The Orioles had a rookie starter making his third major league appearance and a short bullpen after today’s roster move.

They also had an offense that was in full ambush mode.

Ten batters came to the plate in the first inning, with the first six reaching against Rays left-hander Steven Matz. The result was a fast five-run lead that never threatened to go away.

Swept at Tropicana Field last week, the Orioles turned the tables with tonight’s 11-2 thumping of Tampa Bay before an announced crowd of 16,317 at Tropicana Field.

Gunnar Henderson hit his 12th and 13th home runs, Blaze Alexander homered and had a career-high six RBIs, and the Orioles improved to 26-30. They haven’t been four games below .500 since May 13.

“I mean, it’s baseball,” Alexander said. “We’re a pretty, I’d say fairly new locker room. A bunch of guys from different teams and stuff, and we’re finally starting to come together. I know fans don’t want to hear that, but patience, man, patience. I think we have a really good ballclub, man, and we know that.”

Henderson registered his third career multi-homer game and first since June 21, 2024 in Houston.

“It was a tough series when we went there, but we know the team that we have and the caliber of players that we have on this team and knew it was only a matter of time to get going a little bit,” Henderson said. “Hope we can keep it going.”

Trey Gibson allowed one run and six hits with four walks and a strikeout to earn his first major league win. He kept dodging traffic and lasted until his 100th pitch.

“Really impressive,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “Obviously, the five runs in the first was awesome for a lot of reasons. But especially for Trey to kind of settle into the game. His sinker was really impressive tonight. … And he did a great job of attacking the strike zone.”

Keegan Akin stranded a runner and tossed a scoreless seventh to lower his ERA to 11.25.

The game didn’t come without a crisis for the Orioles.

Yennier Cano loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning, fell behind 3-0 to Ryan Vilade and left the game with right hamstring discomfort.

Bats came out blazing

Matz threw 36 pitches in the first inning, which began with a line drive single by slumping left fielder Taylor Ward. Henderson followed with a 392-foot homer onto the flag court.

Adley Rutschman walked, Pete Alonso singled for his 1,000th career hit, and Coby Mayo walked. Leody Taveras dumped a single into right to score Rutschman, Tyler O’Neill struck out after a long foul ball down the left field line that hinted at a home run, and Alexander drove a two-run single into right.

The Orioles hadn’t tallied five runs in the opening frame since May 17, 2024 against the Mariners at Camden Yards.

Coby Mayo led off the third with a double and scored on O’Neill’s single – his fourth RBI this month and first since May 16. He was 3-for-42 against left-handers before the at-bat.

Matz didn’t return for the fourth. He allowed six runs and seven hits

Mayo’s back must be feeling better. He led off the fifth with a single and took third base on Taveras’ single, and both runners crossed the plate on Alexander’s double down the left field line.

Alexander’s four RBIs at this point were one short of his career high on April 19, 2024 in San Francisco. He launched his first home run in the seventh, a 399-foot shot to left field off former Oriole Jonathan Heasley, after Colton Cowser’s single.

Since going hitless on May 2, Alexander has posted a .367 average, .404 on-base percentage and .531 slugging to warrant more playing time, whether in the infield or outfield.

“Yeah, man, it’s baseball,” Alexander said. “Obviously, I wish I started out this way, but yeah, it all comes around, man. Yeah, a couple adjustments at the plate, tighten things up, and seeing the ball well. My move’s clean, and the results are showing. 
“I was the only guy in here without a homer, I think. But yeah, definitely a monkey off my back. I was seeing stuff on Twitter, like the qualified hitters without a homer, and I was like, ‘Dude eventually I’m going to pop up on this list if I don’t get one.’ But no, it was nice, I enjoyed that one.”

Henderson led off the sixth with a 419-foot shot to right field against Heasley to give the Orioles a 9-1 lead.

Both managers began substituting by the sixth and seventh innings. Alexander moved to left field, Weston Wilson entered at third base and Jackson Holliday replaced Henderson at shortstop.

Rutschman doubled again in the eighth to give him a three-hit night, plus a walk.

“I think Wardy set the tone right away, jumping on the first pitch he saw,” Albernaz said. “I think we all know Wardy is extremely patient and for him to jump on the first pitch and smoke it up the middle, it kind of got everyone juiced up in the dugout. And then Gunnar putting the ball into the seats really got the boys going, and I wouldn’t say settle everyone down, but something we’ve talked about before where, when the top guys in the lineup have their approach and everyone talks about it and kind of holds each other accountable to what they’re going to do at the plate, to see those guys go up there and execute their plan – results aside, but the results were great – it kind of has that cascading effect of, ‘OK, just stick to my approach and I’ll be all right.’ And that’s what we saw.”

How good was Gibson?

Gibson threw 19 pitches in the first inning and only eight were strikes. Chandler Simpson reached on an infield hit and was erased on a 5-4-3 double play. Jonathan Aranda singled and Yandy Díaz walked, but Richie Palacios grounded out.

The Rays loaded the bases with one out in the third on a single and two walks, but Díaz struck out and Palacios was robbed on a tremendous backhand stop and off-balance throw from Henderson.

The Orioles turned two more double plays in the fourth and fifth innings.

“Our infield defense has been better as of late,” Albernaz said. “Really good, especially Blaze at third starting that double play. The one down the line, that’s a really tough play to make – one, to even catch it, two, to get the throw off to second and make a great feed. J.J. with a great turn. And that play by Gunnar, ranging into the six hole, was pretty ridiculous to make, and to make a throw like that. Our infield defense was awesome tonight.”

“I feel like we’re all just getting comfortable at our positions,” Henderson said. “Just with everything, the different rotations going in, we’re all getting comfortable with each other out there.”

Gibson finished the fifth by snaring Junior Caminero’s 102.9 mph comebacker on one hop.

Two more batters reached in the sixth on a leadoff single and nine-pitch walk. Aranda scored on a fielder’s choice grounder with one out, and Gibson left to a standing ovation.

“Trey’s a dude, man,” Alexander said. “The moment’s never too big for him. He’s cool, calm, collected. Big body on that mound, and he’s doing it. I’m super impressed by him.”

Gibson got the traditional beer shower afterward. He also appreciated a five-run first inning.

“It definitely affects you, how you think,” he said. “For the guys to go off that hot start like that really gave me a cushion to start the game, like, huge, huge.”

Gibson was more relaxed tonight than during his first two appearances, including the debut start at Yankee Stadium.

“I think having those two outings kind of just really, like, get the feet wet, and I know what to expect now, like what a major league game looks like,” Gibson said. “And just being self-aware of what I’m doing on the mound, just staying within myself and not trying to do too much.”

Injury curse gets Cano

Cano threw his third pitch to Vilade, a sinker, and turned toward third base. He kicked the mound, picked up and slammed the rosin bag, and waited for Albernaz and assistant athletic trainer Ben Fraser. Infield coach Miguel Cairo was summoned as an interpreter.

Cano tapped his right leg before walking to the dugout, and Andrew Kittredge finished the plate appearance with a walk.

Kittredge struck out the next three batters.

Losing Cano would be a blow to the bullpen. He began the night with a 1.40 ERA and 0.517 WHIP in 24 appearances.  

Nineteen players have gone on the injured list this season, and Cano would be the 20th.

“He’s getting checked out right now,” Albernaz said. “It tightened up on him on, it was a foul ball by Palacios and he kind of did a quick move to go get it and he said he felt it tighten up on him.”

Cano was walking through the clubhouse after the game.

The Orioles had a seven-man bullpen after optioning Nick Raquet and recalling Gibson, so at least one move is coming Thursday.