SAN DIEGO–What happened? The Orioles completed an unlikely three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres, who are heavily favored to play in October.
The Orioles scored seven runs in the first three innings, then hung on for a 7-5 win before 35,019 at Petco Park on Wednesday.
With the win, the Orioles (64-76) swept an opponent for the sixth time this season, and helped the National League West leaders, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who led the Padres (76-64) by 2 ½ games entering the game.
After losing two of three in San Francisco, the Orioles finished their West Coast swing 4-2. The Orioles and Dodgers play three games in Baltimore this weekend.
Nestor Cortes (2-4) allowed six runs on four home runs in 2 1/3 innings.
Jackson Holliday led off the game with his 16th home run. Colton Cowser Coby Mayo and Alex Jackson homered in succession in the third inning.
It was the 13th time in team history the Orioles hit three straight home runs, and second this season. On June 24th, Gary Sánchez, Ryan O’Hearn and Ramón Urías homered consecutively against Texas.
Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI single in the third for a six-run inning.
“It is fun. We’ve been on the other side of this the last couple of years,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said.
“There is a lot of pressure over there. For us, we have the ability to play loose and free. Now, I do think going forward for the Baltimore Orioles, when we are back to playoff contention, we need to continue to play loose and free. In a lot of ways, that starts with the manager’s seat and the staff and everybody in that room. We’ve got to continue the vibe of making good mistakes OK and staying aggressive, and I think it you can do that, you have the ability to maintain it.”
Cade Povich (3-7) allowed three hits in the first five innings, then tired and San Diego scored four runs in the sixth.
Povich was the beneficiary of the three straight home runs.
“You love that. I mean, it makes it easy,” Povich said. “For the most part the rest of the game, I threw a ton of fastballs just in the zone, trying to get guys to swing early and get the at-bats over with so that our offense could come back in and kind of keep that momentum going.
Manny Machado hit a two-run home run. Jake Cronenworth had an RBI single and a fourth run scored on a double play.
The Orioles were able to play spoiler against the Padres for the last three days and get a chance to do the same against the Dodgers.
“I mean, it’s awesome,” Povich said. “This is a really good team obviously. To come in here and win three, I think it just shows us how good we really are and what we can do and hopefully kind of just continue this momentum that we have for the rest of the year, into the offseason, into spring, spring training and into next year.”
In five-plus innings, Povich gave up four runs on seven hits. Fernando Tatis Jr. homered against Keegan Akin in the seventh to cut the Orioles’ lead to 7-5.
San Diego’s Mason Miller threw an immaculate inning in the top of the eighth, striking out Jeremiah Jackson Mountcastle and Rivera on nine pitches. It was the first immaculate inning thrown against the Orioles since Cortes did it on April 17th, 2022.
Shawn Dubin pitched a scoreless eighth and Yennier Cano threw a spotless ninth for this second save.
Mountcastle’s third-inning single was the Orioles’ last hit. Leftfielder Ramón Laureano took a home run away from Cowser with a leaping catch for the second out of the ninth.
Is Holliday getting hot again? Holliday was 9-for-23 on this road trip with three RBIs, seven walks and his first home run since August 16th. His average is back up to .249, his highest since August 13th.
“I feel like for Jackson, because the profile is so big, the expectations are really unfair in a lot of ways,” Mansolino said.
“And when a 21-year-old kid does struggle for a few weeks, it feels like the world is kind of crashing around him, and that’s not fair to the kid. So you look up on the scoreboard — and again, it’s a 21-year-old kid — he’s hitting .250, he’s got over a .700 OPS, he’s got 15 home runs or whatever he’s at. He’s going to push 15 stolen bases.
“If he gets hot in the last month, it could be 20-20. Twenty-one years old, think about what he’s doing. He’s doing incredible. He just had like a bad three weeks or a bad month. So yes, he’s had a great road trip, we expected it the whole time. He is so strong between the ears, and that’s why he’s going to be so good in this game.”
What does it mean? Gunnar Henderson rested for the first time since missing the season’s first seven games with an intracostal strain. Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers also got the day off, and the Orioles still won.
What’s the stat of the day? Jeremiah Jackson’s 13-game hitting streak ended.
What’s the word? “I’s a really hard league. I’m pretty sure when we came into town they weren’t thinking they were gonna get swept, and I think it just goes to show how resilient of a team we can be, and they’re also really, really talented and a World Series contending team.”-Mayo on beating the Padres
What’s going on in the minor leagues? Right-hander Scott Blewett, who’s on the 60-day injured list with right elbow discomfort began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk, allowing two runs on three hits in one inning.
Blewett is eligible to return on September 11th.
What’s next? After a day off on Thursday, the Orioles host the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-game series. Dean Kremer (9-10, 4.52) starts for the Orioles. The Dodgers have yet to name their starter. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’l lbe answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com