The Orioles had every reason to handle Kyle Bradish with care. Instead, they kept running him out there like nothing was different, and Saturday’s 7-3 loss to Toronto showed exactly why that was a dangerous approach.
Bradish, once viewed as a Cy Young candidate, came into this season after two straight abbreviated years following Tommy John surgery. Baltimore had options: manage his workload, skip a start here or there, even lean into a six-man rotation.
None of that happened. Craig Albernaz brushed aside the idea of innings limits, and Bradish kept taking the ball despite having not reached even 40 innings in either 2024 or 2025 before this season.
The results have been ugly, especially lately. Against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, Bradish had no answer for Toronto’s patience or power.
He opened the first and second innings with leadoff walks, allowed a two-run homer in between, then gave up a leadoff blast in the third. Albernaz still left him in to keep laboring, and Bradish finished with eight hits, two walks and two home runs allowed over just three innings.
It took him 56 pitches to record nine outs.
That made for Bradish’s 14th loss, and the numbers from his last nine starts tell the story of a pitcher running on fumes: 57 hits allowed in 41 2/3 innings, eight homers, 32 strikeouts and 19 walks. His ERA in that stretch is 5.84, with a 1.85 WHIP. He’s now at 155 innings on the season, and the idea that Baltimore should be pushing him deeper at this point feels hard to justify.
“We talk through everything, and everything is on the table,” Albernaz said of easing off Bradish. “But with KB, he’s such a competitor and he’s been our guy all year, so we feel comfortable giving him the ball every time he pitches.”
The Orioles also had chances to make Saturday interesting despite the rough start. Pete Alonso reached base twice early with walks, but Baltimore couldn’t cash in. He later homered in the seventh to trim the deficit to three, though the missed opportunities before that had already done damage.
Toronto worked with an opener and mostly controlled the Orioles lineup until late. Baltimore’s first run came on an error, and they had a chance to turn the game around in the sixth.
With two on and two outs, Albernaz pinch hit for Colton Cowser and used AAA journeyman Rece Hinds in the spot instead. Hinds lined out, and the Jays answered with another run in the bottom of the inning.
Baltimore dropped to 72-77, and now Sunday carries real weight. They need to win the series finale or risk falling four games behind Toronto for the final Wild Card spot, with the gap potentially widening further elsewhere. After that comes a meeting with the streaking Mets, a series that will bring an emotional homecoming for Alonso and could very well be the end of the road for this season.
“Tough day for the offense,” Albernaz said. “Have to turn the page quickly for tomorrow.”
Dylan Cease is set to start Sunday for Toronto, and he comes in amid a Cy Young campaign.
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Orioles Wild Card Push Is Running Out Of Time
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With 13 games left, the margin for error has all but disappeared. Baltimore sits three games behind Cleveland for the final American League Wild Card spot, which leaves little room for losses like this one as the club tries to hang on in a crowded finish. [Read more 🡒]