BOSTON -- The Orioles entered Monday night as the second-hottest team in baseball. Unfortunately for them, they happened to run into MLB’s clear-cut hottest team.
The series opener between Baltimore and Boston at Fenway Park lived up to the lofty expectations, providing a nail-biting back-and-forth clash in front of a sellout crowd of 37,659 that made it feel more like a game in September or October than mid-July.
“This is as big a series as it gets for a July 20 matchup,” O’s manager Craig Albernaz said before the game.
But the Orioles’ season-high seven-game win streak was snapped with a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox, who extended their win streak to 14, the longest in the Majors this season. Caleb Durbin’s go-ahead solo homer off Tyler Wells in the bottom of the eighth inning was the difference.
Baltimore had its opportunities to win this one. It had leads on three occasions -- including after Christian Encarnacion-Strand's RBI single to make it 4-3 in the sixth and Tyler O'Neill’s RBI groundout to make it 5-4 in the seventh. However, the O’s couldn’t put the Sox away.
“That's a game we could have won,” second baseman Jeremiah Jackson said, “and probably should have."
It’s difficult to win, though, when committing as many errors as the Orioles (49-52) did.
Baltimore’s four errors were its most in a game since a 10-3 loss to the Dodgers on July 18, 2023. The one that hurt the most was a two-out throwing error by Jackson in the third that should have ended the inning, but instead allowed Ceddanne Rafaela to reach first base.
After that, Wilyer Abreu hit an RBI double to left-center field and advanced to third on an error on a relay throw by shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Boston then took a 3-1 lead on an RBI infield single by Willson Contreras on a ball that Henderson tried to make a leaping catch on, then deflected away.
“Those are the things we’ve been doing a great job of,” Albernaz said, “but the [Jackson] one really hurt.”
Albernaz is correct in that the Orioles’ defense has mostly been better in July than it was early in the season, when they struggled to execute the fundamentals and had too many mistakes on routine plays. As Baltimore began to play cleaner baseball, it also started to win more games, hence its 10-4 record this month.
But Monday was reminiscent of some earlier O’s losses, especially because all four errors were throwing miscues that allowed Red Sox baserunners to either get on or take an extra base.
When Albernaz was asked whether he’s concerned about the Orioles having eight errors over their past three games, his answer was succinct: “No.”
Still, the Orioles can’t allow this to snowball, especially since they’re within striking distance of a postseason spot with less than two weeks until the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. This is a crucial stretch on the schedule, and if they can bounce back and win the series in Boston, it could convince the front office to operate as buyers when the time arrives.
“I feel like we’ve done a good job of just treating everything the whole season the same,” said right-hander Shane Baz, who struck out six and allowed four runs (two earned) over six innings. “It would feel just like it felt if we lost this game on Opening Day. It’s just kind of look at what we can do better and try and do it the next time. I think we’ve done a good job of just keeping our heads down and trying to win a game every single day."
Albernaz was also encouraged by Baltimore’s continued fight in the ninth. It put runners on second and third against flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman, as Colton Cowser led off the inning with a walk and advanced on a two-out double by Henderson.
Tyler O’Neill lined out to shortstop to end the contest, one that was as competitive as expected.
“It was one of those games where whoever was left upright, standing, was going to win,” Albernaz said. “I’m proud of our guys, the way they fought.”
But the Orioles know they’ll have another fight on their hands back here on Tuesday night. And they’re ready to bounce back and try to end the Red Sox’s streak.
“We can compete with anybody,” Jackson said.