PITTSBURGH -- It’s been a tough go early for the 2026 Orioles, and Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park was a microcosm of what’s gone wrong during a difficult 3-5 start.
From the missed opportunities on offense, to the less-than-ideal defensive play, to perhaps even the usage of ABS challenges this weekend, there’s plenty to be frustrated about at the moment -- especially after Baltimore lost a game it led for the first 7 1/2 innings and couldn’t make right-hander Shane Baz a winner after a strong 5 2/3-inning start.
At the same time, the O’s belief in themselves isn’t wavering. They don’t think the way they’ve played so far is how they’re going to play for the majority of the six-month, 162-game marathon.
“We've got a lot of talent in here, all across the board,” said closer Ryan Helsley, who gave up Nick Yorke’s walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning. “It's obviously been frustrating not winning games, and to lose a game like that when you lead the whole way just adds to it. But hopefully, we can learn from it and move on."
Here are the primary concerns so far and what the Orioles will need to correct to avoid putting themselves in a big hole during the opening stretch (like they did in 2025, when they began 15-32).
More offense
Simply put, the O’s need to score more runs. The expectations placed upon this retooled lineup were high heading into the year, and so far, it hasn’t fully clicked.
Saturday marked the fourth time in eight games Baltimore has scored two or fewer runs. It has plated five or fewer in all but two contests, and its best results have been eight-run showings last Sunday and Wednesday.
The numbers from Saturday help tell the story -- nine runners left on base, a 2-for-7 performance with runners in scoring position and seven walks, which the Orioles didn’t capitalize on. Their pair of runs came in the fourth on singles by Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras, but they had the bases loaded with one out and didn’t add to a 2-0 lead.
“They were just making pitches,” Beavers said. “I think we have a lot of really good players in here, and we’re just trying to put it all together.”
Cleaner defense
The Orioles have been a little sloppy on routine plays, including in these critical moments on Saturday:
• Baz committed an error on a tapper hit to the right side by Bryan Reynolds to lead off the bottom of the fourth, as the right-hander didn’t get a throw off to first. Reynolds later scored on Spencer Horwitz’s sac fly in an inning that also featured a bobble by third baseman Coby Mayo, who could have potentially turned a double play on Marcell Ozuna’s grounder and instead had to settle for one out at first.
“Just kind of got stuck in my glove,” Baz said of his miscue.
• Rookie right-hander Anthony Nunez couldn’t preserve a 2-1 lead in the eighth, giving up the tying run on Jake Mangum’s pinch-hit infield single with two outs. Nunez had a play on the chopper hit to the right side, but he couldn’t corral the ball.
“I just got too excited,” Nunez said. “Trying to make the play quick instead of just taking my time. Just it was sped up out there.”
• Beavers attempted to make more challenging plays on Reynolds’ one-out 100 mph double and Yorke’s game-ending 105.4 mph knock in the ninth, but both went over the left fielder's head.
“They’re tough plays, but I would like to make both of them,” Beavers said. “It’s just frustrating.”
Smart ABS usage
To be fair, Baltimore has been among the top teams in ABS challenges thus far, entering Saturday at 12-for-15 (an MLB-best 80%). But the O’s went 0-for-2 Saturday, which ended up hurting them, because Helsley wanted to challenge a 2-2 pitch to Yorke that was called a ball -- and he would have won, as it clipped the bottom of the strike zone -- but he couldn’t because the team was out of attempts.
Instead of striking out Yorke for the second out, Helsley gave up the walk-off double on the next pitch.
“That's part of the game, that's where we're at,” Helsley said. “It's just unfortunate it didn't work out.”
The Orioles like to try to keep at least one challenge for this type of situation, and they’ll try to do so moving forward. But Mayo lost one in the second and Gunnar Henderson lost one in the ninth on called third strikes that were confirmed.
“To me, they were both fine. They both were ending the at-bat. They thought they were down,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “I have no problem challenging, but it’s one of those things where you always wish you had one in the ninth inning.”