PITTSBURGH – The Orioles could use a Chicago-style hot dog and a reset on the next leg of their first road trip.

Chris Bassitt was lucky to still be standing today. The team must find a way to get back up.

An Oneil Cruz 111.8 mph comebacker nailed Bassitt behind his left leg on one bounce with the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, the latest dose of adversity as the Orioles stumbled to an 8-2 loss to the Pirates that completed the sweep before an announced 11,956 at PNC Park.

Bassitt was done after allowing six runs and throwing 62 pitches in two innings. Cade Povich entered in relief, perhaps leaving Albert Suárez to start Monday night against the White Sox. Craig Albernaz received his first ejection as manager. The Orioles are 3-6 after their fifth loss in six games.

It’s got to get better.

“Super talented team,” said Blaze Alexander. “Obviously, a slower start to the season than we wanted, just all aspects – offensively, defensively, pitching, just all of it. I’m a big believer it’s going to turn around. We have too much talent in this locker room for it not to turn around. Hopefully, it happens here real soon.”

The Pirates led 6-0 after sending nine batters to the plate in the second. Bassitt allowed six hits, walked two and hit two batters, and his ERA rose to 14.21.

The two innings marked Bassitt’s shortest start since June 28, 2025 against the Blue Jays. He dropped to his hands and knees after Cruz’s liner slammed into him but stayed in the game.

Bassitt didn’t have much to say afterward, summarizing his start with, “Too many walks, hit two batters.”

Plate umpire James Jean pointed toward the Orioles’ dugout and then tossed Albernaz after Braxton Ashcraft’s first pitch to Alexander with two outs in the third. Alexander appeared to motion to Jean that Ashcraft was quick-pitching him.

“It was kind of like stirring before that,” Albernaz said. “We knew Ashcraft. He likes to work fast. He kind of, I wouldn’t say, quick-pitched (Samuel) Basallo in his first at-bat, but Basallo felt like he wasn’t ready. The Leody (Taveras) at-bat, he asked for time twice and he wasn’t granted time. When Leody walked by, he gave me that nugget, and then I watched what happened with Blaze, and that’s when it kind of like got me over the edge pretty much.”

Said Alexander: “I just probably didn’t have enough time to get set in there. Just felt like I tapped the plate, running through, and pitch is coming. Yeah, really bad. I mean, I just looked at the umpire and wanted a little bit more time, just kind of get set. Things happen.

“Shoutout to Alby, having our back there and fighting for us there. I just felt like we need a little bit more time to set. I mean, I know it might be Ashcraft’s game, quick-pitching and stuff. But just again, give us a little bit more time to get set. That’s really it.”

The game already was a mess.

Bassitt threw 28 pitches in the first inning and was aided by Brandon Lowe’s line drive that Pete Alonso caught for a double play after Cruz was hit by pitch and broke for second base on an attempted steal. Bryan Reynolds walked and Ryan O’Hearn drove a fastball 402 feet to center field for his third home run.

Nick Yorke singled but top prospect Konnor Griffin grounded out.

Cruz was behind 0-2 when Bassitt hit him with a cutter. Reynolds walked on four pitches. O’Hearn homered on a 3-0 pitch. Yorke fouled off a pair of 1-2 pitches before his single.

“It looked like he just wasn’t sharp,” Albernaz said, adding that Bassitt is fine physically beyond the contusion. “He had misses, was in bad counts, command wasn’t there. And 2ith Bass, he’s reliant on command, and that’s his calling card. He didn’t have his command and that’s what we saw today.”

A walk, single and bunt single loaded the bases with no outs in the second. Cruz reached on the wicked shot off Bassitt, Alonso smothered Lowe’s grounder and threw home for the force, Bryan Reynolds lifted a sacrifice fly to right, where Tyler O’Neill made a nice running catch, and O’Hearn lined a two-run double to left-center.

Bassitt hit Yorke with a curveball before getting the last out.

Povich tossed three scoreless innings before surrendering a two-run homer to Cruz in the sixth that gave Pittsburgh an 8-1 lead. Povich was a bullpen saver by covering 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs and four hits on 87 pitches. Does he stay or is his reward a return to Triple-A in exchange for a fresh non-roster arm?

“I think like I said from spring training, whenever my name’s going to be called, whatever situation, I’ll be ready to help this team,” Povich said.

“I knew there was a chance today. Obviously, being in the bullpen. We kind of went over that yesterday, and my job was to be down there and be ready when my name got called and try to help the guys out.”

“That was huge,” Albernaz said. “It’s a tough situation for him to come in and do what he did, but he saved the ‘pen and set it up for the next series. It’s tough to get swept, for sure. The Pirates are a good team, but you know, we’ve got to play better. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t get one game this series.”

The streak of one-run margins between these teams was snapped at seven games. Fun while it lasted, right?

If it’s any consolation, today’s outcome was an upgrade over Easter 2025, when the Orioles lost to the Reds 24-2 at Camden Yards. Infielder Jorge Mateo and catcher Gary Sánchez were forced into emergency relief duty. Former Orioles catcher Austin Wynns had six hits and seven RBIs.

It was the most runs allowed by the Orioles since a 30-3 loss to the Rangers on Aug. 22, 2007.

Former manager Brandon Hyde called it “embarrassing.” Albernaz didn’t see most of today’s loss, with bench coach Donnie Ecker put in charge for the first time.

Taylor Ward had a leadoff single in the first and was caught stealing, also an ominous sign. Ashcraft struck out five of his first seven batters, and the Orioles didn’t get another hit until Ward doubled in the fourth and scored on Alonso’s double past a diving Cruz in center.

The Orioles produced another run in the seventh against reliever Mason Montgomery on singles by O’Neill, Dylan Beavers and Jeremiah Jackson. Ward collected his third hit in the eighth and is batting .343 with an .886 OPS.

The Orioles struck out 14 times and didn’t draw a walk.

“I wasn’t watching from the game, but it looked like Ashcraft had some good stuff today, looked like we hit some balls hard to the outfield that didn’t really carry too much,” Albernaz said. “It looked like our guys were trying to cover up and get back into the game with the big blow, and that’s what kind of led to the strikeouts today.”

There wasn’t much to feel good about as the team boarded its flight to Chicago. They were quiet again as they ate and dressed. The loud music only played this morning.

“It’s a long season, it’s a marathon season,” Albernaz said. “But the biggest thing is, us this year, we still have a lot of work to do. We had a great camp, great spring training. I know spring training is over with, but we were trying to redefine ourselves as getting back to fundamental baseball, playing clean baseball, doing the little things right, and we’re still not done. We still have to get better and that’s on myself and the coaching staff to keep on pushing our guys to get better each day, especially in those areas.

“Like that inning where Mangum laid a bunt down. We messed up the bunt play, which led to J.J. kind of missing first base, which, because there was some confusion on the bunt play. So stuff like that that we have to get better at, to kind of shore up those little things so the big innings don’t happen.”

*Ashcraft was the ninth consecutive right-hander to start against the Orioles to begin the season, five short of the franchise record, according to STATS.

The nine games are tied for second-longest streak with the 1994 and 1957 teams. The 1975 Orioles played 14 games before the Tigers started left-hander Mickey Lolich on April 29.

The White Sox are starting right-handers Erick Fedde, Shane Smith and Sean Burke, which is going to push the streak to 12. And the Giants currently are lined up to start three right-handers at Camden Yards.

*Zach Eflin is flying to Dallas on Tuesday to receive a second opinion on his right elbow from Dr. Keith Meister, who has an office in Arlington.

Eflin underwent an MRI in Baltimore after leaving his first start with two outs in the fourth inning.