Calling the Pen: Breakthrough for Orioles’ Baz and a powerful sign from Alonso

There was a lot to unpack from Tuesday night’s Orioles-Astros game, but baseball seldom pauses long enough to allow you to organize your thoughts before the next game brings new ones. Wednesday’s rainout offered time for reflection.

My thoughts started in pregame when first baseman Pete Alonso was asked about his slow start. The 31-year-old slugger seemed almost prescient in his simple response: “I think once everyone gets going, we get on the same page clicking, we’re going to put some more runs up, which is going to alleviate some of the stress for the pitching staff,” he said. “When you hit better, you pitch better. When you pitch better, you hit better.”

Manager Craig Albernaz also appeared prescient. “He’s close,” he said about Alonso’s offense, “and I think with Pete, once he’s in that right physical space in the box because his defense has been better than advertised … It’s been elite for us at first base. It’s just on the offensive side of the ball, and it’s close. You can see it in the box. You can see it in his work. Once he gets into that groove, he’s going to be dangerous.”

Starting pitcher Shane Baz, who also had been scuffling after signing a five-year, $68 million contract extension, demonstrated what the Orioles saw in the 26-year-old right-hander. He would have finished six innings if the Houston Astros hadn’t produced a couple of soft hits with two outs, but he got his first win with ace-type stuff.

Baz appears to throw with ease and hit 99 mph with his fastball. He also had good movement on his cutter and knuckle curve. At one point, analyst and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer made a comparison to another Hall of Fame pitcher, Mike Mussina. It was easily Baz’s best start and could be the start of next-level pitching.

With regard to Alonso’s “when you pitch better, you hit better,” the first baseman supported Baz with a diving stop at first, where he has been excellent, and a two-run homer in the fifth that extended the Orioles’ lead to 4-1 and made Albernaz look smart.

I did question Albernaz’s strategy in the fourth. After Samuel Basallo and Leody Taveras opened the frame with singles, Dylan Beavers delivered a sacrifice bunt that moved Basallo and Taveras up a base. The problem I had with the small-ball approach was that free swinger Coby Mayo was up next, and he struck out. So did Jeremiah Jackson, leaving the runners stranded and the Orioles with a 2-0 lead.

In the seventh, though, Albernaz’s strategy worked to perfection, with the help of relief pitcher Andrew Kittredge. With runners on second and third and one out, Albernaz elected to give an intentional pass to the Astros’ best hitter, Yordan Alvarez. Kittredge then struck out Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve in one of the great early-season escapes of the season.

Kittredge was animated in the dugout afterward, laughing with Albernaz and others about the high-adrenaline moment that concluded with Altuve missing a hanging breaking ball. Another Oriole who was animated was Chris Bassitt, whose enthusiasm was evident when Baz came out of the game after his best performance. Bassitt has shown the kind of leadership to the pitchers that Alonso has brought to the position players.

Perhaps overlooked were two opposite-field RBI singles by Adley Rutschman that scored Gunnar Henderson, who doubled and walked, and a run-scoring double and single by Basallo as Albernaz continues to put both catchers in the lineup. He was asked if they represent the best catching duo in baseball.

“I would say it’s up there,” Albernaz said. “I’m biased, obviously. Get to watch these guys every day, watch them work, and yeah, I’d definitely say we have the best catching tandem. Like I said, I’m biased. But no, they’re doing a great job at the plate, their at-bats have been awesome, and doing a great job of leading our pitching staff, which is the biggest thing for me is how they influence every decision on that side of the ball and doing a great job being prepared and working with our guys.”

Tuesday night’s game, like some others before it, included some promising signs. We’ll see if any of it develops into the kind of consistency the 14-15 Orioles have been searching for this season.