Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Offense Hits New Low in Devastating Loss to Tigers

The Baltimore Orioles' bats were nowhere to be found in Friday's loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Tyler Maher

Sep 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson studies video in between innings.
Sep 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson studies video in between innings. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
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One hit.

That's how many knocks the Baltimore Orioles managed against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

It didn't come until there were two outs in the top of the ninth, when Gunnar Henderson broke up the no-hitter with a triple down the right-field line that just barely skipped past the glove of first baseman Spencer Torkelson.

With the tying run just 90 feet away, Anthony Santander couldn't put the ball in play as he struck out swinging to end the game, sealing the Orioles' 1-0 defeat.

Following Thursday's off day, one hit was all Baltimore could muster in a pivotal mid-September game in Detroit.

The Orioles were shut down by four Tigers pitchers (none of whom were Tarik Skubal), striking out 13 times and drawing just one walk.

Worse, they squandered another gem by Zach Eflin, who tossed 6.2 innings of one-run ball but received zero run support.

Meanwhile in the Bronx, Aaron Judge's clutch grand slam helped the New York Yankees overcome a 4-0 deficit in the seventh inning and beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4. The comeback victory extended the Yankees' AL East lead to three games over Baltimore -- their largest advantage since June 14.

The Orioles' offense had already been in decline for several months before hitting the wall in September. They've plated just 15 runs over their last eight games combined, going 2-6 in that span and getting shutout twice.

That ill-timed slump has cost them dearly in the standings, dropping them from a half-game up on New York, to three games out of first place with only 14 to go.

Baltimore is running out of time to make up that ground and will likely have to settle for a Wild Card spot.

If the Orioles want to catch the Yankees and repeat as division champions, their bats need to wake up ASAP before it's too late.

Published
Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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