BALTIMORE–What happened? Orioles manager Craig Albernaz decided to try a batting order featuring four left-handed hitters against Chicago Cubs left-handed starter Matthew Boyd.
However, that lineup didn’t produce any runs and just three hits in the six innings Boyd was in the game, and the Orioles didn’t score enough when he left in a 5-2 loss before 16,200 at Camden Yards on Tuesday night.
With the loss, the Orioles fell into last place in the American League East as Boston defeated the Chicago White Sox, 8-1. The Orioles (42-50) are 12 ½ games behind first-place Tampa Bay and 4 ½ games out of the final wild-card spot as they limp toward the All-Star break.
With the trade deadline less than four weeks away and the Orioles showing no signs of being able to mount an extended run, catcher Adley Rutschman remains confident.
“A hundred percent. I think just from a holistic standpoint, I think our pitching staff has just continued to get better and improve, and we know our potential on offense,” Rutschman said. “We’ve just got to keep grinding away. Baseball’s a tough game, but this team’s built for it, so I have all the faith in the guys in this room.”
Rutschman watched as last July brought a major selloff, something he doesn’t want to see repeated. “We’ve gotta win games,” he said.
Though no rain fell, the game was delayed for 56 minutes at the start because of an unfavorable weather forecast, the first rain delay of the season.
Oriole starter Shane Baz (4-9) gave up three runs on six hits in six innings, and that was enough to give Boyd (4-1) a 3-0 lead.
Alex Bregman drove in two runs with a single in the third and a fielder’s choice in the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled in a run in the top of the fifth.
Michael Busch’s sacrifice fly gave Chicago (51-40) a 4-0 lead in the seventh against Anthony Nunez, who also allowed the Cubs’ fifth run on Dansby Swanson’s RBI single in the eighth.
The Orioles had scoring chances but were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Rutschman’s bases-loaded two-run single in the seventh against former Oriole Jacob Webb got the Orioles within 4-2, though Gunnar Henderson struck out to end the inning.
“Matty Boyd was tough,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “He came out of the gate strong, too. Velo was up a little bit. When Matty has his command going, he’s tough.
“He has a good mix, he mixes up arm slots, and did a good job of pushing and pulling, especially with the first and second nobody out, he really beared down. We didn’t move the ball forward at all. When we got to the bullpen, we had some great at-bats, had some chances, Adley delivered, and, yeah, that was it.”
Pete Alonso singled and Coby Mayo was hit by a pitch to begin the fourth, but Boyd struck out Samuel Basallo, Blaze Alexander and Dylan Beavers.
Tyler Ferguson and Trent Thornton combined for the final six outs, with Thornton earning his second save.
What was Baz’s game like? Baz delivered his seventh quality start, though he’s won only two of them.
“A lot of times it comes back to walks, just being ahead in the count and making them swing and stuff like that,” Baz said. “I think that’s an easy thing I can fix. Obviously, the other team getting the lead is never ideal, especially in the first few innings. Just got to be a little better and stick to my game plan a little more and just try and go get it on the next one.”
Baz has faced the Cubs only twice in his career.
“They’re just really, really deep in the lineup,” he said. “They have a lot of veteran guys that make you be in the zone and will try and think along with you and stuff like that. But I think I did a really good job of just keeping it mixed up for the most part. Obviously that one inning I had the two walks, but other than that, I feel like I did a good job with them. But they’re pretty good.”
What does it mean? Unless something radical happens quickly, the Orioles will have no choice but to sell. They can prevent it by a long winning streak, but their longest winning streak is three games.
What’s the stat of the day? 6. The Orioles were held to six hits, all singles. It’s the 30th game they’ve had six or fewer hits. They’re 7-23.
What’s the word? “I feel like I’m giving up three runs like every single game.”-Baz on his performance.
What’s going on with the minor leagues? Joseph Dzierwa allowed a run on three hits in five innings as Double-A Chesapeake beat Akron, 2-1, in 10 innings.
Catcher Ethan Anderson was placed on the Baysox’s injured list with a left ankle discomfort.
Randal Diaz, Wehiwa Aloy and RJ Austin all homered in High-A Frederick’s 8-7 win over Jersey Shore in 11 innings.
Single-A Delmarva was held to four hits in a 6-2 loss to Kannaplis.
Infielder Cobb Hightower was removed from the Shorebirds’ game with a left knee injury, and outfielder Braylon Whitaker was removed with right hip discomfort.
Triple-A Norfolk’s game with Syracuse was postponed by rain. The clubs will play a doubleheader on Wednesday.
The Orioles have hired longtime major league pitcher Ross Detwiler, who pitched for 10 teams in 14 seasons as the team’s upper-level pitching coach. He replaces former Orioles pitcher Thomas Eshelman, who left to become pitching coach at TCU. The news was first reported by The Baltimore Banner and confirmed by an industry source.
What’s next? Dean Kremer (1-1, 3.18) will start against Colin Rea (6-5, 4.74) on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.
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