What a fun baseball game!
Since Adley Rutschman’s major league debut, it has felt like as he goes, so go the Orioles. That felt more true than ever today, as Rutschman returned from a month-plus stint on the IL and led the Orioles to victory with a three-hit game.
Of course, he did have a little help from his friends. Six Orioles had multi-hit games, four hit home runs, and the offense just kept pounding the Blue Jays’ pitchers. The hitters overcame shaky starting pitching from Zach Eflin to give the Orioles an 11-4 win in the first game of a four-game series.
After a scoreless first inning, the Orioles got to work in the second inning with the first of three multi-run innings they’d have in the game. Ryan O’Hearn started the inning with a single. After two quick outs by Ramón Laureano and Colton Cowser, veteran Cedric Mullins stepped to the plate.
Every game I watch in the past week or so, I wonder how many more games I’ll get with Mullins. Will tonight be the last one? He came up big in this spot, the first of several in the game. He launched his 15th home run onto the back of the flag court. The 2-0 lead quickly turned to a 3-0 lead when rookie Coby Mayo followed him with a home run of his own. Mayo is looking good!
Before we got the chance to feel too good about the lead, Eflin gave it up with two home runs of his own. Nathan Lukes and Vladimir Guerrero went deep in the top of the third, with George Springer coming in to score on Vlad’s. Not really the shutdown inning we hoped for. Thankfully, the offense was ready to add on.
Jordan Westburg kicked off the bottom of the third with his second single of the game and Gunnar Henderson followed with a walk. That brought Rutschman to the plate. He came through. On a 3-1 count, Jays’ starter Chris Bassitt left a pitch in the middle of the plate that Adley did not miss. The ball came within just a few feet of being a three-run homer; Rutschman settled for a two-run double to give the Orioles the lead again.
Laureano ripped a single to knock in Adley, the first of two hits for him in the game. That single knocked Bassitt out of the game. Once again, the Orioles were up by three. And once again, Eflin tried to give it all back. Luckily for the Orioles, Mullins had something to say about it.
Ernie Clement and Joey Loperfido knocked back-to-back singles to start the inning, then moved up on a bunt. A bunt in the fourth inning? I guess it sort of worked, as the next batter hit a ball to Jackson Holliday at second base. Holliday got the out at first while Clement scored from third.
Now, Cedric Mullins. Lukes hit what looked like it could be his second home run of the game, a shot that would tie the game at six. But Mullins went back to the wall, leapt, and brought the ball back into the park. Let’s roll the video:
If these are Cedric Mullins’ final days with the #Orioles, he’s going out with a bang.
Another defensive highlight as Mullins scales the wall for an impressive catch to end the top of the 4th:
— Jake Rill (@jakerill.bsky.social) 2025-07-28T23:53:59.004Z
Cedric, we will truly miss you whenever you leave. Eflin ended his game after 4.1 innings pitched with four runs allowed. Four runs in 4.1 innings isn’t good, but it’s better than six runs in 4.1 innings, which is what Mullins saved Eflin from.
And Mullins wasn’t done. The Orioles added on five more runs in the fifth inning and Mullins was part of it. After Henderson struck out, Rutschman and O’Hearn hit back-to-back doubles. Laureano did them one better with his 15th home run of the season. The fourth run of the inning scored on a Mullins double. He knocked in Cowser, who had walked.
Going into the seventh inning, three Orioles had yet to get a hit: Holliday, Henderson, and Cowser. Cowser decided he didn’t want any part of that. His ninth home run of the season, and first at Camden Yards, went sailing into the bullpen.
Overall, the Orioles score 11 runs on 16 hits and three walks. Mayo, Rutschman, and Jordan Westburg all had three-hit games. Westburg did get thrown out at second on his third hit, but I’m having a hard time giving him too much blame. After injuring his finger twice on headfirst slides this season, tonight he went in feet first. His foot popped up just an inch off the base and he was tagged out.
Laureano, Mullins, and O’Hearn all had two-hit games. Cowser had a single hit. Only Holliday and Henderson didn’t get a hit, though Henderson did walk. It was a fun night to be an Orioles hitter.
With Eflin out of the game with just one out in the fifth inning, the bullpen had to put in work. They did so in style. Corbin Martin, who was awarded the win, struck out four in 1.2 innings. Colin Selby pitched a scoreless seventh inning, Grant Wolfrom a scoreless eighth, and Kade Strowd a scoreless ninth.
There was a scary moment in the ninth when Strowd let loose with a 96 mph fastball that came up and in and hit George Springer in the head. Springer was down for a bit but walked off on his own. Hopefully, Springer will be ok. You hate to see anything like that.
Strowd was clearly shaken and walked Guerrero following the HBP. Bo Bichette, looking to get a hit in his 10th straight at-bat, grounded into a double play to end the game.
It was a great win for the Orioles tonight over the first-place Blue Jays. The only downside was the lackluster outcome for Eflin, who could be traded in the next few days. These two teams are back in action tomorrow for a day-night doubleheader, game times are 12:35 and 6:35.