The Orioles (69-74) close out a four-game home series against the Boston Red Sox (78-65) on Sunday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, trying to avoid a sweep after five straight losses left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
Baltimore's offense has effectively gone silent over the past two nights. Saturday's 5-0 loss marked the second consecutive shutout at the hands of Boston's pitching staff, and the Orioles' best chance to break through came and went in the eighth inning, when they loaded the bases against the Red Sox bullpen only for Pete Alonso to strike out and end the threat.
"Little bit trying to do too much," manager Craig Albernaz said of the offense afterward. "They're trying. They know where we're at. They're trying to come through for the rest of the team, rest of the boys. Sometimes it works out... we just couldn't get anything going offensively."
The loss dropped Baltimore to 69-74 and pushed the deficit in the AL wild-card race to three games, with the calendar working against any margin for error. The Orioles haven't won since Colton Cowser's home-run-robbing catch beat Colorado on Monday and briefly pulled them back to .500.
"The league doesn't let up. You still have to go out there and compete," Albernaz said. "I know it's tough for the fans to hear, but we've been in this spot multiple times this year and our guys continue to find a way to keep on going, and that's all we can do."
Boston Has Extra Motivation
The Red Sox haven't been shy about enjoying this series. Orioles infielder Blaze Alexander's celebratory wave to the Camden Yards crowd earlier in the set got mocked right back Friday night, when Isiah Kiner-Falefa mimicked the gesture after his two-run double in the seventh — scoring Trevor Story and Mickey Gasper — pushed Boston's margin to five.
"I think everybody knows what it was. Just trying to pump the crowd up," Kiner-Falefa said. "It felt good to pump the crowd up for something good happening, not a double play." Boston starter Sonny Gray, who picked up the win on Saturday night, echoed the sentiment: "Fired us up, got us going. We're trying to get the sweep."
It's the kind of subplot that tends to follow a team playing loose and confident against one that's scuffling, and Boston enters Sunday looking to complete just that — a four-game sweep in Baltimore.
Roster Moves: Suárez DFA'd Again, Hinds Recalled
The Orioles shook up their roster ahead of the finale, designating right-hander Albert Suárez for assignment for the second time this season and recalling outfielder Rece Hinds. Luis Robert Jr. is out of the lineup against Boston's left-handed starter, which may have factored into the corresponding roster math as Baltimore looks for a jolt somewhere — anywhere — in a lineup that's gone cold at the worst possible time.
Pitching Matchup
Boston hands the ball to left-hander Payton Tolle (8-6, 3.23 ERA), who has emerged as one of the more reliable arms in Boston's rotation down the stretch. Baltimore counters with Kyle Bradish (7-12, 4.01 ERA), who will need to keep the Orioles in it against a Red Sox lineup that has feasted on Baltimore pitching all series.
With the Orioles sitting three games back of the final AL wild-card spot and riding a five-game losing streak, Sunday isn't just about salvaging a game from a lost series — it's about proving, with less than a month to play, that this team still has something left to make a real push.
Probable Starters
Boston Red Sox: LHP Payton Tolle (8-6, 3.23 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish (7-12, 4.01 ERA)
Where to Watch/Listen
First pitch: 1:35 PM ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Weather: 81°F, Mostly Clear
TV: MASN
Radio: 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio (AM 1090 / FM 101.5)