Orioles rally – After falling behind 3-0 and trailing 5-3 after the Orioles’ sixth-inning surge, closer Ryan Helsley allowed three runs in the ninth as Tyler O’Neill’s throwing error sealed a 6-5 walk-off loss. The game threads directly into bigger questions in the Orioles’ s
The Orioles looked like they were finally catching their breath—then the ninth inning swallowed it all.
They fell behind 3-0 after the second inning and sat in that grim position as the score held up through the fifth. Then came a jolt in the sixth: three runs, sparked by back-to-back homers from Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso. The momentum carried into the seventh, when Jeremiah Jackson delivered a bases-loaded single to put the Orioles ahead 5-3.
For a stretch, it played like the kind of game that flips a season.
But closer Ryan Helsley showed more rust than the late lead could afford. In the bottom of the ninth, he allowed three runs, and the Orioles ended up on the wrong end of a 6-5 walk-off loss.
Even after that, the finishing blow came from the field. Tyler O’Neill’s throwing error to end the game turned a gut-punch defeat into something sharper and harder to shake.
There’s one number that lingers after all of it: the Orioles were 30-0 when leading after the eighth inning. This one didn’t follow the trend.
From there, the conversation kept circling back to what’s been tough for Baltimore lately—especially how the offense can vanish for stretches.
When asked about Adley Rutschman, manager Craig Albernaz made the decision sound deliberate and cautious. Albernaz told the assembled media the team was “playing it safe” and that Rutschman wouldn’t leave the bench. He explained the approach this way: “We’re giving him the off day and still evaluating him. You get hit in the head with a ball. him being a catcher and consistently getting hit in the head with foul tips. I wish we could duck those, but you can’t. We’re just playing it cautious to make sure he’s OK.”.
Then came the bigger question—whether the Orioles still look like a playoff team, four games back in mid-June.
The answer, as one beat voice puts it, was never simply yes or no. “In back of what?” the reply began—before landing on the practical truth: the math and the talent on the roster suggest Baltimore can still make the playoffs. But the path has been rough. The demand is blunt: stack series wins like building blocks. Start winning “at least two out of three. At least.”.
The stakes aren’t academic right now. The Orioles are described as sitting on a losing course: seven games below .500, 12 1/2 out of first place, and 3 1/2 out of the Wild Card. And there’s frustration tied to the way runs have dried up at the exact moments they’re needed.
The numbers are stark. Before arriving at Dodger Stadium, the Orioles were 3-for-35 with RISP over their last six games and managed just 1-for-2 last night. Over their last 13 games since June 6, they’re 15-for-85. Their .169 average before last night ranked as the third lowest in the majors.
Quality starts, the point continued, are being wasted because the offense isn’t showing up consistently—especially when runners are in scoring position.
The mailbag also turned to the club’s internal temperature after comments involving Samuel Basallo. Basallo apparently didn’t seem thrilled by the remarks. and MLB has taken action: Padres pitcher Ron Marinaccio and manager Craig Stammen were suspended. The question raised was whether Albernaz is at risk of losing the clubhouse.
The response separated the issues instead of fusing them together. “I wouldn’t package national attention with a manager losing the clubhouse and vice-versa,” it said. The reply suggested there could be more behind the scenes with Basallo that isn’t public. but that part should remain in-house. It also pushed back on interpreting Albernaz’s comments about the Padres throwing at Henderson as a belief that no one would be suspended.
The explanation emphasized what everyone in the ballpark braced for—Henderson being hit—along with the timing of the discussion after another reliever missed twice in two innings earlier.
As for Albernaz himself, the assessment framed his style as something the organization is still learning. “We’re still learning about Albernaz. ” the voice said. noting that he never managed in the majors and that he’s going to be guarded at times—possibly shaped by what he’s learned in the organization. At the same time. the expectation is that he’ll be blunt on occasion. and he has set a standard for accountability: “I try to be accountable at all times.”.
It’s a balancing act that doesn’t always land well with everyone. The reply made the point that Albernaz can’t please everyone—especially when fans want transparency but also get upset over what they hear.
And then there was the question of toughness, prompted by two incidents in a week. One was throwing at Gunnar Henderson. The other was a non-out of basepath call in Toronto.
The response didn’t try to soften what happened. It pointed out that it’s hard to question toughness when a manager takes a screaming line drive off the side of his face. stays on his feet. returns to the dugout later. and hugs the player who fractured his cheek bones. Albernaz also came out twice to argue calls in that Toronto game.
The comparison that followed went back to Buck Showalter: a manager who. after bad losses. would address the media calmly. and who—based on how it’s described—would look down the bench and if the players were OK with what had happened. he’d be OK with it. The point made was not that Albernaz is coddling players or rolling over when calls go against them. The counterexample offered was Samuel Basallo.
After all that, the mailbag shifted to how the Orioles are building depth—especially in the pitching pipeline—and whether certain call-ups are truly close.
Joseph Dzierwa was one of the names. Dzierwa made eight starts with High-A Frederick and earned a promotion to Double-A Chesapeake. The question was whether he could work all the way up to Norfolk by season’s end. The response suggested that moving through three levels in one season wouldn’t be unprecedented. pointing to outfielder Nate George doing it in 2025. Dzierwa. the reply added. was drafted out of Michigan State—not high school—and the implication was that he has time to show the Orioles he belongs at the next level. unless the organization wants to keep him with the Baysox.
Another name was Andrew Magno, asked about the odds of an Orioles major league debut.
The case for Magno was built on what’s available on paper and what’s been happening at Triple-A. He throws from the left side and would be an upgrade compared to a struggling Keegan Akin, the response said. It also cited his performance: he has allowed two earned runs in 29 1/3 innings across 25 appearances and carries a 0.61 ERA. He’s 28 years old with a career 2.91 ERA across seven minor league seasons. and the reply stressed that he’s never gotten the call.
The Orioles signed him in December after he elected free agency. That decision came after he posted a 2.31 ERA in 42 games with Double-A Erie.
Still, the answer wasn’t written as a sure thing. It noted the Orioles have made multiple bullpen moves. including signing Lou Trivino to a major league contract and letting him go after two poor outings. It also referenced Cameron Foster allowing nine earned runs (10 total) with 17 hits and eight walks in nine innings. and said left-handers Nick Raquet and Josh Walker have joined the club multiple times.
With Magno still bypassed for others, the response concluded that it’s hard to call the debut “close” when he’s been passed over this many times—though, of course, it could change.
And through all the questions—through the rally that came too late and the ninth-inning gut-punch—one theme kept returning: the Orioles are still capable of something big, but the details are deciding whether they get there.
Orioles Ryan Helsley Tyler O’Neill Gunnar Henderson Pete Alonso Jeremiah Jackson Adley Rutschman Craig Albernaz Samuel Basallo Ron Marinaccio Craig Stammen Andrew Magno Joseph Dzierwa playoff race