The Orioles offense came to life early, got 12 hits, and Coby Mayo, Leody Taveras, and Tyler O'Neill all homered as Baltimore beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 Monday night at Comerica Park, winning the first game of a three-game series between two teams chasing the final American League wild-card spot.
Baltimore improved to 52-55 and pulled to within two games of the third and final wild-card spot. Detroit fell to 50-57.
How It Happened
The Orioles scored their first four runs the old-fashioned way — two singles, two groundouts — before the long balls took over. Mayo gave Baltimore some breathing room with a two-run homer in the fifth, his second hit of the night to go with an RBI single earlier. He finished 2-for-4. Holliday was the story of the evening, going 4-for-5 and scoring twice in his first start of the year at shortstop, filling the role vacated by the injured Blaze Alexander on days Gunnar Henderson DHs.
Detroit chipped away. The Tigers pulled within 4-3 in the fourth on a Matt Vierling sacrifice fly, putting pressure on Baltimore's lead at the midpoint of the game. But Taveras answered with a solo shot in the fifth to make it 5-3, and O'Neill crushed one to left-center in the sixth off Tigers reliever Tyler Holton — who had allowed just one earned run over the previous 19 innings across 17 appearances — to push it to 8-5.
Kyle Bradish didn't make it through the fifth, allowing 10 hits and five earned runs — tying a season high. But Baltimore's offense had enough of a cushion that it didn't matter. Yennier Cano, Grant Wolfram, Andrew Kittredge, and Rico Garcia combined for 4⅓ scoreless innings to close it out.
The Orioles struck out just twice. For a team with the third-most strikeouts in MLB this season (980), that kind of plate discipline is exactly what they need to string together wins. Baltimore chased Detroit starter Keider Montero after just 4⅓ innings and 80 pitches, having tagged him for four earned runs. "It was a great offensive night," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said.
Colton Cowser made a spectacular diving catch in centerfield in the eighth with a runner on and no outs in a three-run game.
MILKMAN WANTED FOR ROBBERY pic.twitter.com/4wLG8OXBpf
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 28, 2026
Squirrely Moments
In a sequence of levity, a black squirrel spent about a full inning running around the field, before dozens of Detroit groundskeepers and Taveras in right helped corral the animal off the field. “The whole squirrel thing was nuts," Albernaz said.
Just taking in some baseball 🐿️ pic.twitter.com/uf9JawTrIS
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 28, 2026
“I thought it was crazy," Mayo said. "It was funny. Personally, I wanted him to stay on the field. It makes the game more interesting.”
Catcher Roulette
With Adley Rutschman (left wrist) and Samuel Basallo (right shoulder) both on the 10-day IL, the Orioles have been scrambling behind the plate. Earlier Monday, they designated Sam Huff for assignment and recalled Yohel Pozo from Triple-A Norfolk.
Huff was fine defensively but went 4-for-33 on the season and was the final batter in both extra-inning losses to Atlanta over the weekend. He's expected to be traded, put on waivers, or released within the next week.
Pozo, claimed off waivers from the Cardinals last week, isn't a guaranteed offensive upgrade — he hit .233 in St. Louis — but anything would help. Orioles catchers have gone a combined 1-for-29 since Basallo left Baltimore's July 19 game in Houston with the shoulder injury. Monday night, with the bases loaded in the third, Chadwick Tromp grounded into an inning-ending double play and the Orioles managed just one run in the inning.
Basallo was seen taking groundballs at first base before the game at Comerica Park but wasn't throwing. Baltimore is eager to get him and Rutschman back.
Healing Up
Albernaz said before the game that both Ryan Mountcastle (broken bone in foot) and Chris Bassitt (back) will begin rehab assignments Tuesday with Triple-A Norfolk.
Up Next
Game two of the three-game series is Tuesday night at Comerica Park. First pitch at 6:40 PM ET on MASN.
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