Orioles lose to Phillies on walk-off hit, 4-3, as Yennier Cano uncharacteristically allows two runs in ninth – The Denver Post

The Orioles have been experts of pressure this season — masters of the nail-biter — and entered Tuesday night 19-9 in one-run games. They came one out away from improving that figure once again.

With All-Star Yennier Cano on the mound and the Orioles leading 3-2 with two outs in the ninth inning, Philadelphia’s Bryson Stott doubled in Bryce Harper to tie the game at 3. Then, after shortstop Jorge Mateo couldn’t throw J.T. Realmuto out at first base on a slow grounder, Alec Bohm ended the game with a single to left field.

The result: a walk-off Phillies win and a one-run loss for the Orioles.

Baltimore avoided a loss Monday night, winning by the same 3-2 score they took into the ninth Tuesday, but couldn’t replicate that result as the tense game concluded with Phillies players celebrating their victory in right field and an announced crowd of 37,200 shouting along with them.

Before the ninth, it was an auspicious evening for the Orioles. Kyle Gibson pitched well against his former team and newcomer Shintaro Fujinami provided reason for optimism with two shutout innings. Ryan O’Hearn, who entered Tuesday a .171 hitter against left-handers, hit an eighth-inning, go-ahead home run against a lefty for the second time in as many plate appearances.

But that all unraveled as Cano, pitching instead of closer Félix Bautista, had an uncharacteristic night, allowing two runs. Manager Brandon Hyde said after the game that he’d decided earlier in the day to give Bautista the night off.

Cano allowed four hits and two runs and said through an interpreter that it was “just a bad outing overall on my end. No one else to put blame on but myself.”

“I think it’s no secret that it’s a difficult inning to pitch in,” he said of pitching the ninth, rather than his usual slot in the eighth. “There’s a bit of a different feeling when you go out there, but at the end of the day, you have to go out there and get the job done and unfortunately I didn’t do that tonight.”

Tuesday marked the first time in Cano’s 44 appearances this season that he’s allowed multiple runs.

“I’m also human,” Cano said, although that’s been easy to forget, given his stellar rookie season. “I make mistakes.”

Gibson pitched for the Phillies in 2021 and 2022 and the club gave him his National League championship ring from last year’s pennant-winning club before Monday’s game, accepting a high-five from the Phillie Phanatic as he did. He was strong Tuesday, using a repertoire of six pitches in an effort to throw the “kitchen sink” at familiar foes.

He retired the first six hitters he faced, allowed a run in the third on a single from rookie Johan Rojas and then set down 11 more in order before giving up a solo shot to Harper in the sixth. But that was one of only four hits he allowed, permitting two runs and no walks in his six innings, striking out five.

The Orioles could’ve used a few more runs Tuesday and they nearly blew the game open early as successive hits from Ryan Mountcastle, Adam Frazier and Austin Hays plated one in the second inning. A walk from Colton Cowser loaded the bases with no outs — but the Orioles stranded all three runners.

Hyde acknowledged that if the team continues to play one-run games, narrow losses, just like narrow wins, are inevitable.

“You just can’t be perfect every night out of the bullpen,” Hyde said. “We had bases loaded, nobody out early in the game. We had chances to add on and didn’t do it.”

Baltimore tacked on one more run in the third with Mountcastle scoring on a double to right from Frazier, who was thrown out as he tried to stretch it into a triple. O’Hearn’s solo shot then brought the score to 3-2, but that lead quickly evaporated.

With the loss, the Orioles fell to 62-39 — and 19-10 in one-run games. They’re 1.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

Strong showing from Fujinami

One of the Orioles’ brightest spots Tuesday was Fujinami. The 6-foot-6 fireballer was acquired in a trade last week from the Oakland Athletics but struggled with his control and allowed runs in both of his first two outings as an Oriole.

He was productive and efficient Tuesday, however, throwing 15 of his 21 pitches for strikes and striking out three in his two innings of work. His fastball topped out at 100.3 mph.

“He gave us two unbelievable innings,” Hyde said. “Great fastball, great split. He was pounding the strike zone. Two huge innings for us. Really happy for him.”

Around the horn

• Gunnar Henderson left Tuesday’s game with lower back discomfort, but he isn’t expected to be out long-term. “We expect him to be fine,” Hyde said.
• Mountcastle, who missed a month of time after experiencing vertigo, hit his first home run in two months Monday and had a strong night Tuesday, as well: two singles, two walks and two runs.
• Left-hander DL Hall pitched an inning for the FCL Orioles Tuesday, striking out two, walking one and not allowing a hit or a run. It marked his first in-game appearance since the Orioles sent him from Triple-A Norfolk to their Sarasota spring training facility in June to focus more on strength training.

Orioles at Phillies

Wednesday, 6:05 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

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