Padres catcher Ethan Salas put his name in the record book yesterday with a triple off the right-field wall for his first MLB hit. At 20, he became the youngest player to triple for his first hit since teammate Manny Machado did it in 2012.
Pete Alonso is heading back to Citi Field on Monday, and the return should come with a full dose of emotion. The Orioles first baseman is set to face the Mets for the first time after seven seasons in Queens, where he won Rookie of the Year in 2019, piled up 264 home runs, and became a fixture with the fan base.
He signed a five-year, $155MM deal with Baltimore and has delivered a familiar kind of season, with 35 home runs and 100 RBIs. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor summed up the mood this way: “ It better be electric,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said (h/t Dan Martin of the New York Post).
“ I hope people go crazy for him. He deserves it.”
On the mound Sunday, Payton Tolle shrugged off the rain and the delayed start to carve up the Royals. The Red Sox left-hander opened with an immaculate inning, striking out Nick Loftin Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone on nine pitches.
He needed only eight fastballs and a sinker to do it, and the sinker hit 97 mph. Tolle went on to strike out seven across six shutout innings, giving him back-to-back quality starts after he didn’t get through six in his final three outings of August.
Blue Jays fans also got a long-awaited jolt from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at Rogers Centre. The first baseman broke through against Orioles lefty Trevor Rogers with a solo homer in the fifth inning, and it kicked off a run of three straight Toronto home runs.
George Springer went deep first, Guerrero followed, and Kazuma Okamoto added another. It was Guerrero’s ninth home run in 135 games, and his power numbers remain well below his usual standard.
His .365 slugging percentage is 68 points under his previous career low, which came as a rookie in 2019, and his .100 ISO ranks ninth-lowest among qualified hitters.
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 🡒]