Friday night, the Baltimore Orioles looked like a team with a fight. They had just pulled off a gritty win over baseball’s best pitchers, and it felt like they were shaking off the fiasco from Tampa. But then came Saturday, and all the things that had to go wrong went wrong.
By the time the final out was recorded, Baltimore had been stomped 9-0 by the Yankees. And that’s putting this down gently. If not for Gary Sanchez’s single in the eighth, the team would be staring down the barrel of a no-hitter. Clark Schmidt was untouchable through seven innings. It was seriously one of the games where fans start checking the pitch count, just in case it’s history in the making.
The interim manager, Tony Mansolino, admitted it after, “Nobody wants to be no-hit.” He even called Sanchez a hit-a-pride-saver, and you could tell it wasn’t just about the scoreboard; it was about avoiding being embarrassed by the sheer gameplay. As far as Zach Eflin goes, he didn’t say words; in fact, he took the blame for the game on himself.
Zach Eflin got rocked again and gave up 10 hits and six runs in just three innings. Afterwards, he admitted it by saying, “Poor execution… In a game where I needed to go deep into the game, I didn’t do that. It doesn’t feel good letting the team down.” One can just hear it in his words—he is deeply hurt and disappointed. The $40 million pitcher was supposed to be that guy, especially after such a strong deadline pickup last season. However, now his 5.46 ERA is a tough pill to swallow. Plus, this was the second straight outing where he just didn’t look right.
But the real cherry on the top was Adley Rutschman landing on the IL. At the end, even Luis Vazquez—the infielder—was pitching. So, that’s how weird things got for the Baltimore Orioles. Now, the only silver lining is Sunday’s finale. Win it, and one can take the series in New York. Monsolino is now holding onto hope, saying that the energy will be there. And given the beatdown with them on Saturday, it better be there. Because this was not just a loss, it was a hit to the Orioles’ pride. And just when it looked like things couldn’t get worse for them, they just did!
Baltimore Orioles can’t catch a break as injuries keep piling up
As if the scoreboard embarrassment was not enough, Baltimore’s injury curse struck again. And let’s be real—this team has had a hard time remaining healthy, and it is showing. Of course, the latest blow is to their star catcher Adley Rutschman, and it is disappointing because he was just heating up. The two-time All-Star had been on a tear in June, batting. 309 with three homers and a .509 slugging percentage. He was one of the bright spots in an otherwise rather shaky team.
But here is the real kicker—Rutschman is the 21st Oriole to hit the IL this season. And the worst part is that 10 of them are still out, including ace Grayson Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched once this season, and top outfielder Tyler O’Neill. It’s like every time someone gets healthy, another name drops. And it seems like the saga is far from over. During Saturday’s loss, Jordan Westburg drew a walk, stole second, and slid in headfirst. It sounds pretty routine, right? Well, it seems not quite. Because even with a sliding mitt on, he looked uncomfortable after the play. And sure enough, later Westburg was diagnosed with left-hand discomfort.
Now the X-ray came back negative, but the team is holding their breath. Westburg only just returned from a hamstring injury a couple of weeks ago. And he has been much better since rejoining the lineup. Since June 10, he has been hitting. 256 with three homers and a .538 slugging percentage. So not bad at all, but this had to happen. Right now, the Orioles are already struggling to stay afloat, and they can’t lose another key bat. Right now, the question is, how much more can a team take?
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