The Orioles are running out of room to breathe in the wild-card race, which is why Friday’s opener against the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif., arrives with some real urgency attached.
Baltimore opened its nine-game trip by taking two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals, but the standings keep tightening. The Orioles are now three games behind the final American League wild-card spot, held by the Cleveland Guardians, and five other teams sit within four games of Cleveland.
“I think we've been playing some good baseball and just want to keep that up,” Orioles first baseman Coby Mayo said. “Obviously, you want to win every game possible, just because of the spot we're in right now. You're trying to win every game.”
Mayo supplied one of Baltimore’s loudest swings on Thursday, crushing a 446-foot, three-run homer in a 7-5 loss to St. Louis. He has done most of his damage against left-handers this season, with 14 of his 18 homers coming against them.
“Extra-base hits are great, singles are great, getting on base is great, but when I'm hitting the ball pure off the barrel, my swing is meant to hit the ball in the air,” Mayo said. “When I hit it on the barrel, ball's in the air, usually equals homer.”
The Orioles are now trying to keep pace against an Athletics club that has started to find its stride. After a five-game skid, Oakland has won four of its last five.
That run continued Wednesday in a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins, a game that featured a solo homer from Lawrence Butler and a two-run triple from Alika Williams.
Butler has been on a tear lately, batting .310 (31-for-100) with seven homers, six doubles and 16 RBIs over his last 28 games.
“I couldn't be happier with Lawrence,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “This kid has been grinding.
He plays with emotion. He doesn't want to disappoint anyone, especially the team.
Really proud of the way he's responded to a lot of adversity and continues to get better.”
The turnaround has been a welcome one after a rough first half for the 26-year-old right fielder. Butler was hitting .196 with five homers at the All-Star break, but he said he never lost sight of the bigger picture.
“Never give up,” Butler said. “It's a long season.
I was hoping that around this time we would be in a playoff push, but it is what it is. You have to go out there every day and put up a good at-bat regardless of the score or the record.
Compete every day.”
Baltimore will hand the ball to Brandon Young in the series opener. The right-hander is 9-3 with a 3.50 ERA and gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays last Saturday.
Over his last four starts, Young has a 4.50 ERA with 14 strikeouts and nine walks in 20 innings. The Orioles have won 17 of his 22 starts this season.
Jonah Heim has seen him well, going 3-for-4 with two doubles against Young, who was tagged for six runs in three innings during an 11-3 home loss to the Athletics on Aug. 9, 2025.
Oakland is expected to answer with left-hander Jacob Lopez, who is 5-4 with a 4.98 ERA. Lopez held the Houston Astros to one run over six innings in a no-decision last Saturday, then has been even sharper over his last four outings, posting a 2.63 ERA with 29 strikeouts and five walks across 24 innings.
He worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs in a 4-3 road win over Baltimore on May 8, and he has gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two career starts against the Orioles.
The Athletics’ bullpen still sits last in MLB in ERA, but the relief group gave them useful innings against Minnesota. Elvis Alvarado, Hogan Harris, Brady Basso and Luis Medina all played important roles in the back-to-back wins over the Twins.
Basso worked two scoreless innings Thursday, and Alvarado finished the job by striking out Luke Keaschall with two runners on in the ninth for his fifth save.
In Other News...
A's Top Prospect Created Real Buzz But Now Faces A New Concern
Leo De Vries spent much of the season looking every bit like the As most exciting young piece, putting together a strong run at Double-A Midland and adding another layer to his profile by getting work at third base. The 2026 campaign gave Oakland plenty to dream on, with De Vries hitting .290 with 13 home runs and 34 stolen bases in 93 games while continuing to show why he has become such a talked-about part of the organizations future.
Now the focus has shifted from production to patience after a sore right shoulder sent De Vries to the seven-day injured list and shut down his Minor League season. The good news for the As is that the issue is not considered serious, and he is already rehabbing at the clubs Spring Training complex, leaving open the possibility of more baseball later this year if he can move on to the Arizona Fall League or winter ball. [Read more 🡒]
Lawrence Butlers Surge Is Creating As Roster Pressure Fast
In a season defined by injuries and shifting opportunities, Lawrence Butler has turned one of the As few bright spots into a real roster question. The extra playing time opened by all the churn has helped create chances for younger players like Henry Bolte and JT Ginn, but Butler has been the one pushing hardest for a larger role as Oakland sorts through what it actually has in the outfield.
His recent surge has changed the conversation from simple evaluation to how the As can fit everyone in once the roster starts getting healthier and more settled. With the club already thinking about future configuration and the possibility of trade chatter around the outfield mix, Butlers rise adds urgency to decisions that were already coming. The longer he keeps forcing the issue, the harder it gets for Oakland to keep treating his role as a temporary one. [Read more 🡒]
As Let Another Home Opportunity Slip Away In Painful Loss
The Athletics kept fighting through a frustrating night at Sutter Health Park, but the early damage from Baltimore proved just enough to hold up in a 4-3 loss that stretched into extra innings. Oakland got a solid start from Jacob Lopez and a lift from catcher Jonah Heims home run, which helped keep the game within reach as the As tried to claw back from the Orioles early lead.
The comeback effort finally tightened in the late innings when Oakland pulled even in the eighth, giving the home crowd a chance to believe the As might steal one after all. Instead, the game drifted into the kind of extra-inning tension that has so often left little margin for error, and the As were left once again looking at another home opportunity that slipped away. [Read more 🡒]