BALTIMORE -- The home supporters at Camden Yards voiced their displeasure during the third inning on Tuesday night, as Junior Perez and two of his White Sox teammates rounded the bases following his three-run home run -- a blast that capped a seven-run rally and had the Orioles well on their way to a 9-3 loss less than one-third of the way into the game.
It wasn’t the first time this week that O’s fans have gotten a bit restless. During the ninth inning of Monday’s 8-2 loss to Chicago, third baseman Blaze Alexander committed a two-out error that allowed a pair of runs to score. Some members of the crowd booed, while others exited early.
It’s understandable why so many in Baltimore are upset. This has become a trying time for the Orioles -- and it wasn’t supposed to be.
The O’s (39-48) now sit a season-worst nine games below .500. The expectations were high for a bounce-back 2026 season after an aggressive offseason. Instead, the club is on pace to win fewer games this year (72) than it did in ‘25 (75).
First-year manager Craig Albernaz understands why fans have been vocal, particularly as of late.
“The fans have every right to boo,” Albernaz said. “It’s one of those things where we play the game to win, to go out there and have fun. At the end of the day, this is a game; [we want to] make sure our guys are going out and having fun. But also, we’re trying to go out there and win every night, and we have not been playing our best baseball.
“The fans that are there, they’re paying their hard-earned money to watch us play and win and play good baseball and competitive baseball, and they have every right to boo. Our job, for us, is to go out there and give the city and the fans something they can stand behind and have pride in. And right now, we’re coming up short.”
The Orioles have dropped three straight series after previously losing two of three games to both the Angels and Nationals. The White Sox will go for a three-game sweep Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday’s game got out of hand early. Rookie right-hander Trey Gibson (Baltimore’s No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline) pitched only 2 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on seven hits (including two homers) and six walks. The 24-year-old has a 7.36 ERA through eight big league games (seven starts) and will likely soon be returning to Triple-A Norfolk to make room in the rotation for a returning Dean Kremer.
This season has become an uphill climb for Baltimore. Yes, the American League Wild Card standings remain congested, and the O’s were only 4 1/2 games out of postseason position when Tuesday’s contest ended. However, the Orioles must make an improbable run.
Since the franchise relocated to Baltimore in 1954, the Orioles have had 39 or fewer wins at the 87-game mark 19 times. Of the previous 18 instances, they have never gone on to finish with a winning record. (Their best result was a 79-83 mark in ‘98.)
Also of note: The O’s are 0-4 since president of baseball operations Mike Elias addressed the media inside the first-base dugout at Camden Yards on Saturday afternoon and expressed his desire to be a buyer at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
“I would hope that eases some pressure, if guys are feeling pressure in the clubhouse,” Albernaz said. “But that's one of those things where there's a lot of noise that the players are listening to outside. So, it's starving the distractions and feeding your focus; that's the biggest thing for our guys.”
At the same time, Trade Deadline plans are never set in stone in late June.
“We’re going for it,” Elias said Saturday. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”
It might have to, right? With the calendar turning to July on Wednesday, time is running out -- for the O’s to convince the front office to buy, for the O’s to heat up, make a run and make this a positive season.
The front office knows that. The fans certainly know that. And the players know that, too.
Pete Alonso, a team leader, spoke to reporters for four minutes after Tuesday’s loss. The 31-year-old slugger discussed how the Orioles must do a better job of taking winnable games, about how the club must take accountability and how better results need to come.
His final four sentences summed it up best.
“We’ve just got to do a better job. That’s what it just boils down to,” Alonso said. “We’ve got to play better baseball. That’s as simple as that.”