It was another game they could have, should have won.
After tying Atlanta at two with a run in the ninth, the Orioles loaded the bases with nobody out in the 10th inning but couldn't get a run across, thanks to a hard-luck double play off the bat of Gunnar Henderson. Austin Riley's RBI double against Andrew Kittredge to start the 11th put the Braves ahead, and the Orioles fell to the visiting Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards. Tyler Kinley picked up the win, throwing 1⅓ scoreless innings to end it.
The Orioles dropped to 51-55 while the NL East-leading Braves moved to 62-43.
They Had Their Chances
Baltimore hit 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They had chances, and even late, in a game where it looked like they likely wouldn't. After the Braves went ahead in the second inning on a Dominic Smith RBI single - aided by an earlier Colton Cowser error in center that put Michael Harris II in scoring position - the Orioles trailed for almost the entire afternoon, until a Jackson Holliday game-tying RBI in the ninth.
Atlanta starter Reynaldo López entered having surrendered nine earned runs in his previous two starts, but he shut down the Baltimore lineup through 5⅔ scoreless innings, allowing five hits, walking one, and striking out six on 89 pitches.
"Today he was able to navigate us really, really well. WIthout him having his 98 mile per hour fastball, for us as an offense that was a missed opportunity," first baseman Pete Alonso said. "His stuff wasn't as electric today. We didn't do a good job as an offense in the first six innings, but we did a great job turning it on."
With one out in the eighth against left-handed reliever Dylan Lee, Alonso crushed his 22nd home run of the year to left field on an 0-2 breaking ball to pull Baltimore within one. Then came the gift in the ninth.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand drew a leadoff walk against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias, and Coby Mayo pinch-ran at first. Tyler O'Neill struck out. Then Leody Taveras hit a grounder through the legs and underneath the glove of Ozzie Albies, who appeared to bring his head up too early on a potential double-play ball that could have ended the game. Instead, it led to extra innings.
Mayo reached third and Holliday grounded out to short for the tying run — the second blown save of the year for Iglesias, on an unearned run scored without a hit.
The 10th That Got Away
Tyler Wells threw a scoreless 10th despite walking Matt Olson with no outs and the automatic runner on second, inducing two pop-outs and a fly ball to left-center.
In the bottom half, Dylan Beavers drew a leadoff walk against Danny Young. Pete Alonso was intentionally walked to load the bases for Gunnar Henderson — who ran into a five-man infield and the glove of Matt Olson. Henderson ripped a line drive to Olson at first, who stepped on the bag as Alonso dove back. The call stood after replay review.
"I should have took a shorter lead. I thought I was pretty close to the bag but turned out that it still needed to be shorter. Not being able to cash in there that obviously was a huge blow," Alonso said afterward, accepting blame despite the unlucky nature of the play. "I should have just been standing on the bag, just like Little League."
Taylor Ward then popped out to Kinley. It was the last, best chance they had.
"In a close game like that, there’s a lot of stuff you can do back to,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. “But with the bases loaded right there, that line drive double play, that hurt a lot."
In the 11th, Taveras drew a two-out walk and the Braves intentionally walked Jackson Holliday to face Sam Huff, who was 4-for-32 on the year. Huff grounded out to third — the second time in the series he was the last batter in an extra-innings loss.
How It Was Built
Shane Baz went 4⅓ innings on 90 pitches, allowing one earned run on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Smith added his second RBI of the series with a two-out single in the fourth when a diving Beavers in left couldn't corral the ball in time.
Baltimore's bullpen — Josh Walker, Anthony Nunez, and Albert Suárez — held Atlanta scoreless over 4⅔ innings after Baz exited, giving the offense every opportunity to take the lead. It wasn't enough.
“Shane threw way more pitches that he should have. He kept us in it," Albernaz said. "Walker was outstanding, Nunez held down his inning and Al is the unsung hero of our team, what he can do in spots like that. He had 16 or 17 games between appearances."
The Orioles have now lost the series' rubber game and fallen four games below .500 on a day where they could have gained some ground in the AL wild-card race.