There was no magic show at Camden Yards on Saturday night.
After a cathartic comeback win on Friday against the visiting Phillies, the Baltimore Orioles were shut out by Philadelphia 5-0 in front of an announced crowd of around 37,000.
The slightly better news: The Orioles (54-57) remained one-and-a-half games back of the final AL wild-card spot because of losses by the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins.
Phillies All-Star left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (14-4) threw six scoreless innings and struck out 11 on two hits, but wasn't without blemish. Sánchez allowed five walks and including a pair to Christian Encarnación-Strand with two outs to load the bases, but the Orioles didn't get a run out of either scoring chance.
Leody Taveras left the bases loaded both times, first in a scoreless fourth inning and again with Baltimore trailing 1-0 two innings later following a Bryan De La Cruz RBI single in the fifth.
In the sixth, with runners on the corners after Taylor Ward hustled from first on a Tyler O'Neill dribbler to the right side of the infield, Encarnación-Strand drew a walk, then Taveras grounded out to short on a 3-2 count.
“All our chances were with two outs, which is tough," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. "I think anyone would love to see Leody come through right there.”
Orioles starter Shane Baz went 6 1/3 innings, surrendered six hits and one earned run, walked one and struck out four on 99 pitches, and took another hard-luck loss.
“He threw outstanding. He gave us a chance," Albernaz said. "He had to go pitch-for-pitch with Cristopher Sánchez, who is in the NL Cy Young conversation."
Baz (4-10) gave way to Rico Garcia, who finished off a scoreless seventh.
But Philadelphia (58-53) put up four runs in the eighth against the O's bullpen, two each against Grant Wolfram — who walked both runners who scored — and Andrew Kittredge, who allowed two earned runs for the first time in 15 games on three hits.
Wolfram and Kittredge each managed only one out, and recently recalled Yaramil Hiraldo — added to the roster after Dean Kremer was traded the night before — got the final out of the eighth and pitched the ninth.
Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, on four days rest, threw a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation.
The Orioles had only three hits, a Gunnar Henderson single in the first, O’Neill’s single in the sixth, and Dylan Beavers’ pinch-hit single in the seventh.