The Orioles’ season has slipped past the point of suspense.
Sunday’s 8-1 loss in Toronto didn’t just cost them a series, it all but closed the door on any real postseason hope. Baltimore still hasn’t been mathematically eliminated, but the math is doing the talking now. The Orioles are four games back of the Guardians - effectively five because Cleveland owns the tiebreaker - and they trail the Blue Jays by three games and the Rangers by two, with both clubs also holding the edge over Baltimore.
That’s the kind of gap that leaves very little room for wishful thinking. The Orioles needed a series win in Toronto, and probably a sweep, to stay in the hunt. Instead, they turned in one of those flat, forgettable games that has come to define too much of their year: no offense to speak of, a bullpen meltdown, and defense that never seems far from shaky.
Baltimore’s place in the race has felt flimsy for a while anyway. The club was hanging around in September more because the American League has been so mediocre than because the Orioles were actually playing winning baseball. They haven’t been above .500 since April, and they’re not going to finish there.
The timing made the whole thing feel even more pointed. While the Ravens opened their season with a 41-23 beatdown, the Orioles were stumbling through another lifeless loss, almost as if they were nudging fans toward football and away from whatever was left of this season.
With 12 games left, the focus has to shift. If the Orioles are thinking about 2027, the next two weeks should reflect that.
Heston Kjerstad ought to be in the lineup regularly. Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, and Dylan Beavers should get chances against left-handers.
Leody Taveras doesn’t need more starts. Enrique Bradfield Jr. would normally be a candidate for a late look, but with a lockout looming this offseason, adding him to the 40-man roster could make him ineligible if MLB games are wiped out next year, while the 2027 minor league season would still be intact.
The pitching staff deserves the same kind of caution. Kyle Bradish was finally shut down for the season on Sunday, landing on the 15-day IL.
Brandon Young should probably be done as well after setting a career high in innings pitched. Cade Povich could take over, or the Orioles could simply patch together a few bullpen games to get through the stretch.
There’s no reason to keep leaning on tired arms.
It’s a frustrating spot for an organization that now has little left to play for besides pride, and it raises the bigger offseason questions too - assuming the lockout doesn’t complicate everything. For now, the best anyone can ask for is something watchable over the final 12 games.
In Other News...
Orioles Suddenly Have A Real Third Base Answer For This Stretch Run
With 13 games left, the Orioles are still trying to keep themselves in the Wild Card race while juggling the realities of a season that has been battered by injuries and roster turnover. Jordan Westburgs surgery and the setbacks that followed have left a hole at third base, but the club has kept searching for answers even as it navigates the broader effort to blend present-day urgency with future-minded development.
Coby Mayo has been one of the more encouraging developments in that mix, showing better performance at a time when Baltimore needed somebody to stabilize the position. The Orioles have also continued folding in young talent from the trade deadline as part of that balancing act, and with the front office recently parting ways with vice president Matt Blood, the broader organizational picture is shifting even as this stretch run demands immediate production at the hot corner. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Have One Huge Samuel Basallo Question This Offseason
Samuel Basallos first full taste of the big leagues gave the Orioles plenty to think about, and not just because of the flashes he showed at the plate. The young catcher looked encouraging in the first half of the season before a right shoulder injury sent him to the injured list on July 22, and his year also included left knee discomfort and a left shoulder issue. For a Baltimore club always trying to balance present needs with long-term upside, Basallo remained one of the more intriguing pieces on the roster.
The challenge was what came after he returned on August 19. His batting average, slugging and exit velocity all dipped, and the timing lined up with a broader team slump as the Orioles slid out of playoff contention. That leaves Baltimore heading into the offseason with a familiar but important question around a high-upside young player: how much of the late-season drop was tied to the injuries, and what does it mean for his role going forward? [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A Tough Kyle Bradish Decision At The Worst Time
Kyle Bradishs latest turn only sharpened the questions already circling around the Orioles rotation. In a recent loss to Toronto, he was knocked out after three innings and gave up five runs, another uneven outing at a time when Baltimore can least afford one. The timing is especially awkward with the club still fighting through a tight playoff race and the calendar running thin.
Manager Craig Albernaz said the team is weighing all of its options, even as he continues to view Bradish as a competitor he trusts. Bradish, for his part, said fatigue is not the issue, which leaves the Orioles trying to sort out whether the problem is something they can fix on the fly or something that forces a tougher call soon. [Read more 🡒]