By the ninth inning on April 25, the Orioles had to lean on pitcher Keegan Akin, making his season debut off the injured list — and eventually, utility player Weston Wilson, to end the game.
After erupting for 10 runs, 20 hits and six home runs en route to a 10-3 win against the Boston Red Sox on April 24, the Orioles followed that up with a 17-1 loss the following day.
Still, manager Craig Albernaz stressed it was simply a minor setback and the Orioles needed to take it in stride to remain focused on the long grind ahead.
“Any loss is tough,” manager Craig Albernaz said following the 16-run defeat. “I wouldn’t say it’s any more tough. It’s a loss. And then, you move on.”
While it’s prudent to avoid getting too hung up on any one game or series, Baltimore’s issues become harder to ignore once you zoom out to the big picture.
This isn’t just about one outing or a thin bullpen night. It’s about a rotation that isn’t holding its own right now. The Orioles simply aren’t getting enough consistency from the arms they are counting on.
Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers, who put together a historic 2025 season with a 1.81 ERA across 109.2 innings after returning from a knee injury, recorded just five outs on April 24. He racked up 47 pitches in the second inning before departing, struggling to close the deal in two-strike counts.
“It was just deep counts, couldn’t get the two-strike putaway [pitch] where we wanted it to [be] and the pitch count was just creeping up high that inning,” Albernaz said. “I was uncomfortable with him throwing that many pitches, any pitcher throwing that many pitches during the inning.”
The situation didn’t improve after reliever Albert Suárez took the mound, either. He was charged with an unearned run in the fourth inning. Then, a throwing error by oft-reliable utility man Jeremiah Jackson eventually resulted in three unearned runs crossing the plate in the fifth inning to put the Orioles behind 7-0.
The game got especially out of hand in the ninth inning once Baltimore essentially waved the white flag.
The Red Sox hit three home runs in the ninth inning of a game for the first time in club history, and it was the first time they had scored 10 runs in the ninth inning since May 7, 2017, against the Minnesota Twins.
Despite the demoralizing result, the Orioles still had plenty of reason to believe they could bounce back in the final matchup of the series — and overcome their woes against left-handed starting pitchers.
Following the April 25 wipeout, Boston abruptly parted ways with manager Alex Cora and five members of the coaching staff. And yet, the Orioles fell, 5-3, to the Red Sox a day later thanks to another inconsistent showing.
While catcher Samuel Basallo and shortstop Gunnar Henderson hit home runs against rookie lefty Connelly Early, who pitched 6.2 innings, Baltimore’s pitching was a different story.
Starting pitcher Kyle Bradish allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. He walked four who didn’t end up scoring, but those extra pitches forced him out of the game after just five innings.
Too often, Bradish was working from behind.
“The walks, for any starting pitcher, it’s always what you don’t want,” Albernaz said. “He was behind to a lot of hitters, and it’s tough to pitch that way, even with Bradish’s stuff. He did a great job minimizing damage early, just because of how elite he is.”
Bradish emphasized that getting back on track is primarily a matter of balancing aggression with control.
“I just need to be more competitive in the zone and the walks will come down,” Bradish said. “Some of the walks aren’t the worst thing in the world. Like today, they weren’t scoring, but just overall in the first six [starts], the walks are way too high.”
Overall, the outings from Bradish and Rogers underscore the same concern from different angles.
Rogers is struggling to finish hitters and keep his pitch count in check. Meanwhile, Bradish is still searching for the command that once made him a stabilizing presence in the rotation.
The Orioles don’t need both to be perfect. But they do both need to be dependable.
Until that happens consistently, games like this past weekend won’t feel like outliers. They’ll feel like warning signs.
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox