SAN FRANCISCO–What happened? It was a battle of the ages. The San Francisco Giants started 42-year-old Justin Verlander; the Orioles countered with 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano.
Sugano had perhaps his worst start of his rookie season, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings. The seven runs and 10 hits equaled season highs while the 3 2/3 innings matched his season low.
Verlander labored through five scoreless innings, throwing 121 pitches, his most since June 10th. But he made the Orioles look bad, striking out 10, the 73rd time he’d struck out 10 or more, the first time since October 4th, 2022.
In his five innings, the Orioles had three hits and four walks against Verlander (3-10), and they went on to another ugly loss, 13-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants before 39,220 at Oracle Park on Sunday.
The Orioles (61-76) have lost eight of 10.
One of five rookies started by interim manager Tony Mansolino was 21-year-old catcher Samuel Basallo, who is less than half Verlander’s age.
According to Elias, it’s the greatest age difference in a pitcher/batter matchup in an Orioles game since September 13th, 2013 when 42-year-old New York Yankees reliever Darren Oliver faced 21-year-old Manny Machado.
Basallo struck out twice against Verlander, who struck out the side in the fourth, and finished his outing by getting Gunnar Henderson looking and Ryan Mountcastle swinging.
The Orioles had scoring chances and were just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position — both hits in the ninth — and left 12 players on base. They also committed three errors.
“It is disappointing and it’s frustrating, and I think for me as I’m watching this on a day when we have a chance to win the series against a team that’s been playing good baseball, you see some of the guys make mistakes, the initial reaction is to be frustrated,” Mansolino said. “But then, for me, I look at the guys making the mistakes and it’s guys who are kind of fighting for their careers in a lot of ways, you know? And they’re trying to prove that they’re major league players and they’re not Triple-A guys.
“So my emotions go from frustration to more empathetic, I guess, for those guys because they don’t want that to happen, because that affects them as much as it does the team in the moment.
“I just try to put myself in the players’ shoes and understand how difficult the game is and how it feels in the scenarios that they’re in for their careers when they make those mistakes. And I think when you kind of take that outlook on it, your feelings and your emotions do change a little bit.”
Rafael Devers homered against Sugano (10-7) in the first. Devers drove in the Giants’ second run with a third-inning single. Willy Adames followed with a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
San Francisco (68-69) scored four runs in the fourth. Christian Koss had an RBI single, Drew Gilbert a two-run triple — when leftfielder Daniel Johnson fell down as he tried to change direction — and Heliot Ramos delivered an RBI single, all against Sugano.
Two errors by third baseman Jeremiah Jackson contributed to a three-run sixth.
Backup catcher Alex Jackson allowed three runs in the eighth inning.
Back-to-back doubles by Johnson and Jackson Holliday gave the Orioles their first run in the ninth. Holliday scored on Henderson’s single.
Spencer Bivens pitched the last three innings for his first save.
Did Mansolino think the Orioles took good at-bats? Mansolino, who’s less than five months older than Verlander, looked at the game as a learning experience for the Orioles.
“It was a little bit of old bull, young bull today as I kind of watched that,” Mansolino said. “He throws 120 pitches, five innings, and my initial reaction was we took good at-bats today.
“But then as I looked up and saw we punched out 10 times, my feelings on that changed. I think it’s a guy that took what we gave him, which was offspeed and spin and changeups and the whole deal. And we had a bunch of young bulls out there who were trying to get what they wanted, so they kind of [took] what he was going to give him, which was the offspeed.
“So I think with a lot of young hitters, they’ve got to kind of learn and recognize when pitchers are pitching a certain way. And instead of trying to kind of force a square peg through the round hole, take what the pitcher gives you, which might be a breaking ball or a sweeper or changeup, sit on it and go get it.”
Tough schedule for the last four weeks of the season
Mansolino said he’s not daunted by the schedule.
“I have probably more optimism than that,” he said. “We’ve got Kyle Bradish going tomorrow [and probably Tyler Wells on Tuesday]. We have some good things happening. This last week has been rough. I don’t think we can take this last week and indict the team’s future on that. I think I’m probably more going to look at what’s happened over the last couple months.
“Now, some of the main pieces that played so well for us over the last couple months, they’re on the injured list right now, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman. And two guys that were huge pieces to us going on a little bit of a run before this last week.
“The big leagues are hard and the schedule’s hard and it’s a huge opportunity for a lot of guys, and I’ve got a lot of faith and confidence in these guys that they’ll kind of bounce back and play a better game tomorrow.”
How difficult was the day for Sugano? For Sugano, it was one of his more troublesome outings of the season.
“There are obviously games that the defense has my back, but today [that] wasn’t so much the case,” he said through his translator.
“I wanted to throw a little bit more, making sure I get out of that inning. Yeah, there are games like this.”
What does it mean? The Orioles have 25 games remaining. Sixteen are against playoff contenders — the Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays and, beginning Monday, the Padres. They must win 11 games to avoid losing 90 games, and that’s looking problematic.
What’s the stat of the day? The Orioles have lost by 10 or more runs seven times this season.
What’s the word? “We put him in a bad spot today. I don’t think Sugano threw the ball bad at all.”-Mansolino on Sugano’s outing.
What’s going on in the minor leagues? The Aberdeen IronBirds played their final home game before their move to Frederick next season and lost to Jersey Shore, 6-0, before only 2,171 fans at Ripken Stadium.
Liván Soto and Silas Ardoin each drove in two runs as Triple-A Norfolk beat Gwinnett, 6-4.
Five Single-A Delmarva pitchers held Carolina to four hits in a 1-0 win.
Michael Forret was removed from Double-A Chesapeake’s game with Reading with left knee discomfort
What’s next? The Orioles and San Diego Padres open a three-game series at Petco Park. Kyle Bradish (0-1, 3.00) will face Dylan Cease (6-11, 4.82). Game time is 6:40 p.m.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com