CHICAGO -- Gunnar Henderson had been waiting for this moment. So had the Orioles, whose early-season struggles through the season’s first 10 games had built a sense of urgency in the clubhouse to turn things around sooner rather than later.
That chance arrived Tuesday in the second inning, with the team’s leader at the plate with a chance to break the game open in a bases-loaded situation against a wild starting pitcher.
Shane Smith had walked four batters and hit another by the time Henderson walked into the batter’s box for the second time in as many innings, signaling that this could be the at-bat the Orioles had been waiting for to finally put an end to this frustrating stretch.
Foul ball after foul ball, tensions rose as the crowd rose to their feet to watch the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year battle for 12 pitches in a consequential early-game plate appearance.
The result? Henderson struck out on a changeup in the zone -- that key knock once again eluding the O’s in 2026.
But it turned out that wasn’t the only chance he would get.
Instead, Henderson got his revenge in the eighth when he flipped the game and the Orioles’ road trip on its head.
Back-to-back doubles by Blaze Alexander and Taylor Ward tied the game with one out in the eighth, setting the stage for Henderson to once again deliver in the clutch. This time, he did, crushing a two-run homer off left-hander Chris Murphy, which bounced off the top of the right-center-field wall to give the Orioles their first lead of the day in a 4-2 win on Tuesday at The Rate.
“I felt like I was seeing the ball pretty well and just had nothing to show for it,” Henderson said. “And then was able to get one and didn't miss it.”
Three swings -- the final one being the dagger -- changed the feeling inside the dugout in an instant.
“That was huge. We know what type of team this team can be. Everyone in this clubhouse has that belief,” said Trevor Rogers, who tossed six innings of two-run ball. “ … We all know what this team can look like, what this team can be, and Gunnar’s the guy for us. The fact that he came up in that spot and pulled through, that’s why he is who he is. He’s the man. So it was huge for him to come up in that spot and pull us ahead in that spot.”
Henderson celebrated with a huge smile on his face, sticking out his tongue and holding up two fingers as he rounded first base. After a slow start to the season that was all too similar to 2025, this was the type of swing the O’s had been waiting to celebrate.
“We talk about Gunnar all the time, like, I love when he gets frustrated but also he’s never out of it. He’s never out of the game,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “He’s always in the at-bat, and for him to come through [after the second-inning strikeout], it was awesome.
“Those three runs got us the win. It’s just a credit to our guys in the box. We had chances. They didn’t get frustrated, they didn’t get down, they kept on competing.”
It was Henderson’s second homer off a lefty this road trip after having only three homers off southpaws in all of 2025. The 24-year-old, who didn’t hit his fourth deep fly until May 9 last season, now has four in his first 11 games -- and second straight game-winning homer -- as the Orioles won back-to-back contests for the first time this year.
“That’s it. We’re down runs. You’ve got your best player at the plate, and that’s what happens, man,” Alexander said. “He’s going to be better than most, if not every pitcher. I want that guy up, and he was up in that situation, and bang, ballgame.”
Baltimore entered the series with just six homers this season, which was 28th in baseball, but Henderson’s power surge has been enough in Chicago to pull out two wins. The offensive struggles were still there, the O’s went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base through the first five innings -- but Henderson's bat can fix those issues in a hurry.
“Gunnar’s one of the biggest, and I’ve only been here for a little bit, one of the biggest competitors that I’ve played with,” Alexander said. “... That’s what you want, and he’s a leader in this ballclub. He’s one of the best players in the world, and I’m fortunate to be on this team, man. He’s the man.”