The Orioles left Sacramento with the kind of trip every contender wants: business handled, sweep completed, and the pressure still on the Guardians. Baltimore beat the Athletics 8-5 on Sunday to move to 5-1 on the road trip and stay one game behind Cleveland in the chase for the final Wild Card spot.
Gunnar Henderson supplied the big blows. He homered twice off left-hander Jeffrey Springs, including a three-run shot in the fifth that pushed the Orioles ahead 7-5.
Henderson also singled, drove in a run with a triple and matched his career high with five RBIs. It was his 22nd homer of the season and his second multi-homer game this year.
Coby Mayo helped turn the game around before Henderson finished it. Mayo launched a three-run homer off Springs in the fourth inning to pull Baltimore within 5-4, and the Orioles never really gave the momentum back after that.
Fifteen of Mayo’s 19 homers have come against left-handers, and the ball he barreled Sunday left the bat at 105.2 mph. He has also scored in five straight games, tying his career best.
The Orioles were staring at a 5-1 deficit before their bats took over. Henderson opened the scoring with a left-on-left homer in the first, but the A’s answered with a two-run double from Lawrence Butler in the bottom half and then moved ahead 3-1 on Jeff McNeil’s RBI double in the second. Brian Serven added a two-run homer with two outs in the third, giving Oakland a 5-1 lead before Baltimore started chipping away.
Pete Alonso was in the middle of the rally too, singling before Mayo’s homer. Later, Alonso was struck in the helmet by a 94.6 mph four-seam fastball from Kade Morris in the eighth inning.
His helmet and glasses came off as he fell to the dirt and rolled onto his back, but he got up right away as Craig Albernaz and assistant athletic trainer Ben Fraser rushed out. Jackson Holliday pinch-ran for Alonso, who appeared to be OK and stayed at the dugout railing.
Henderson then followed with a triple to the opposite field.
Baltimore’s comeback left Chris Bassitt with little margin early, but he lasted 5 2/3 innings and 99 pitches. He allowed five runs and eight hits, walked three and struck out four. Yennier Cano finished it off for his third save.
The Orioles are now 68-69 and have won seven of their last nine, pulling within one game of .500 for the first time since April 30. Cleveland beat Kansas City 11-1 and remains 69-68.
There’s also roster movement coming. Left-hander Cade Povich is joining the Orioles in Denver, according to a source, and is expected to be recalled Tuesday when rosters expand to 28 players. He had been listed as Norfolk’s starter Sunday, but the club switched to Dietrich Enns, who threw three scoreless innings.
Povich has been an option for length, which matters with Albert Suárez gone and the bullpen short on that kind of arm. Baltimore’s rotation is full unless the club chooses to use a sixth starter.
Povich has made six appearances, five of them starts, for the Orioles and posted a 4.45 ERA and 1.412 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings before going on the injured list with left elbow inflammation. At Norfolk, he has made 11 starts and put up a 5.68 ERA and 1.401 WHIP with 58 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.
In Tuesday’s outing against Durham, Povich worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out 11.
Outfielder Heston Kjerstad was out of Norfolk’s lineup Sunday, though he is not expected to join the Orioles on Tuesday.
Félix Bautista also made his third rehab appearance Sunday, working a scoreless sixth inning for Durham. He allowed a two-out single and struck out one. Bautista had been charged with three runs and three walks in one-third of an inning at Double-A Chesapeake, then followed that by throwing another inning on three days’ rest after joining the Tides and retiring all three batters he faced.
Against Durham, he struck out Jacob Melton on a 95.6 mph sinker. Carson Williams reached on a 96.2 mph sinker, stole second and moved to third on Creed Willems’ throwing error before being stranded. Bautista’s sinker topped out at 97.6 mph.
In Other News...
Orioles Just Took A Desperate Outfield Gamble For Their Playoff Push
The Orioles added another layer to their outfield search by claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets, a move that speaks to how urgent the position has become down the stretch. Robert was once an All-Star center fielder and still brings the kind of power-speed mix teams covet, even if his recent seasons have been defined by uneven production and a long list of injury concerns.
For Baltimore, the appeal is obvious: the club needed more depth and more upside in the outfield after injuries and performance issues thinned the group. Robert gives the Orioles a player with real ceiling at a time when they are looking for any edge they can find, but the latest chapter of his career also leaves plenty of uncertainty about how much help he can provide and how quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Took A Costly Flier In The Wild Card Race
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Robert now has to be added to the 40-man roster, which means the Orioles will need a corresponding move before he can officially settle in. On the Mets side, his departure opens the door for outfielder Nick Morabito to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, but the bigger question in Baltimore is how much this waiver claim will matter in the standings and what it says about the clubs willingness to spend for a shot at October. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Roster Shakeup Puts Spotlight On Baltimores Newest Arrival
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For Vzquez, the move leaves his immediate future unsettled after a brief stay on the major league roster and only limited big league experience behind him. If he goes unclaimed, Baltimore could end up with another decision to make, but for now the attention shifts to Robert and how the Orioles plan to use him as they continue to tweak the roster around their latest wave of movement. [Read more 🡒]