Chris Bassitt needed a good start for the Baltimore Orioles this evening against San Francisco. He got that in a way, but he didn’t stick around long enough to be in line for the win. Manager Craig Albernaz decided to match up in the fifth. Luckily it worked; Bassitt pitched well, just not the requisite five innings. Bassitt’s line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R (1 earned), 1 BB, 2 K.
Perhaps a harbinger, Adley Rutschman was sent to the IL before the game. He was in the starting lineup, was scratched with an inflamed ankle before the game, and just moments before first pitch the Orioles announced he was going to the IL. Shades of last year, once again.
And that in a sense haunted the Orioles early. With Devers on first, Samuel Basallo allowed him to go to second on a passed ball. Ramos’ RBI-single gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead. But the O’s would immediately tie it at one with an RBI-groundout in the bottom of the inning by Colton Cowser.
It was Dylan Beavers who scored the run. He was originally on the bench, but Ryan Mountcastle took the DH role after Rutschman was scratched (and later IL’d). Mountcastle led the second off with a solid double to center. Good piece of hitting; however Mountcastle appeared to stumble after hitting first, and slid head-first and injured into second. It was all but immediately apparent that he would have to leave the game. The Orioles later said he had ankle soreness.
Despite the mounting injury concerns, the Orioles took the lead an inning later on a solo home run by Gunnar Henderson. Yet they would load the bases in the fourth, and San Francisco tied it at two on an RBI-groundout by Ramos. It was softly hit, and approximately 42 MPH off the bat. But it tied the game.
A Colton Cowser single in the last of the fourth put runners at the corners. Coby Mayo would ground into a fielder’s choice-RBI, giving the Orioles the lead back at 3-2. Mayo would later score himself on an RBI-double by Jeremiah Jackson. Incidentally Mayo appeared to injure his knee sliding into home plate on that play. But mercifully he came back out to play third base and appeared to be fine. It might have been the only break the Orioles have caught with injuries since the first half of 2024. Coby Mayo would add an insurance run in the form of an RBI-single in the eighth, and the O’s won it 6-2.
Jeremiah Jackson may have had the best game of his career, incidentally. On top of the RBI-double above, he added a solo home run in the last of the seventh. He’s proving to be an important and key member of this team. And maybe a very sleek pickup from last year.
The win puts the Orioles back at .500 for the season, with a chance to win the series tomorrow. Which is good. But the injury bug is adding up again. At the time last year the O’s had nine players on the IL. Now they have 11. Could be 12, depending on Ryan Mountcastle’s situation.
It almost takes your breath away if you think about it. Before the game even started the Orioles had players dropping like flies. But as Buck Showalter used to say, other teams don’t care about your problems. They’re just glad you have them.
The series concludes tomorrow at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by San Francisco’s Adrian Houser. Game time is set for just after 1:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 