The Orioles kept themselves alive in the wild-card chase Friday night, even if the path in front of them still looks brutally narrow.
Against the major leagues’ winningest team, Baltimore twice clawed back from multi-run deficits and forced extra innings before falling 6-5 to the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park. The loss did not create any additional separation from the Chicago White Sox, who hold the third wild-card spot and also lost Friday. But with the Orioles still three games back and only eight games left on the schedule, the margin for error is disappearing fast.
Manager Craig Albernaz liked the fight he saw, especially after Baltimore erased a two-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth against Brewers closer Trevor Megill.
“Our guys have shown their resiliency all year, coming back and fighting back,’’ he said. “But also, where we are right now, that we have to win as many games as we can is an understatement. But I’m always proud of our guys.”
The standings barely moved, because the White Sox and Blue Jays both lost as well. Even so, the Orioles are staring at the clock now, and their final eight games are not exactly forgiving.
Friday night was the kind of game Baltimore had to find a way to steal if it wanted to make a real push. Instead, Milwaukee kept showing why it is on the verge of the first 100-win season in franchise history, something it could reach as early as Saturday night.
Baltimore’s offense never found much rhythm until late. The one swing that truly changed the game early came from Pete Alonso, whose three-run homer in the third tied things up. He now has 38 homers and a major league-leading 105 RBIs.
If the rest of the roster had backed him up more consistently, Alonso would have been a strong AL MVP candidate. As it stands, he is likely headed for a different kind of hardware: Most Valuable Orioles, an award that will be announced before the final home game on Wednesday.
The ninth-inning rally gave Baltimore another shot. Gunnar Henderson opened the frame with a leadoff single, and Coby Mayo, who had already doubled twice, added his third double of the night. Both scored on sacrifice flies to bring the Orioles level.
Cade Povich’s night ended after 3 ⅔ innings, and Albernaz had to turn to seven different relievers. That is a tough ask in the first game of a critical series, especially against a team as complete as Milwaukee.
The Orioles are still standing, though. And until the math says otherwise, the games will keep carrying weight.
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Former Orioles Prospect Chance Sisco Ends A Career Fans Once Watched Closely
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