In front of their largest crowd since opening day, the Orioles had their worst offensive game of the season.
With an announced attendance of 40,012 on Hawaiian shirt day, Baltimore continued its slump at the plate, totaling just three hits one day after managing only four. The poor performance at the plate spoiled another stellar start from Kyle Bradish, as Joey Gallo’s solo home run in the fourth inning was all the Minnesota Twins needed to win 1-0.
Twins starter Bailey Ober pitched seven shutout innings, and Minnesota’s bullpen followed suit. The three hits the Orioles managed are the fewest they’ve totaled in any of their six shutout losses this year.
“One-hundred sixty two games, bound to have some stretches like that,” center fielder Cedric Mullins said. “I feel like we’re coming up there with a plan, with an approach, just not getting the results we want right now.”
One of their best scoring chances came in the ninth inning. Adley Rutschman reached on an infield single off closer Jhoan Duran, and Jorge Mateo pinch ran for the catcher and stole second. But Anthony Santander flied out to right fielder Max Kepler, who made a sliding catch in foul territory, and cleanup hitter Ryan O’Hearn grounded out to first to end the game.
The defeat is the Orioles’ fourth straight, their longest streak this year. Saturday was game No. 81, marking the midway point of the season. At 48-33, Baltimore is on pace to win 96 games.
“I think this team is capable of doing a lot of great things, and we’ve kind of shown that this year already,” Mullins said. “Four-game losing streak, I don’t think it worries us too much.”
The Orioles scored 18 runs in their three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week, losing the final two contests. They’ve scored just one run in their past 20 innings, dating to Wednesday’s extra-inning loss.
“We faced a couple really good starters that were on and just had a tough time offensively,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
The first two games against the Twins (42-42) have been two of the most-watched games at Camden Yards this season as Oriole Park is . The 34,792 announced crowd for Friday night’s game (and for the floppy hat giveaway and postgame concert by DJ Diesel, aka Shaquille O’Neal) is tied for the club’s sixth-highest this year, and Saturday’s ranks only behind the sellout crowd of 45,017 against the New York Yankees on opening day.
Kyle cruises
In June, Bradish emerged as the Orioles’ second-best starting pitcher. He maintained that pedigree in his first July start.
He was no Ober, but Bradish pitched six sharp innings to give the Orioles’ lineup a chance to win — something Kyle Gibson (six runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings Wednesday) and Dean Kremer (seven runs allowed in three innings Friday) didn’t do in the club’s previous two games.
Bradish, who scattered seven hits and one walk, struck out at least seven for the fourth time in his past five starts after not doing so in his first 10. The lone instance in which Bradish didn’t strike out seven-plus was June 14 against the Blue Jays, when the right-hander twirled seven innings of one-run ball in a game the Orioles also lost.
Over his past five starts, Bradish has a 2.70 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 30 innings. His ERA on the year is down to 3.58.
“I think he’s really, really improved,” Hyde said. “The command has gotten so much better. He walked one today. He’s got a really great fastball he can go to both sides with the sinker and the cutter. The curveball’s continuing to improve, and he’s got a changeup that’s hard, but he’s keeping it down in the zone. He’s doing a great job.”
Bradish (4-4) allowed base runners in each of his first three innings but escaped without allowing a run each time. He struck out the side in the second and then received a gift from left fielder Austin Hays, who made perhaps the best defensive play by an Orioles outfielder this season. Hays ranged to his right and snagged a line drive from Byron Buxton on a full dive, earning a tip of the cap from Buxton.
Bradish ended with a tough-luck loss because of a solo home run from Gallo, who hammered a 3-2 slider 439 feet to right field.
“We just didn’t have enough offense today, and they had a solo homer,” Hyde said.
Ober, meanwhile, delivered one of the best performances by any pitcher against the Orioles this year. The 6-foot-9 righty allowed just three base runners — a single to Gunnar Henderson in the second, a hit by pitch to O’Hearn in the fourth and a single to Santander in the seventh — while striking out eight.
The 15 balls the Orioles put on play off Ober had an average exit velocity of 83.4 mph — 5 mph below league average. Add the seven off relievers Griffin Jax and Duran, and none of the Orioles’ 22 batted balls were hit harder than 100 mph.
In the ninth, Mateo was originally called out at second on his stolen base attempt, but the video review revealed the tip of his protective mitt touched the base before he was tagged. The crucial extra base didn’t matter, though, as Duran, one of the best and hardest-throwing closers in the majors, retired the next two batters to slam the door.
Around the horn
- The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Chris Vallimont before Saturday’s game and optioned left-hander Bruce Zimmermann to Triple-A Norfolk. The big-league promotion is the first for Vallimont, who the Orioles selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has a 5.02 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings with Norfolk this season. Zimmermann, a Baltimore-area native, was sent down after pitching for the third time in four games Friday. He allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings across relief outings Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- To make space for Vallimont on the 40-man roster, the Orioles transferred right-hander Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day. Hyde said the move did not signify a change in Givens’ health, although being on the 60-day IL means Givens can’t return until July 31. Hyde said Friday that Givens is going to the team’s facility in Sarasota, Florida, next week and is expected to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment after the All-Star break.
This story will be updated.
Twins at Orioles
Sunday, 12:05 p.m.
Stream: Peacock
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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