The ninth inning was exciting until it wasn’t.
The Orioles fell to the Cubs today, 5-3. I don’t know that anyone expected a series win against a contending team, but the Orioles came pretty close. Decent starting pitching, relief pitching Houdini acts, and a ninth-inning comeback weren’t enough to avoid the walk-off loss.
Brandon Young didn’t get off to a great start, though it wasn’t totally a mess of his own making. Cubs’ leadoff batter Michael Busch hit a routine fly ball to the outfield. Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson converged on the ball, and Jackson looked to have it lined up perfectly. It hit his glove and then just fell to the ground while Carlson looked on helplessly.
Jackson is not an outfielder. Should Carlson have called off the infielder-playing-outfield? Probably. Should Jackson have made the catch even though he’s an infielder? Yes. Regardless, Busch landed on second base. He came in to score the game’s first run two batters later on a single by Seiya Suzuki.
After a two-out walk to Carson Kelly, Ian Happ doubled to right field. Suzuki scored easily, but Kelly tried to score from first and it did not go well for him. Jeremiah Jackson fired to cut off man Jackson Holliday, who made a perfect throw to Alex Jackson to nab Carson at the plate. I love a good Jackson-to-Jackson-to-Jackson play.
Both runs were unearned, and Young settled in for a fine outing. The Cubs got two singles (both to right field) in the second, but retired the side in order in both the third and fourth innings.
The Orioles’ offense took that opportunity to tie the game up with single runs in each of the third and fourth innings. In the third, Alex Jackson and Holliday provided a 1-2 Jackson punch to put two runners on. A pitch hit Jackson and Holliday poked a single into left field. A Jordan Westburg fly ball moved Jackson to third base.
When Gunnar Henderson stepped to the plate with two runners on, you might have been imagining a replay of yesterday’s home run. I know I was. It didn’t happen. Henderson hit a sharp grounder that shortstop Dansby Swanson fielded behind the base. He flipped to second for the first out, but a hustling Henderson beat the throw to first. Jackson scored on the play and shortly after, Henderson was thrown out trying to steal second. This team is not good at stealing.
In the fourth inning, Adley Rutschman hit a ball to deep left field. Ian Happ covered a good bit of ground to get to it, but the ball glanced off his glove as he jumped. Rutschman ended up on second with a double. He moved to third on a groundout and scored on a single from Colton Cowser. It was a nice bit of hitting from Cowser, who struck out on three called strikes in his first at-bat.
Both starting pitchers had similar experiences in the fifth inning. Cubs’ starter Colin Rea was pulled after giving up a two-out single to Holliday. Relief pitcher Drew Pomeranz came in to get the final out. He walked Henderson but got Rutschman on an ugly swinging strikeout. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Drew Pomeranz? I had no idea he was still pitching!” You’re not far off. This is his first year in the majors since 2021.
In the bottom half, Young got two outs but allowed a single and a walk. With runners on the corners and a tie game, Tony Mansolino opted to take Young out. He turned to new Oriole Dietrich Enns, who was traded to the Orioles for cash on the 31st. The lefty struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong to end the inning.
Things didn’t go as well for Enns after the fifth. While the Orioles were getting shut down by Pomeranz and old friend Andrew Kittredge, Enns remained in the game. He got the first two batters in the sixth before allowing three straight singles to Willi Castro, Nico Hoerner, and Swanson. Castro scored on the Swanson hit to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Enns struck out Michael Busch to end the inning.
I guess as a testament to the current state of the bullpen, Enns came back out for the seventh inning. The first two batters reached, and again Enns was up against Crow-Armstrong. He got the best of him with a strikeout. With that, his day was over. Of course, there were runners on the corners and only one out.
Kade Strowd was called on to get out of the jam, and friends, my confidence was low. But he did it! Strowd battled Carson Kelly for a 10-pitch at bat, the last of which was hit hard on the ground to Henderson. That started an inning-ending double play and the rally was squashed. Strowd also came back to pitch a solid eighth.
Things got exciting in the ninth, but only for a second. That’s as much hope as we’re allowed. The Cubs sent their hard-throwing closer Daniel Palencia to the mound. Cowser led off the inning and saw three pitches, all over 99 mph. He smoked the third one into the right field corner for a double. Dylan Carlson jumped on a 101.2 mph fastball and line it to left field for the first out. Coby Mayo started to put together a good at-bat, working a 2-2 count, only to take a fastball down the middle for strike three.
With the game on the line, Mansolio sent newest Oriole Ryan Noda up to pinch hit for Alex Jackson. Noda made a very good first impression with a singled to right field. It knocked in Cowser and tied the game. Noda also stole second to get into scoring position, but Holliday flew out to end the inning.
Keegan Akin, pitching for the second day in a row, came in to get the save. Yesterday, he threw 27 pitches and walked two batters in a scoreless ninth. Not the guy I would choose, but this is the state of the Orioles bullpen. Akin appeared to get the first out on a ground ball, but Westburg threw high and pulled Mayo off the bag.
One pitch later, pinch-hitting senior citizen Justin Turner launched a massive home run to left field to end the game.
This is 2025 Orioles baseball, folks.