The Baltimore Orioles had every opportunity to keep its momentum rolling Monday night. Instead, they walked away from Fenway Park with one of the more frustrating losses of the season.
Baltimore’s seven-game winning streak came to an end in a 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox, a game that felt more like it was given away than taken. Four errors and a heartbreaking ninth inning left the Orioles wondering what could have been.
The offense did enough to win.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand had two hits, including his first O’s home run, Gunnar Henderson collected three doubles and the Orioles put 11 hits on the board. Even after falling behind late, they battled back and nearly stole the game in the ninth before leaving the tying and go-ahead runs stranded.
But even championship-caliber teams do not usually survive four-error games, especially against baseball’s hottest club. Every mistake mattered.
Shane Baz deserved better after several defensive miscues turned potential outs into Red Sox runs. Baltimore ultimately out-hit Boston, but the difference came down to execution. The Red Sox made the routine plays while the Orioles did not.
But this loss hurts even more because of what is at stake.
The Orioles entered Boston riding its own seven-game winning streak while trying to gain ground in a crowded American League Wild Card race. Winning the series against a team directly ahead of them would have been a statement. Instead, the Birds are immediately playing from behind after dropping the opener.
Now, the math is simple. If the Orioles want to leave Fenway with a successful road trip, they have to win the next two games.
Losing the series would erase much of the momentum built by sweeping both the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros, while winning the final two would immediately turn Monday’s disappointment into little more than a speed bump.
Fortunately, Baltimore has every reason to believe it can respond.
This club has shown resilience throughout July, bouncing back from adversity while playing some of its best baseball of the season. Kyle Bradish takes the ball Tuesday with an opportunity to even the series before Dean Kremer is scheduled to pitch the finale.
Monday night was a bummer. There is no sugarcoating it. But good teams do not let one painful loss beat them twice.
The Orioles still control how this series is remembered. Win the next two games, and Monday becomes an unfortunate footnote. Lose the series, and the missed opportunities from the opener will linger much longer than anyone in Birdland would like.
UPDATE: Tuesday’s game has been postponed due to rain. The O’s and Red Sox will play a doubleheader on Wednesday, with the first game scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EST and the second set for 7:10 p.m. EST.
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