphis last week. McDermott is 3-5 with a 3.70 earned-run average with 128 strikeouts and 54 walks in 90 innings.

Double-A Bowie catcher Samuel Basallo was the Orioles’ representative in last Saturday’s Futures Game. Basallo is hitting .274 with a .787 OPS, 12 home runs and 38 RBIs for the Baysox, who are 40-46.

Alex Pham, who is 3-2 with a 5.38 ERA in 17 starts, was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.

High-A Aberdeen is 46-41, and the IronBirds have an astounding 244 stolen bases.

Last year’s No. 1 draft choice, outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr,. has stolen 45 bases in 54 chances. Bradfield’s hitting ..274 with three home runs and 20 RBIs and could be getting a promotion to Bowie soon.

The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds are just 32-54, and their position players average just 20.2 years. While they don’t have many top prospects, they could be getting some next month after this crop of draft picks sign.

What’s next? After the All-Star break, the Orioles will play a three-game series at Texas beginning on Friday. Neither team has announced its starters.

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