BALTIMORE -- When the Orioles returned home after getting swept by the Rays during a three-game series at Tropicana Field from May 18-20, they sat a season-worst eight games below .500. Their morale could have been low. It even would have been acceptable to have flashbacks to 2025, when a mid-May collapse brought the downfall of Baltimore’s season.
Instead, the O’s used their May 21 off-day to gear up for a season-long 10-game homestand. They arrived at Camden Yards the next day refreshed and rejuvenated, with first baseman Pete Alonso declaring the final week-plus of May as a “beautiful opportunity” to turn things around.
Indeed it was.
The Orioles notched a 9-5 victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon to finish off a 7-3 homestand at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish tossed seven dominant innings and Baltimore cruised after a five-run third capped by a three-run homer from the red-hot Colton Cowser.
After dropping the first two games against Toronto, the O’s won the final two contests of the series, including a 6-5 win on Saturday that featured a five-run comeback in the ninth and a walk-off RBI single by Alonso. The Orioles (28-32) previously took two of three from Detroit and swept a three-game set vs. Tampa Bay.
As the calendar now turns to June -- with the O’s preparing to embark on a six-game American League East road trip through Boston and Toronto -- the vibes are much improved in Baltimore.
Was a stretch like this needed to potentially save the Orioles’ season?
“It’s really good just to go 7-3 at any point. It being a homestand is really cool, bringing the fans in and getting them excited,” Cowser said. "I’m not going to say the team needed it, but I think it’s one of those things that is encouraging and keeps morale up, keeps confidence up, and hopefully [we'll] continue to build momentum."
Bradish’s resurgence has helped fuel the Orioles’ recent play. The 29-year-old right-hander has allowed three or fewer runs in five consecutive outings -- four of which have been quality starts -- and posted a 1.72 ERA over that span. His hot stretch came after he recorded a 5.03 ERA over his first seven starts of the season.
On Sunday, Bradish allowed only one unearned run on four hits and three walks while striking out four during a 94-pitch, 56-strike showing. He generated 11 whiffs -- seven by slider and four by curveball -- while his sinker consistently sat around 94-96 mph.
“That’s the Bradish we know,” catcher Samuel Basallo said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “He’s attacking the zone, he’s throwing a bunch of strikes, going after hitters. All his pitches are working really well right now. He’s being very aggressive right now, and that’s the Bradish we like to see.”
But Bradish isn’t the only Baltimore starter pitching better of late. Although the O’s still have a 4.60 rotation ERA, they have posted a 2.26 mark over their past nine games.
“I feel like as a whole starting staff, we felt like we were putting our team kind of in a hole to start the games and not pitching to what we were capable of,” Bradish said. "We’ve had some conversations about it, about just attacking hitters and putting them on their heels. I think you see that from every guy. There’s a lot more confidence out there and a lot more challenging hitters and filling up the strike zone."
Cowser’s home run (which pushed Baltimore’s lead to 6-0) was his fourth of the year, all coming since May 17. The 26-year-old outfielder went deep three times on the homestand, hitting a walk-off three-run homer in last Sunday’s 5-3 win over Detroit (the opener of a doubleheader) and then belting a walk-off two-run home run in Monday’s 9-7, 13-inning win vs. Tampa Bay.
There’s no telling where the Orioles’ season will head from here, as there are still four months to go in the regular season. But Baltimore was only one game out of a playoff spot at the conclusion of Sunday’s game (pending the results of the day’s late contests), and the AL standings have been tight early on.
With the O’s strong stretch to end a 13-16 May, there’s at least the potential for a fun summer ahead in Baltimore.
“It was a good homestand. The boys played well, they competed. Great at-bats. Defense was awesome,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “We were playing the baseball that we're capable of. Just all the work that these guys have been putting in relentlessly every day, we're starting to see the rewards now, and against some really good teams. It's been fun to watch.”