Baltimore Orioles Interim Manager Tony Mansolino referred to a path forward for the team prior to the MLB All-Star break. Granted, it was in reference to winning versus player development but he was steadfast in his belief that it existed and until it disappeared the team would be all about winning.
The path forward and the “second half” of the 2025 season began on Friday night in Florida and it did not go well. What started with a record nine games below .500 and 7.5 games back in the Wild Card race ended with the Orioles now ten games below .500 and 8.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. All of this because of a brutal 11-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays (51-47).
The Home Run Derby Continued
Orioles pitchers gave up four homeruns to the Rays, two to Derby runner-up Junior Caminero, one to Danny Jansen to a grand-slam to Yandy Diaz. Caminero began the HR parade with a three-run shot in the first inning and Daiz capped it off with his grand slam in the sixth and extendin the Rays’ lead to 10-0.
An Ineffective Outing For Morton
Charlie Morton (5-8) took the mound to start the second half and found himself and the Orioles down 3-0 after just 17 pitches. He ended up with a 5.1 inning losing effort that saw him toss 86 pitches (56 K’s) and allow 7 runs on 8 hits, including two homeruns. Morton walked 3 and struck out 4 while pitching just one clean inning, the fifth.
The Bullpen Was Too Little, Too Late
Relieving Morton was Grant Wolfram who added fuel to the fire by allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, including 2 homeruns and striking out 1 in two-thirds of an inning. Corbin Martin and Colin Selby pitched scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, respectively.
Where Was The Offense?
Baltimore’s offense was held to just 5 hits, three by Colton Cowser and 2 extra-base hits by Gunnar Henderson (double and triple). Henderson did score an inconsequential run on a Ramon Laureano ground out in the ninth. Including the series with the Marlins, the Orioles have now scored just 2 runs over 28 total innings. Mansolino commented post-game that he is sure every team goes through such a stretch while brushing off the team’s struggles.
Is The Team Feeling The Pressure?
Overall the Orioles just didn’t look right on Friday. Laureano was charged with a throwing error on a Ha-Seong Kim flyout in the sixth. His throw to Henderson went between his legs, allowing Jake Mangum to score Tampa’s sixth run. The error could have been charge to Henderson for not making the catch. Henderson seems to be a bit off his game as a few of his throws to first were wide, not wide enough to be missed, but wide just the same. Henderson also has had some errant throws in recent games and when the camera focuses on him he seems befuddled.
When asked after the game if the team was feeling the pressure Mansolino put that on the media, responding with “well it’s just whatever stories you guys want to write, so if you guys want to write the story that they’re feeling the pressure, then so be it”. Mansolino had previously mentioned the negativity throw on the team during the Marlins series saying, “I don’t want any more negativity to go toward the organization, toward our players, toward our coaches, toward our front office people”. The narrative reflects the team’s performance, not the other way around, no matter how Mansolino wants to spin it.
It’s Crunch Time
Thirteen games remain before the MLB trade deadline, thirteen games that may of may not result in a totally different roster on August 1st. The onus is on the players to perform but sadly the die that is the 2025 Baltimore Orioles season may already have been cast.
2025 Record: 43-53
Next Game: Sat. 7/19 @ 7:05 pm vs. Rays in Tampa Bay