The Orioles suffered a 13-3 loss to the Phillies on Aug 5 after a bullpen collapse. Kyle Schwarber's grand slam sealed the O's fate in a brutal 8-run inning.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
For a few innings, it looked like the Orioles might have something cooking. Home runs from Tyler O’Neill and Jordan Westburg staked them to an early lead, and newly-activated starter Cade Povich looked solid in his return. But then the sixth inning happened. And it wasn't just bad; it was a full-blown, season-low meltdown that saw a promising start spiral into a lopsided 13-3 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Orioles' bullpen allowed 10 runs over the final four frames.
The game turned on its head in the sixth. Leading 3-1, Cade Povich was pulled after 5 2/3 innings of respectable three-run ball. What followed was a catastrophic failure from the bullpen. Reliever Corbin Martin couldn't record an out, and the Phillies pounced. A Harrison Bader three-run homer was followed by a Kyle Schwarber grand slam, his second homer of the night, blowing the game wide open. By the time the dust settled, the Phillies had plated eight runs in the inning, and the Orioles' offense, silent since the third, had no answer.
The disastrous result came on the same day the Orioles shuffled their roster, activating Povich from the 15-day injured list for the start. The team also brought up infielder Vidal Bruján while optioning RHP Houston Roth and OF Jordyn Adams to Triple-A Norfolk. The moves highlight the constant adjustments the front office is making to plug holes, but as Monday's game proved, the team's biggest issue—pitching depth—can't be solved by minor transactions alone.
The bullpen's implosion makes the wait for reinforcements feel even longer. The good news is that help is progressing. Key starters Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are both on rehab assignments as they recover from elbow surgery, with both projected to return later in August. Their successful comeback is paramount. In the meantime, the club is leaning on Triple-A options like Cameron Weston and Rohansy Contreras, but last night was a painful illustration of how badly the big-league club needs its top arms back.
While Gunnar Henderson (.286 AVG, 47 RBIs) and Jackson Holliday (14 HRs) provide some offensive consistency, the overall team numbers paint a grim picture. Entering Tuesday, the Orioles rank 5th in the AL East, averaging a middling 4.4 runs per game. More alarmingly, the team ERA sits at 4.90, a number that only ballooned after allowing 13 runs to the Phillies. It's a clear sign that the struggles on the mound are defining the team's season.
Last night's loss was a gut punch, a stark reminder of the thin margin for error this team has, especially on the mound. While the bats showed early life, the bullpen collapse underscores the desperate need for Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells to return to form. The Orioles' season isn't over, but games like this reveal the cracks in the foundation. The next few weeks, and the health of their returning arms, will determine if they can patch them up in time.
