BALTIMORE—The Orioles began Sunday just 1 ½ games out of the final wild-card spot, and hoped that with Kyle Bradish facing the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler, they could make a convincing case as a genuine contender ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline.
Instead, due to a rain delay of one hour, 49 minutes in the bottom of the third inning, Bradish and Wheeler both left the game, and when the game resumed, the Orioles suffered their second consecutive shutout, their third in five games.
Bradish left trailing 2-0, and the bullpen allowed six runs in an 8-0 loss before 31,403 soggy fans at Oriole Park in a game that was ended after 5 ½ innings after a second rain delay.
The Orioles (54-58) go into Monday’s offday and trade deadline 2 ½ games out of the wild card. Since winning seven straight, they’ve lost three of the four series they’ve played.
“Extremely frustrating on a lot of different levels,” manager Craig Albernaz said.
Bradish (7-10) retired the first seven Phillies before Justin Crawford doubled. Bryan De La Cruz hit a two-run home run and gave the Phillies (59-53) a 2-0 lead. After the top of the third was completed, the grounds crew came out, sanded the infield and tried to clear the standing water.
After an extended repair, crew chief Marvin Hudson called for the field to be covered, the first in-game rain delay of the season. The tarp was taken off after about an hour, then briefly re-covered.
When play resumed, Kyle Backhus walked Jake Rogers, Dylan Beavers singled, and after both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Pete Alonso lined out to first, and Gunnar Henderson flied to right.
Anthony Nunez replaced Bradish for the fourth, and the first four Phillies batters reached. Bryson Stott’s bases-loaded walked scored Alec Bohm while Brandon Marsh scored on Crawford’s grounder to second.
Bryce Harper hit his 23rd home run against Josh Walker in the fifth, and Albert Suárez gave up three runs in the sixth.
Tim Mayza (3-3) pitched the fourth and fifth, allowing two hits and struck out three.
Now, the Orioles wait on what president of baseball operations Mike Elias and the front office decides to do.
“I trust them. I trust Mike,” Albernaz said. “It’s kind of a weird deadline already with everyone in it right now. Whatever happens, happens. You can’t really control everything in this game. That’s one of the things where us, the players and coaching staff, trust Mike and the front office.”
How did the conditions affect Bradish? It was raining steadily in the top of the third, and the conditions hurt him when he faced De La Cruz.
“It’s difficult pitching in that kind of weather,” Bradish said. “Unfortunately, curveball slipped out of the hand, left it up in the zone and he hit it for a homer. That was kind of the only pitch that I really thought that got away from me.”
How do the Orioles feel about the trade deadline? Bradish was sad when the Orioles traded Dean Kremer to the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.
“Difficult part of the business,” Kremer said. “He’s one of my best friends. We’ve played together ever since I’ve been in the big leagues, so it’s tough not having him around every day. But like I said, it’s part of the business. Hoping for the best for him. See him in about a week and a half.”
The Orioles will play at Minnesota from August 10th-12th.
Bradish is hoping there won’t be an upheaval.
“What we have in this clubhouse is more than capable of winning, regardless of what they do,” he said. But at the end of the day, it’s something you can’t control.”
Colton Cowser is hoping the Orioles can contend after the deadline.
“You look at the landscape of the division, where everyone’s at in the AL, we’re not too far off,” he said. “Ultimately, we’ve got to put our faith and trust into the front office at this time. You really can’t, as a player, try and navigate those things by yourself … Just because you’re not really in charge of running the organization, it’s just more so going out there and playing baseball and doing whatever you can to help the team win.
“I have a lot of belief in this clubhouse and know that we can win a lot of games. So, kind of putting our faith in the front office, and whatever they decide to do, they decide to do.”
Cowser doesn’t think it’s a particularly tense time.
“I personally haven’t viewed it that way, if you’re asking about me,” he said. “I’m just trying to go out there and compete and do what I can to help the team win, and wherever the cards fall, they fall.”
What does it mean? The guess here is that there will be perhaps five or six new players when the Orioles reconvene Tuesday after the trade deadline.
What’s the stat of the day? 2 hours, 17 minutes. The rain delays totaled 2:17, and the time of the game was only 1:54.
What’s the word? “Definitely know how important these are, and can’t really control the weather. Feels like KB looked really, sharp there, conditions started coming in and that’s just how it goes sometimes and kind of got to move on from there.” –Cowser on Sunday’s game
What’s going on in the minor leagues? In his second rehab start, Chris Bassitt worked 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits in Triple-A Norfolk’s 4-1 loss to Worcester.
Bassitt, who’s rehabbing from back surgery, struck out four and walked one. He threw 67 pitches.
The Tides had just three hits.
High-A Frederick’s game with Wilmington was postponed by rain.
What’s next? The Orioles are off on Monday. After the trade deadline, they’ll begin a home series with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night at 6:35. Neither team has named its starter.
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