Calling the Pen: Basallo takes Orioles to another level

I wasn’t happy with Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino on Tuesday night.

It wasn’t because in the ninth he stuck with right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo, who threw just 12 strikes in 34 pitches and gave up a game-tying two run home run to Boston’s Nathaniel Lowe before loading the bases. I realized Mansolino had few options and, thankfully, Hiraldo got Trevor Story to ground into a forceout to send the game to the 10th inning.

No, my frustration started before the game. It was when the lineups were posted, and there was no Samuel Basallo.

The 21-year-old had played just two games — the first as the designated hitter and the second as Trevor Rogers’ catcher. He had driven in two runs in each game, and the Orioles weren’t scheduled to play on Wednesday. Why wasn’t he in a lineup that was already missing Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman?

Mansolino explained:  “I think having a day to just kind of review the day yesterday for him catching I think lended itself to maybe sitting today. Just with these guys, with [Dylan] Beavers, with Basallo, we’re gonna play them probably a lot more than Coby [Mayo] did here initially when Coby got here, but I do think there is validation in these guys not getting thrown to the wolves completely here from the get-go.

“You’ve got to kind of see the big picture, be smart, not kill them right away. Just kind of weave them into it the right way.”

One of the top prospects in baseball took his benching better than I did. He could be seen talking with Rogers and others in the dugout, smiling and looking totally at ease. There is a presence to go with his promise.

He’s not the first young Oriole to get fans excited in the past four seasons. First there was Rutschman on Preakness Day in 2022, followed by shortstop Gunnar Henderson in late August of that year. Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser made their debuts in 2023, and Jackson Holliday had everyone anticipating his debut in 2024.

Dylan Beavers got the spotlight for a day when he was called up last Saturday. Then came Sunday, and Basallo’s debut. Sitting in the dugout with translator Brandon Quinones and MASN’s Rob Long, Basallo projected confidence not nervousness. It also was evident the first time he came to the plate that he’s a big man — 6 foot 4 and broad shoulders with a fast but controlled swing.

In his first two games, he was 3-for-10 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Half of the balls he put in play were hit harder than 95 mph and his 78.1 mph bat speed is in the 99th percentile of all big league hitters.

Like Henderson, whose violent swings are fun to watch, Basallo’s at-bats are not to be missed. On Tuesday night, though, he was simply missed until the top of the 11th in a 3-3 game between the Orioles and Red Sox. Facing Garrett Whitlock, Basallo swung through a 95-mph fastball down the middle to fall behind 0-2. Whitlock then threw a changeup that was outside and just inches above the ground. Somehow, Basallo got his bat on the ball and hit a dribbler in front of the plate that scored the winning run. “Contact is king,” Mansolino said.

“I think God controlled the ball in that situation,” Basallo said, “but I think I’ve had this really good ability to put the bat on the ball ever since I was a little kid, so I think that’s something I’ve taken a lot of pride in, being able to put the bat on the ball, so I think it worked out today.”

On Thursday, Basallo will make his debut at Camden Yards against the Houston Astros. Provided Westburg’s ankle injury isn’t serious, the Orioles will return home with a lineup that’s been transformed since they left town. Beavers has a controlled compact swing that Ben McDonald compared with Freddie Freeman’s. Ryan Mountcastle is hitting the ball hard again, and to all fields, after a long stint on the injured list. Even Dylan Carlson, who went 35 at-bats without a hit, has started to produce again.

Combined with a starting pitching staff that has been the best in baseball for the past month, the Orioles have a new energy that disappeared after the trade deadline. It looked as if the last two months of the season would be painful to watch, but now they’ve become a team one is eager to see, especially Basallo.

On Monday night against Boston he lined a 97-mph fastball 4 inches above the strike zone into right-center to drive home the Orioles’ fifth and sixth runs in a 6-3 victory. On Tuesday night, he got his bat on the ball when it appeared beyond his reach to drive in the game-winner.

It’s only three games, and barely that because he only pinch-hit on Tuesday, but Basallo is already standing out in a crowded field of talented young players. The final six weeks of the season are going to be fun to watch.

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