Orioles end disappointing 2025 season with 3-2 loss to Yankees

BALTIMORE–What happened? The offseason is here for the Orioles. Many decisions need to be made, and beginning on Monday, moves will be made that the Orioles hope will return them to the postseason in 2026.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino and president of baseball operations Mike Elias will address the future on Monday.

On Sunday, they lost for the third straight time to the New York Yankees, the American League’s top wild-card team. It was New York’s eighth straight win.

Ben Rice hit two home runs, and his second came in the top of the eighth to break a 2-2 tie as the Orioles lost to the Yankees, 3-2, before 45,004 at Yankee Stadium.

The Orioles finished with a 75-87 record, and after two seasons that concluded with postseason play, fell to last place in the AL East.

“Losing is really miserable and really hard to go through,” Mansolino said. “I don’t think when you feel miserable and you’re unhappy with how you’re playing, things go by quickly. I think it’s quite the opposite. I do think it slows to a crawl in a lot of ways.”

Mansolino was asked about comparing the Orioles to the Yankees, who outscored them 17-7 this weekend. He said it wasn’t an apples-to-apples comparison.

“Well, this is a stripped-down club,” Mansolino said. “We can’t discount the fact that we traded [nine] guys away. This isn’t the iteration or the version that Mike’s gonna roll out with next year. And had we been in the hunt at that point, had we kind of been able to get back to .500, he wouldn’t have traded everybody.

“I think it’s obvious there’s a lot of heavy lifting to do with the roster in a lot of ways and I think everybody’s well aware of that.”

Rico Garcia (0-2) allowed the second home run to Rice.

Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. It was the 17^th home run for each, tying them with Jackson Holliday for the club lead. It was the first complete season that an Oriole failed to hit 20 home runs since 2001.

Henderson hadn’t homered since August 24^th.

Devin Williams (4-6) pitched a scoreless eighth for the Yankees (94-68), who’ll face Boston in the Wild-Card Series that begins on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

Toronto beat Tampa Bay, 13-4, to win the AL East.

David Bednar pitched a scoreless ninth for his 27^th save.

Dean Kremer relieved Kyle Bradish in the fifth inning and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

“We really wanted for the Yankees not to be able to clinch on their field today,” Kremer said. “That was our ultimate goal.”

How did Bradish pitch? In his sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery, Kyle Bradish allowed two runs on five hits in four innings, striking out eight without a walk.

Rice homered against Bradish in the first. Giancarlo Stanton’s single drove in Aaron Judge in the fourth.

“I think the biggest thing is being healthy,” Bradish said. “I haven’t had a normal offseason for two years, so it’ll be nice to do a lot of things and work on a lot of stuff.”

Bradish ends his shortened season 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA.

“I think coming off the surgery and coming back after the long rehab, I think he probably exceeded a lot of expectations,” Mansolino said. “I thought he threw the ball great today in a lot of ways.”

Bradish was rehabbing for much of the year but liked the team he saw when he returned on August 26^th.

“I felt like we showed a lot of fight these last few weeks,” Bradish said. “We started playing good ball. Unfortunately, we dug ourselves in a bigger hole to start the year, but I think the focus of this offseason and next year is just coming out, working on everything we need to do to not have that happen next year.”

What does it mean? The Orioles are preparing for an active offseason and will look much different six months from now when the 2026 season begins.

What’s the stat of the day? While the Orioles tied their franchise high with 70 players used, Charlie Morton, one of those 70, started for Atlanta, enabling the Braves to set a major league record with 71 players in 2025.

What’s the word? “It still feels like a failure. Deep down inside knowing that the Yankees are going on to play in the postseason, and we’re not. Boston’s going and we’re not. Toronto, a team we beat up last year, they’re going to play, and we’re not.”-Mansolino on the Orioles’ season

What’s going on in the minor leagues? Dylan Beavers was named the International League’s Most Valuable Player. Beavers hit .304 with a .934 OPS, 18 home runs, 51 RBIs and 23 stolen bases for Triple-Norfolk.

Samuel Basallo and Beavers were named International League All-Stars. 

What’s next? The Orioles will open spring training camp in Sarasota in mid-February and start the 2026 season against Minnesota at Camden Yards on March 26^th.

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