WASHINGTON—After a rocky few weeks to begin his Orioles career, Chris Bassitt seemed to have settled in. Last Sunday, he pitched effectively as the bulk pitcher, entering the game in the second inning and allowing a run on four hits in six innings.
To make things look even better, Bassitt was pitching against the Washington Nationals, against whom he hadn’t allowed a run in 21 innings. He had pitched 13 scoreless innings at Nationals Park.
That ended on Saturday when Bassitt gave up four runs on six hits in five innings in the Orioles’ second straight loss to the Nationals, 13-3, before a sellout crowd of 40,559.
The Orioles trailed, 4-3, in the seventh after finally showing some life in the top of the inning. Samuel Basallo and Tyler O’Neill hit back-to-back home runs, and Coby Mayo nearly added a third, clearing the top of the left-field foul pole but missing a homer by inches. An RBI single by Taylor Ward pulled the Orioles to within 4-3 before Adley Rutschman ended the rally with a soft liner to shortstop.
However, the Nationals scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning, six against Keegan Akin, to turn the game into a rout.
With the loss, the Orioles are 20-26, equaling a season-low six games below .500.
“It’s always urgency around here,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “I think it’s where we’re trying to win every game, like we talk about, and every time we show up we’re trying to win. So the urgency is the same. I think it’s us coming into tomorrow being ready to win.”
Bassitt (3-3) gave up a three-run home run to Keibert Ruiz in the second and doubles to James Wood and CJ Abrams in the fourth.
He could have allowed even more when the Nationals (23-23) loaded the bases with none out in the fifth before Bassitt struck out José Tena, retired Abrams on a popup to third and Daylen Lile on a grounder to first.
The Orioles, who didn’t score until the ninth inning in Friday’s 3-2 loss, were shut out for the first six innings until Basallo led off the seventh with his sixth home run against Washington starter Cade Cavalli (2-2).
When O’Neill followed with his second home run, it marked the first time the Orioles had hit back-to-back home runs this season. Leody Taveras singled, and Mayo thought he’d hit a game-tying home run but after the ball was ruled foul, he struck out.
P.J. Poulin’s first batter, Jeremiah Jackson, drove a ball to deep center where Jacob Young made a leaping catch to rob him of an extra-base hit. Gunnar Henderson walked, and Ward’s RBI single scored Taveras to cut Washington’s lead to 4-3.
“We were putting a good rally together,” O’Neill said. “We had them on the ropes there for a little bit. Just came down to a close call, man. Coby really gave that one a whack … wish that one would have stayed fair for us. But if we keep grinding out at-bats, good things are going to happen.”
They had four singles in the first two innings but didn’t produce a run. Cavalli retired 13 of 14 before Basallo’s home run.
Brady House’s RBI double, which scored Wood and Daylen Lile’s grounder to short, bringing House home, gave Washington a 6-3 lead. Ruiz added a two-run single, giving him five RBIs and the Nationals a five-run lead.
Jacob Young hit a three-run home against Andrew Kittredge after winning an ABS challenge on a called strike three, and suddenly a one-run game had turned ugly as the Orioles trailed, 11-3. Akin was charged with six runs and retired only one batter.
House hit a two-run home run against Josh Walker in the eighth.
The Orioles announced the signing of outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor league contact on Saturday night.
How can the Orioles become consistent? The Orioles were at 17-23 a week ago after their second loss to the Athletics.
“It just comes down to us going out there every day, grinding,” O’Neill said. “I’ve been a big part of coming up short lately. Working, grinding and doing what we can to get back on track. I think it’s really only a matter of time. We all believe in ourselves, and a lot of skill in this locker room. Just got to take it to the next day.”
O’Neill is batting .174 with a .588 OPS.
“It’s been a bit of a scuffle for me,” he said. “But I’m putting good at-bats together and seeing the baseball, swinging at the right pitches. After you make contact, what are you going to do? Can’t really do anything when a guy’s standing there, catching the ball at the wall. Everyone’s putting together good at-bats here. So it’s just a matter of time before we really get clicking here as a unit.”
What does it mean? The game was competitive until Akin imploded in the seventh.
What’s the word? “Nothing, I’m too old to deal with the positives. It was a bad game, bad loss.”-Bassitt on if he found some positives in the loss.
What’s the stat of the day? 42. Maverick Handley became the 42nd player used by the Orioles this year when he struck out, hitting for Henderson in the ninth.
What’s next? Brandon Young (3-1, 4.15) will start against Miles Mikolas (1-3, 7.00) at 1:35 p.m. on Sunday.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: [email protected]