It’s a long season, and over the course of 162 games, there are bound to be some losses and down series. For the Orioles, who came in winning six of seven games, there was bound to be some hiccups along the way.
Over this past weekend, the feisty Chicago Cubs proved they have some moxy, as they turned back the Orioles two games to one.
Sandwiched in between series with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays, this series had the ability to bring an outside test as the Birds geared up to meet the team with the best record in baseball.
The Cubs took advantage of opportunities, played strong defense and used effective pitching to keep the Orioles off balance and force them into uncanny base running mistakes and blunders.
Let’s see how the games unfolded over Father’s Day weekend.
GAME 1: O’s 3, CHI 10
This one got out of hand early. Cole Irvin cruised through the first two innings and seemed to be in control of the game and the pace.
Come the third inning, Irvin was tagged for three home runs in the span of six batters. Just like that, the Cubs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.
It didn’t get much better from there. Though Irvin finished four innings and allowed just the three runs, the bullpen actually fared worse when their phone rang.
Mike Baumann, Cionel Pérez and Reed Garrett (Garrett was DFA’d prior to game three) would combine for three innings of work and allow seven runs on seven hits with four walks (21.00 ERA and 3.67 WHIP). It took a clean inning from Keegan Akin to close the game and stop the Cubs’ scoring.
Austin Hays led the offense with two hits and two RBIs, and Ryan O’Hearn collected three hits as the Orioles pounded nine total hits on the day. Unfortunately, they only scored three times and dropped the game, 10-3.
GAME 2: O’s 2, CHI 3
Kyle Gibson was extremely strong and efficient in this game, holding the Cubs to just three runs and three hits in turning in his seventh quality start this season.
A dropped foul tip on a two-strike pitch would open the door for two runs to score immediately after and give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. Fortunately, the Orioles have Adley Rutschman, and he would hit a two-run homer in the fifth to tie the game at two a piece.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Cubs played small ball to take the lead. After a lead-off double, Chicago would use a sac-bunt and sac-fly to take the lead and ultimately the difference in the game.
Austin Hays once again led the offense with two hits, but the Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base for the game. The Birds would drop the game 3-2 and lose the series.
GAME 3: O’s 6, CHI 3
Dean Kremer was ready to stop the bleeding and guide the Orioles to victory. Unfortunately, Mike Tauchman had other ideas, as an outfield assist and a home run in the first inning, saved a run and gave the Cubs an early 1-0 lead.
Kremer (8-3) would settle in and find his groove and finish five innings, allowing three runs, only one earned. Kremer is now 6-2 with a 3.48 ERA over his last nine starts. Since the start of May, he’s allowed three runs or less in eight of his starts.
On offense, Anthony Santander, who had two hits, got the Orioles going with a solo home run (10) in the fourth inning. Ramón Urías would follow with an RBI single, giving the Orioles a 2-1 lead until the bottom of the inning when the Cubs took a 3-2 lead on a two-run homer from Christopher Morel.
A sac-fly by Urías in the sixth tied the game, and RBI singles from Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo would put the Birds on top, 5-3. Adley Rutschman added an RBI double in the ninth to close the scoring.
The offense was led, once again, by Austin Hays with three hits, while Santander, Urías, Hicks and O’Hearn all had multiple hits.
The Orioles would win the game 6-3, as Kremer picked up his eighth win, Danny Coulombe (H,13), Mike Baumann (H, 4) and Yennier Canó (H, 16) held the Cubs scoreless. Félix Bautista (SV, 19) would come in and lock down the 6-3 victory for the Orioles.
The Orioles improve to 44-27 while avoiding a sweep once again. The Birds have not been swept since April 26-28 of last season.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
This series, the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR was placed on outfielder Austin Hays, who is quietly putting together a season that should garner All-Star attention, but he currently ranks 18th in voting as the fourth best hitter in baseball.
For the series, Hays would go 7-for-12 (.583) with two runs and two RBIs, striking out only twice. As strong as he was offensively, it wasn’t enough to help turn the tide and lead the team to victory.
Though Hays boosted his All-Star resume, the Birds would lose the series, 2-1. Hays did his best to guide the team. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to affect the outcome of the series.
The Orioles will have a day off Monday before heading to St. Petersburg to take on the Tampa Bay Rays. They will need to improve upon their 5-for-24 (.208 avg) with runners in scoring position showing against the Cubs if they are going to take on MLB’s best.
It all starts Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. EST. Will the Birds soar to victory, or will the Rays widen their lead in the AL East?
What are your thoughts on this series loss? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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