The Orioles keep finding new ways to look the same, and Tuesday night at Camden Yards was another reminder of where this season stands. Baltimore fell 5-2 to the Cubs, struck out 12 times, and managed just six hits in a loss that fit neatly into the stretch of rough baseball they’ve been playing since June 2024.
Matthew Boyd was the one doing the damage. He worked his longest outing of the season and held the Orioles to three hits over six innings, even though he’s not usually the kind of pitcher who piles up whiffs.
That didn’t matter here. Baltimore came in still struggling badly against left-handers, and the problems showed up again as the offense was shut down through six innings by a pitcher who had been having a difficult season.
The Orioles did finally get something going in the seventh, when Adley Rutschman’s single produced their opening runs. But the rally stopped there.
Gunnar Henderson, who entered the game with an .382 OPS with runners in scoring position and two outs, struck out with two on. Baltimore had already been stuck in another lineup drought, held to three runs or fewer for the seventh time in its last 10 games.
Craig Albernaz shuffled the order again, putting Taylor Ward back in the leadoff spot, and he tried four left-handed bats against a lefty in an effort to shake things loose. It didn’t work.
After the game, he said, "It's not desperation," the overmatched skipper said after the game. "We're trying to problem solve left-handed pitching."
The fielding didn’t help either. Jackson Holliday’s arm couldn’t finish a double play, and Taylor Ward’s triple clutch on a play ended with no throw at all, allowing Miguel Amaya to score on a sacrifice fly. Amaya also worked a two-out walk earlier in the game to help turn the lineup over before coming around to score the Cubs’ first run in the third.
Shane Baz took the loss on the mound for Baltimore, and the outing followed a familiar pattern. The offseason addition allowed loud contact throughout the night, gave up six hits and three runs in six innings, and threw 100 pitches while the Cubs missed just seven times against him.
He didn’t allow a home run, but he also never looked settled. Afterward, he said, "I feel like a lot of times it comes back to the walks," Baz told reporters after the loss, with Albernaz referring to the walk to the nine-hole hitter as Baz's kryptonite.
Baltimore’s bullpen then added more trouble. Anthony Nunez, recalled after getting hit around in Norfolk, gave up one run in his first inning.
When the Orioles trimmed the deficit to 4-2, Albernaz sent him back out for the eighth, and Nunez allowed another run. Albernaz explained the move this way: "Our guys were running pretty hot," Albernaz said, with the workloads of his other reliever part of the reason he decided to let Nunez negate any chance of getting back in this game.
"We feel confident with Nunez going back out there."
Boyd, though, had the Orioles completely off balance. Baltimore struck out 15 times against him and finished with just six hits. In the fourth, the Orioles put two runners on after Boyd’s command wavered and he hit Coby Mayo, only to strike out three straight times.
The numbers around the season keep piling up, too. Baltimore is now 5-25 when scoring three runs or fewer since May 1, and only six teams in MLB have done that more often.
The Orioles are also last in the AL East, 10-17 against lefties and 21-31 against winning teams. On the roster, only Pete Alonso has an OPS above .800 at .807, while Henderson sits at .699.
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Contender Now Linked To One Orioles Bat Fans Feared Losing
The trade deadline is starting to draw some familiar names into the rumor mill, and for Orioles fans, one of the more uncomfortable ones is a bat they have grown attached to. CBS Sports Mike Axisa recently pegged Taylor Ward as a possible fit for a Phillies club that has improved under Don Mattingly and looks like a buyer, with the appeal tied to his on-base ability and right-handed swing even as his home run total has dipped.
For Baltimore, the intrigue is less about Philadelphias needs than what Ward represents if the market keeps warming up. He is viewed as the kind of rental a contender can chase before he reaches free agency after the season, which is exactly the sort of profile that tends to stir deadline noise around a player who has become part of the Orioles everyday picture. The question now is how aggressive that pursuit gets, and whether Baltimore is forced to weigh short-term value against the kind of return that could make moving him easier to stomach. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Taylor Ward Problem At The Worst Time
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That slide has already been noticed outside Baltimore, too. ESPNs latest trade-chip rankings have Ward slipping from 12th in the first edition to 24th now, a reminder that his market is changing along with his production. The Orioles would love to see him straighten things out over the next stretch, not just because they need the offense, but because a stronger finish would give them a much better position when the deadline conversations really start to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Bullpen Concerns Just Grew As Another Lineup Shuffle Looms
The Orioles bullpen picture took another hit with Keegan Akin now seeking a second opinion on his left elbow, while Colin Selby remains on the 60-day injured list and Ryan Helsley is still working through treatment on his right elbow. For a club already trying to patch together innings, the latest medical updates only add to the pressure on a relief group that has been asked to absorb a lot this season.
At the same time, Baltimore is trying to manage the rest of the roster with an eye on a Cubs matchup that brings a left-handed starter into the mix. The lineup card reflects that balancing act, with the Orioles turning to several younger bats and moving pieces around as they look for the right combination, even as the bullpen uncertainty keeps hanging over the day. [Read more 🡒]