3 Baltimore Orioles Players Who Answered the Call in Wild Card Round

These three Baltimore Orioles players did everything they could to help keep the team's season alive.

Sep 26, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles entered the 2024 MLB postseason with some positive momentum. They won five out of their last six games, providing a little bit of optimism that maybe they had turned the corner again.

Alas, that strong finish to the season was a mirage. The issues people were worried about entering the playoffs reared their ugly heads once agian in the Wild Card Round against the Kansas City Royals.

Despite having home-field advantage, the Orioles were swept, losing 1-0 and 2-1. The offense going ice cold could not have come at a worse time as the team’s pitching staff stepped up when they were needed most.

Alas, there are a few players who should be recognized for how well they performed in the two games. Here are three players who answered the call for the team against Kansas City.

Corbin Burnes

Baltimore acquired Corbin Burns from the Milwaukee Brewers in the offseason so that they would have an ace heading their rotation. There were some hiccups during the regular season, but he delivered in the playoffs.

The Game 1 starter fired eight incredible innings, giving up only one run on a Bobby Witt Jr. single in the sixth inning. He was the first starter since Stephen Strasburg with the Washington Nationals in 2019 to throw a pitch in the ninth inning of a game and the first Orioles starter to complete eight innings in a playoff game since Mike Mussina in 1997.

Alas, it went for naught as the offense couldn’t scratch across even one run. Set to hit free agency, Burnes has set himself up for a nice payday.

Cedric Mullins

Baltimore’s star-studded lineup was unable to generate any production against the Royals pitching staff. The only bright spot in the lineup among the starters was their center fielder.

Cedric Mullins went 3-for-7 in the series, as he and Ramon Arias were the only players with multiple hits for the O’s. He was responsible for their only run in the series, hitting a homer off Seth Lugo in the bottom of the fifth.

In Game 1, he was 2-for-3 with a double as the only source of consistent offense for the team.

Seranthony Dominguez

The backend of the Baltimore bullpen was a mess at points in the season. Craig Kimbrel was not the answer as the closer, as he was designated for assignment in September.

Stepping into the late-game role was Seranthony Dominguez, who the Orioles acquired ahead of the deadline from the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the only pitcher to appear in both games for his team and he got the job done.

He didn’t allow a hit or walk in 1.2 innings while striking out two. His WPA and cWPA were both second on the pitching staff behind only Burnes.