Kyle Stowers’ late home run not enough as Orioles’ 6-game winning streak ends in 6-3 loss to Braves
Each Cole Irvin walk off the mound and back to the dugout was telling of a muddled start.
His first was an elongated trudge. The left-hander tugged on his belt and adjusted his sleeves. Irvin’s head wasn’t necessarily hung, but dipped in contemplation after he gave up three hits and two runs on his first four pitches. The last was a double from Marcell Ozuna that gave the Atlanta Braves a 2-0 lead.
That opened the gates in the Orioles’ 6-3 loss, ending a six-game winning streak, as the offense couldn’t quite get the job done.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “They know he throws strikes, and they came out with a couple soft singles early, first couple guys. Kind of an unlucky run there. … I thought he did a nice job, went into the sixth inning, threw a bunch of strikes and gave us a chance.”
In 5 2/3 innings, Irvin allowed three earned runs, tied for his most over his past nine starts, and surrendered more hits than he has in any game this season (nine). But he reached a new high in strikeouts (eight) since arriving in Baltimore.
Such strikeout totals aren’t a part of Irvin’s regular game plan. That was an adjustment based on the way hitters jumped on him early. He regained his confidence shortly thereafter, recording five strikeouts in the first two innings.
When Travis d’Arnaud popped up to right field for the final out of the third, the ball seemingly hung in the air forever. Irvin didn’t even turn back. He saw it sail toward the sky and immediately began his strut back to the dugout, only turning over momentarily as the ball smacked Anthony Santander’s mitt.
A blooper by Ozzie Albies to shallow left scored another run in the third, but Irvin was calm in his walk, having stranded runners on the corners in the fourth. He even cracked a smile after the fifth, a three-up, three-down scoreless inning.
“They came out swinging and we had to change our game plan pretty quickly in that first inning and really calm down the rest of the game,” Irvin said. “Made a good pitch to Albies. That was kind of the tale of the day.”
Against a lineup filled with big names, Irvin didn’t have his cleanest start. He responded to each rampant stretch by delivering strikes with surgical precision, as 72 of his 100 pitches were strikes. He gave his offense, which entered Thursday leading the major leagues in runs per game, a chance.
But Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo López was nearly untouchable. Like Irvin, the right-hander finished with eight strikeouts, but he only gave up two hits in six scoreless innings. The Orioles would have preferred to see López out of the bullpen, his primary entry point before this season dating to 2020.
“But as a starter,” Hyde said, “it’s pretty similar fastball, so 97-98 [mph] and a good changeup, good breaking ball. We just had a tough time squaring it up on him. I think we only had two hits in six innings, so he was really good today.”
There was a shot to turn the Thursday matinee back to favoring the home dugout. Jordan Westburg split the gap in left-center field for a standup double in the seventh inning. Cedric Mullins drew a full-count walk.
Then came Kyle Stowers.
It was his first appearance in the starting lineup since June 5 in Toronto. Now in his fifth major league stint, he’s still fighting for every second of this time in “The Show.” Stowers barreled a first-pitch curveball from reliever Pierce Johnson 439 feet over the center field wall, a three-run homer that suddenly cut the deficit to 4-3.
“We’ve got nothing going offensively, and he takes a great swing on a pitch that he puts in the seats,” Hyde said, “Kind of gives us a roaring chance back, gets us back in the game a little bit.”
It was the second-farthest home run by an Oriole this season and his first in the majors since Sept. 29, 2022, in Boston. Rightfully, he appeared to yell over to his teammates before rounding first, and the dugout nearly toppled over the railing for Stowers, rising along with the 33,700 in attendance.
A two-out single by Ryan O’Hearn in the eighth was a sign of life ultimately thwarted. Colton Cowser and Mullins reached safely in the ninth, but that was for naught as center fielder Michael Harris II robbed Stowers of a hit on a shallow fly ball.
In relief for Irvin was Bryan Baker. The 29-year-old was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk for bullpen help earlier this week in light of left-hander Danny Coulombe’s placement on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation.
Thursday was Baker’s first big league chance this year, having made 113 appearances over the past two seasons with the Orioles (45-23). The right-hander gave an unshakeable effort over 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit on 32 pitches (22 strikes).
Jacob Webb followed in the eighth, recording a strikeout and a groundout on seven pitches. Cionel Pérez handled the ninth and gave up two insurance runs for the Braves that sent a contingent of fans packing for the exits. Atlanta, in turn, ended its five-game losing streak.
“This team doesn’t give up, we don’t quit,” Stowers said. “I’ve spent some time up here since ’22 and every stretch I’ve been here, late innings, we find a way to fight.”
The Orioles are nearly halfway through an interminable June with only one day off, and they’re approaching the toughest week of the month: a three-game homestand against the National League East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, then three more against the New York Yankees, who are 2 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore for first in the AL East.
Where is Hyde’s confidence in the ides of this nonstop month, and how the Orioles will bounce back from Thursday’s loss for a daunting stretch against two teams they could feasibly meet again in October?
“I think we’ll be fine,” he said without hesitation.
Around the horn
• The Orioles claimed right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk, the club announced. Baltimore also transferred John Means to the 60-day injured list after his Tommy John elbow reoncstruction surgery on June 3. Stoudt, 25, allowed 11 runs in 10 1/3 innings with the Cincinnati Reds after making his MLB debut earlier this year. He has a career 5.09 ERA in the minors.
• Starting pitcher Dean Kremer (triceps strain) threw a bullpen session Thursday morning that Hyde said “went well.” A decision on when and where his impending rehabiliation start will be has not yet been decided.
• Orioles corner infield prospect Coby Mayo will begin his minor league rehab assignment Thursday night with High-A Aberdeen. Mayo, the Orioles’ No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America, is recovering from a fractured rib.
• In the fourth inning, Orioles part owner Mike Arougheti raced around the warning track as the ketchup mascot in the new live hot dog race with his two sons, Eli (relish), 19, and Noah (mustard), 15, with relish coming victorious. Fellow Orioles co-owner Michael Smith was at the finish line waving home the winner.
Phillies at Orioles
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
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