BALTIMORE—As the Orioles’ season nears its end, players are getting hurt and others are playing unfamiliar positions. On Tuesday night, in the late innings of a game they would lose 9-5 to the Cleveland Guardians, both Gunnar Henderson and Blaze Alexander left the game, leaving backup catcher Carlos Narváez playing second base for the first time in his professional career.
Narváez pinch-ran for Henderson after the shortstop fouled a ball off the back of his left knee. Alexander left with back spasms after injuring himself fielding Patrick Bailey’s bunt in the seventh inning.
Alexander was replaced by Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third, and Jackson Holliday moved to shortstop for the ninth inning.
“He fouled the ball off his back knee, off the patella tendon, and so if anyone’s gotten hit there, it locks up pretty good,” manager Craig Albernaz said about Henderson. “Gunnar being how tough he is tried to gut it out, but running to second base, it just didn’t look right, so that’s how I made the move with Narváez because Blaze was already coming out.”
Henderson, who was wearing a black compression sleeve on his knee, moved uneasily around the clubhouse. He’s played in all but one game this season, and while he’s tough, seems unlikely to play on Wednesday.
“It should be just day-to-day honestly,” Henderson said. “See how it feels in the morning. So, yeah, didn’t feel great running out there, but we’ll see how it feels in the morning. Right now, it’s fine. It’s just when I was trying to stop out there, it really didn’t feel good, and, yeah, should be day-to-day and should be fine tomorrow. We’ll see.”
If Alexander and Henderson are unable to play, it’s possible Jeremiah Jackson will be recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.
Catcher Samuel Basallo, who missed a month with right shoulder inflammation, remained in the game after he was checked on my Albernaz and athletic trainer Ben Fraser.
“He’s still dealing with some right shoulder soreness,” Albernaz said. “I think it’s just soreness. We’re checking on him throughout the game. He said he was fine.
“I was talking to him pretty much after every inning to kind of see where he was at. He wouldn’t come out and said he was fine. He had a few backswings and foul tips. Life of a catcher.”
What happened in the game? Brandon Young might have been the most pleasant surprise on the Orioles this season. Now, after throwing 140 2/3 major league innings, and 16 2/3 in the minor leagues, the 28-year-old right-hander may be feeling the effects of a long season.
Young allowed six runs on eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings, a season low, in the loss to the Guardians before 13,279 at Camden Yards.
The loss drops the Orioles (70-76) four games behind the Guardians (74-72) for the final wild-card spot, and Cleveland has now won the season series between the teams. The Orioles have lost seven of their last eight games and have only 16 games left.
“I mean, it’s right there in front of us,” Henderson said. “We win ballgames, we’re going to put ourselves right in it, right there. I mean, we’re in it right now. But obviously, it comes down to winning ballgames, and that’s all we can do at this point. It’s pretty plain and simple. Win ballgames.”
Entering the game, Tanner Bibee had the worst run support in the majors, 3.03 per game, even worse support than Shane Baz has from the Orioles. Baz has received 3.14 runs per game.
The Guardians gave Bibee six runs in the first three innings against Young (9-4).
Jo Adell’s first-inning single scored Steven Kwan, who doubled. Cleveland scored four in the second on an RBI single by Patrick Bailey and a three-run home run by Travis Bazzana, his 11th. Petey Halpin’s run-scoring single put the Orioles behind, 6-0.
The six earned runs allowed were a season high. On April 30th, Young allowed 10 runs against Houston but six were unearned.
“Just put some balls in the middle of the plate,” Young said. “They made me pay for it. No, I feel good, no excuse for it.”
The Orioles chased Bibee from the game in the fifth when they cut the lead to 6-5.
Basallo’s infield out scored Holliday in the fourth. Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras doubled in the fifth. Taveras’ RBI double broke on 0-for-19 streak.
Holliday’s single off first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s glove scored Taveras.
Pete Alonso followed with his 34th home run. The two-run home run, which brought his RBI total to 97, left the Orioles a run behind, 6-5.
Bibee allowed five runs on six runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Tim Herrin (3-4) relieved Bibee and retired all four batters he faced. Herrin, Craig Yoho, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for 4 2/3 hitless innings.
In the seventh, Cleveland scored three unearned runs against Alex Hoppe when with runners on first and second and one out, Angel Martinéz grounded to first. Alonso threw to second to start a possible double play, but the ball hit off Jo Adell’s helmet, and José Ramírez came in to score.
Brayan Rocchio’s bases-loaded single scored Adell and Martínez, and Cleveland led, 9-5.
What does it mean? Without Henderson or Alexander, a weakened lineup will become even weaker.
What’s the stat of the day? 3 2/3. Young equaled his season-low with 3 2/3 innings.
What’s the word? “Didn’t do my job, and there’s no excuse for it.”-Young on his performance.
What’s going on in the minor leagues? High-A Frederick scored nine runs in the eighth inning to defeat Greensboro, 13-1, in the first game of the South Atlantic League Playoffs.
It’s a best-of-3 series, and Game 2 is on Thursday at Frederick.
Boston Bateman struck out 10 in five innings, allowing a run on two hits.
Enddy Azocar hit a three-run home run. Ty Head homered and drove in three runs.
Vance Honeycutt continued his outstanding play for Double-A Chesapeake, homering twice to lead the Baysox over Richmond, 11-3.
Honeycutt has five home runs in 17 games since his promotion from Frederick and is hitting .344.
Ethan Anderson hit a three-run home run, his 20th, and Aron Estrada hit his 24th, a two-run homer.
Caden Hunter allowed three unearned runs on two hits in four innings, walking two and striking out four.
What’s next? Shane Baz (5-15) will start against Foster Griffin (15-4, 3.26) on Wednesday night at 6:35.
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