Orioles drop series to Cubs with 3-2 loss as offense manages little beyond Adley Rutschman’s home run

Brandon Hyde has many fond memories of Wrigley Field. Hyde was forced to manage by the NL’ s former rules when catcher James McCann exited the game with a twisted ankle, with the Orioles losing their designated hitter as Adley Rutschman moved behind the plate. Yet to be swept this year, the Orioles have now dropped four of their past seven series, though they will at...

Brandon Hyde has many fond memories of Wrigley Field. As a member of the Chicago Cubs’ front office and coaching staff, he watched the organization endure a rebuild and end a championship drought of more than a century. The Orioles’ manager chuckled before Saturday’s game as he noted that during batting practice the day before, fans in the bleachers yelled out to his son, Colton, remembering that the boy had tossed balls out to them years before.

But this weekend’s series likely won’t be recalled in a similar fashion. With a 3-2 defeat, Baltimore heads into Sunday’s finale of the three-game set looking to avoid getting swept by a Cubs team that entered the meeting in fourth place in the National League Central. Hyde was forced to manage by the NL’s former rules when catcher James McCann exited the game with a twisted ankle, with the Orioles losing their designated hitter as Adley Rutschman moved behind the plate.

Yet to be swept this year, the Orioles (43-27) have now dropped four of their past seven series, though they will at worst end the day tied for the majors’ third-best record.

“I didn’t even realize that, honestly,” starting pitcher Kyle Gibson said when asked about the relatively rough stretch. “I think we’re still playing really well. We haven’t gotten a couple hits here and there, haven’t put up a zero here and there, but except for the game yesterday, shoot, feels like they’ve mostly been pretty close. So kind of the story of our year.”

Although Gibson led an improved pitching effort from Friday’s 10-3 defeat, the Orioles’ offense failed to score beyond Rutschman’s fifth-inning home run, a two-run shot off Justin Steele that marked the switch-hitter’s second game-tying home run against a left-hander in three games. Rutschman had one home run hitting right-handed as a rookie in 2022, improving his slash line from .174/.287/.265 to .301/.410/.446 this season.

Baltimore’s bats were otherwise quiet behind Gibson, stranding multiple runners in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings as they went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. In the fourth, Aaron Hicks’ two-out grounder down the left field line ricocheted off a wall in foul territory directly to left fielder Ian Happ, forcing Gunnar Henderson to hold at third base.

“We didn’t have the breaks go our way,” Hyde said. “I rarely have seen that ball carom like that. That ball goes in the corner, that’s a run. Just some unfortunate things.

“Frustrating game offensively.”

The Cubs (33-37) got limited opportunities in scoring situations against Gibson but capitalized. Making his first start at Wrigley Field in his 11-year career, the 35-year-old right-hander retired Chicago’s first seven batters before his fifth strikeout pitch of the afternoon got past catcher James McCann. After a two-out walk, Gibson’s first hit surrendered was Nico Hoerner’s two-run double.

“Obviously, it ended up turning into two runs,” Gibson said of the wild pitch. “It’s just a tough bounce there. Who knows obviously what that inning would have been like, but sometimes, the ball doesn’t bounce your way.”

After Rutschman’s 10th home run evened the game, Yan Gomes opened the fifth’s bottom half with a two-base hit, advancing a base each on a sacrifice bunt and fly as Gibson failed to manage a shutdown inning.

Gibson finished that frame and the next to earn his eighth quality start in 15 outings. His ERA is 3.94 in 89 innings, one shy of an average of six innings per start. Baltimore’s starters have allowed no more than three runs in all but one of the past 19 games.

Noting he briefly was a Cubs fan because Jake Fox — who famously hit 10 spring home runs for the Orioles in 2011 — is a family friend and began his career in Chicago, Gibson said he was grateful to pitch with 40,605 fans at Wrigley Field.

“Had been here for games but never pitched here,” Gibson said, “so a chance to do that in front of what sounds like one of the biggest crowds of the year was a lot of fun.”

With Steele out of the game in the sixth and right-hander Julian Merryweather on the mound, Hyde pinch-hit Ryan O’Hearn, a left-handed hitter, for McCann, a right-handed hitter who stayed in to catch four innings after twisting his ankle sliding into first base on an infield hit in the second. O’Hearn singled, but the next batter, shortstop Jorge Mateo, flew out to left to strand two runners. Hyde said McCann is day-to-day.

With him out, Rutschman moved from designated hitter to catch as Hyde shuffled his infield, removing Mateo from the game to keep the pitcher’s spot as far down the lineup as he could. O’Hearn, who stayed in at first base, ended the eighth with a deep drive to center field, a ball that Statcast gave a 95% chance of being a hit and tracked as being a home run in 14 other parks. But it was caught at Wrigley’s iconic ivy.

Adam Frazier pinch-hit in the pitcher’s spot to open the ninth but struck out to open a scoreless final frame. Austin Hays walked with two outs — a free pass that required an umpire review to confirm he had seen four balls — before Rutschman grounded out to end the game.

“Any given day, we always feel like we’re in it, no matter what,” Rutschman said. “This team continues to fight and didn’t get it today, but [we’ll] come back tomorrow ready to go.”

Around the horn

• Before the game, the Orioles recalled right-hander Spenser Watkins and optioned right-hander Reed Garrett to Triple-A Norfolk. Watkins spent much of last year in Baltimore’s rotation but has yet to pitch for the Orioles this year, missing a month after cutting his right ring finger on a porcelain sink during a start for Norfolk. Watkins said the injury, which required a couple of stitches, was more an issue of location than severity. He then needed to get built back up, reaching four innings and 74 pitches in his most recent outing June 10. He’ll provide long relief out of the Orioles’ bullpen.
• The Orioles are sending left-hander DL Hall, their No. 2 pitching prospect, to their complex in Sarasota, Florida, where he’ll undergo a physical training program while throwing on backfields and live games. An offseason back injury prevented Hall from weightlifting as he typically would and has hampered his velocity this season. His fastball averaged 96.2 mph in 11 outings for Baltimore last season but has been about 3 mph slower this year. In 11 starts for Norfolk, Hall has averaged under four innings per outing with a 4.57 ERA, working to regain stretch between starts.
• Center fielder Cedric Mullins remains without a timeline to return from his right groin strain, but Hyde said he’s “running well” as he continues his rehabilitation progression in Sarasota.
• First baseman Ryan Mountcastle put on an impressive showing in batting practice Friday and has been regularly taking ground balls on the field pregame, but Hyde said Mountcastle is still day to day to return from the injured list with his bout of vertigo.
• Right-hander Dillon Tate (right elbow flexor strain) had his second rehabilitation appearance for Norfolk pushed back a day to Sunday. The Tides were rained out Friday.

Orioles at Cubs

Sunday, 1:05 p.m.

Stream: Peacock

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

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