BALTIMORE–What happened? The Orioles were one out from defeat when Saturday’s game turned ugly. They were down, 9-3, to the San Diego Padres when shortstop Gunnar Henderson was hit by a pitch on his right hip by reliever Ron Marinaccio.
Two innings earlier, Padres reliever Bradgley Rodriguez came close to twice hitting Henderson. San Diego appeared determined to retaliate for Oriole starter Trey Gibson’s hitting San Diego shortstop Xander Bogaerts with a pitch on the helmet in the fifth inning.
After a brief meeting in the ninth, crew chief Chris Conroy ejected Marinaccio and, moments later, San Diego manager Craig Stammen.
“I guess they were trying to make up for missing,” Henderson said. “They had their two opportunities in my previous at-bat and missed, so thought that should have been the end of it. But I guess they were trying to get payback, so I guess we’re even now.”
The Padres insisted that Marinaccio wasn’t throwing at Henderson. Bogaerts left the game an inning after being struck on the left ear flap. Gibson, who struggled with his control, had knocked down Manny Machado with a high inside pitch just before that.
“Trey hit Bogaerts in the head and their dugout didn’t like it at all,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Obviously, it definitely wasn’t intentional. It was a two-seam that slipped out of his hand. I get there why they’re mad, the ball hit him in the head and he had to come out of the game. I’m not saying the ball to Gunnar was on purpose, but it was done the right way. And that’s why there was no gripes from us, and Gunnar was fine with it and just took it to first base.”
Adrian Morejon relieved Marinaccio and retired Pete Alonso on a grounder to second that ended the 9-3 loss before 25,722 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles had a three-game winning streak snapped. They’d scored seven runs in each of the three games.
How was the game lost? Gibson’s fourth major league start was by far his roughest. The San Diego Padres hit a pair of two-run home runs against him in the first inning. He walked five batters and was charged with six runs, even though he allowed only three hits in 4 1/3 innings and struck out seven.
Gibson (1-2) had a challenging first inning, allowing two-run home runs to Jackson Merrill and Samad Taylor, and the Orioles were quickly down, 4-0.
“He came out and the command was elusive early, as you could tell,” Albernaz said. “Gave up the four-spot in the first, but he did a great job of settling in, put up some zeros for us, giving us a chance and then he kind of ran out of gas with the pitch count [93, 53 of which were strikes] and everything. Their starter as well, we got to their starter for two runs in the first and he did a good job of settling into the game as well.”
The Orioles (34-38) answered as Alonso hit his 16th home run against Randy Vásquez and Leody Taveras’ triple scored Samuel Basallo in the bottom of the first to make it 4-2.
San Diego (36-33) added two in the fifth on Taylor’s bases-loaded single and a sacrifice fly by Nick Solak.
Gibson had trouble throwing first-pitch strikes and missed badly inside at times.
“I think just failing behind hitters early,” Gibson said. “Didn’t really [put] the team in a good spot to win the ballgame from the start.”
Vásquez (6-4) gave up two runs on six hits in five innings.
Alonso’s RBI double in the bottom of the seventh cut the Orioles’ deficit to 7-3.
Two Padres were replaced in the bottom of the sixth. Besides Bogaerts, catcher Freddy Fermin was hit by a warmup pitch in the head by reliever Yuki Matsui.
Albert Suárez allowed three home runs — to Gavin Sheets in the seventh, Rodolfo Durán, who replaced Fermin, in the eighth and Machado in the ninth.
What was wrong with Gibson? After two innings, Gibson spoke with Drew French and decided to pitch from the stretch.
“That’s just to simplify things,” Albernaz said. “Just keep it simple. Looked like the windup was out of whack and kind of just get down the slope a little more efficiently.”
Gibson had never switched from the windup to the stretch mid-game.
“Really pleased for how it worked for those few innings,” he said.
What does it mean? While Chris Bassitt is on the injured list with a back injury, they’re going to need Gibson because there isn’t another experienced starter at Triple-A Norfolk. He did display some impressive stuff but command was a real issue.
What’s the stat of the day? 5. Oriole pitchers surrendered a season-high five home runs.
What’s the word? “You have an idea because it’s just how it is. I mean, we hit somebody of theirs, and obviously weren’t trying to, but it is what it is. And, yeah, you had your opportunity to get it back, and they did and missed, so that should have been it.”-Henderson on getting hit in the ninth
What’s next? Trevor Rogers (3-6, 6.15) will start against Walker Buehler (3-3, 4.33) on Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
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