Albernaz on Orioles’ elimination: ‘It’s not a place we wanted to be’; O’s-Yankees 1st-game lineups

NEW YORK—The Orioles were officially eliminated from playoff consideration on Thursday, and manager Craig Albernaz said he spoke to the team on Friday before a doubleheader against the Yankees.

“It’s not a place we wanted to be,” Albernaz said. “We won’t have this feeling again. The guys have been through a lot.”

Albernaz mentioned the injuries the team suffered, and a tumultuous trade deadline.

“It was a bunch of things, and they kept on competing and fighting … I could be better for them. I’ve got to make adjustments and help us in the win column as much as I can, but also challenge them, that each player through self-reflection and figure out those little margins where they can get better as well, and attack them as well.

“Us as a group, if we all attack those margins, and you look up, and next year, you hope we’re in a better spot. These next three games, play the game we’re capable of and make sure we’re doing the little things right so we can take that into the offseason, hopefully into spring training.”

Notes: Utility player Blaze Alexander wasn’t activated from the 10-day injured list because his back is still bothering him, Albernaz said.  “His back wasn’t in the right spot to activate him.” … Albernaz said he wasn’t scripting relief pitchers for the last three games. “They just want to pitch whenever they can pitch,” he said. … Ethan Anderson is here as the taxi squad catcher.

Orioles-Yankees 1^st-game lineups

Orioles

Dylan Beavers-RF

Pete Alonso-1B

Gunnar Henderson-SS

Coby Mayo-DH

Christian Encarnacion-Strand-3B

Colton Cowser-CF

Jeremiah Jackson-2B

Christian Franklin-LF

Carlos Narváez-C

Trevor Rogers-LHP

Yankees

Paul Goldschmidt-1B

Ben Rice-DH

Heliot Ramos-LF

Amed Rosario-RF

George Lombard Jr.-SS

Spencer Jones-CF

Anthony Volpe-3B

Ali Sánchez-C

José Caballero-2B

Brendan Beck-RHP

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