The first out recorded tonight came on a fly ball to center fielder Colton Cowser, about 3 ½ hours after he fought to maintain his composure while talking about the trade that sent close friend Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox.

This is the new normal for the Orioles. Three important and popular players are removed from the organization, but it’s got to be business as usual.

There’s no other way to defy the odds, and the actions of a seller, and still make a run at the Wild Card.

The Orioles won their first post-deadline game, defeating the Angels 3-1 before an announced crowd of 18,585 at Camden Yards. Music played loudly in the clubhouse, with lights and smoke that couldn’t hide the emotions tied in knots.

Former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez retired the first six batters in his return to Baltimore, but he walked Christian Franklin leading off the third, Cowser singled, Carlos Narváez was hit by a pitch, and Pete Alonso singled with one out for a 2-0 lead. The team’s scoreless streak ended at 17 innings.

Tyler O’Neill belted his third pinch-hit home run of the season, tying the club record, and fourth of his career in the eighth inning.

“Extremely impressive,” Albernaz said. “We communicate before the game, and he understands the role before the game, and he’s ready for it. So that’s why with all of our guys on the bench, they’re always ready to come in and make an impact. It’s not easy, but they do a great job of getting a routine ready for that reliever they’re about to face. To me, it’s one, you have to be ready to swing the bat, but being able to get in that mindset. We have to lay off some tough pitches and then battle, and that’s what T.O. has shown.”

Cade Povich scattered seven hits in six scoreless innings in his first major league start since May 7. Yennier Cano recorded his second save, and the Orioles improved to 55-58.

Narváez was behind the plate tonight, with Rutschman reporting to the Red Sox and working out on their field. Franklin made his major league debut in left field, which was vacated by Taylor Ward. New reliever Alex Hoppe will join the club Wednesday to replace Tyler Wells.  

“It’s hard, it’s tough,” Albernaz said this afternoon. “The trade deadline, guys getting traded, it’s always tough. Same thing when you’re having conversations with guys that are released or DFA’d or optioned. But especially yesterday, like coming into the year, high hopes and expectations, and now you get to the trade deadline and you lose three great players and also great people that are in that clubhouse.”

Albernaz and president of baseball operations Mike Elias talked to the team this afternoon before the clubhouse opened to media. Take the temperature in the room, explain the reasoning behind subtracting while the Orioles were 2 ½ games back in the Wild Card chase, and offer assurances that the playoffs are attainable.

“The general message was acknowledging that it was a tough day yesterday,” Albernaz said. “All of our players, the feelings and emotions that they have are real, and we want them to lean into that. But also, you lose close friends and guys you came up with and guys you built relationships with, but also acknowledge that this is the part of the game. Trades happen all the time. It’s a part of it.”

Rutschman told the media at Fenway Park that he was experiencing a variety of emotions.

“Played my entire career there and been a lot of unbelievable memories, made a lot of great friends for life,” he said. “It’s tough goodbyes, but we’re onto the next thing and excited to be here and playing. It’s all part of the game.”

It’s a part that can be understood and hurt at the same time.

“It was a shock to me personally,” said left-hander Trevor Rogers. “What he meant to this organization. He was the star of the rebuild here and he had a lot of really good years. Just a great teammate, great person. I wish him all the best.”

Rogers just happened to be with Wells and his family when the reliever was informed of the trade to Tampa Bay.

“That was pretty tough for me,” Rogers said. “I loved Wellsy and he was a good friend of mine.”

Elias joined the MASN broadcast in the top of the second inning and said, “There was no one more emotionally affected than me trading Adley.” He also had to put personal feelings aside with Ward and Wells. It comes with the executive territory.

“Mike and his group, they have an impossible job in my opinion to keep one eye on the season at hand, but also another eye on the future of the organization, as well,” Albernaz said. “So they have a job to do, but also, I have a job to do. Our coaches and players, as well. And whoever’s in that clubhouse, just like we had to navigate all year with all the injuries, no one feels sorry for us, no one’s going to take it easy on us. So for us it’s, whoever’s in that clubhouse, we have to go out there and win.”

Povich was recalled to make tonight’s start, and he could be optioned when Hoppe is added to the roster. Or he could stick around for another start until Chris Bassitt returns. Hoppe was one of three pitchers acquired from the Mariners for Ward.

The Angels had five hits through three innings but couldn’t score. A double play bailed out Povich in the second. Back-to-back singles to begin the third were followed by two strikeouts and a ground ball.

A leadoff walk in the fourth inning created more traffic for Povich, but he picked off Denzer Guzman at first base. Wade Meckler reached on an infield single with one out in the fifth and Povich picked him off, too.

Povich became the first Oriole with two pickoffs in the same game since Brian Matusz on April 8, 2010 at Tropicana Field. According to STATS, Dennis Martinez was the last pitcher with two pickoffs on runners trying to get back to first base, on June 10, 1985 against the Tigers.

“It kind of brought me back to my college and high school days, when that seemed to be a normal thing,” Povich said. “It was just about trusting my move and trusting Pete over there. Kudos to him for getting the tags down.”

Mike Trout led off the sixth with a single and Povich retired the next three batters. The tightrope wouldn’t snap.

“I thought Povich was great tonight,” Albernaz said. “Yeah, he had some traffic, but he did a great job of navigating it. I mean, Narvy behind the plate was outstanding with him, and the rest of our guys. It’s not easy to come into a new team and learn new pitchers, but he’s really sharp, takes great pride in his craft, so it was awesome to see him navigate that.

“And I mean, the two pickoffs were huge for Povich, too. That’s a real pickoff move, and to eliminate two baserunners like that was big.”

Povich knew what he was walking into – the huge void left by Rutschman’s exit.

“It was obviously a little bit different in the clubhouse with him gone, and in the pregame meetings, too,” Povich said. “But shout out to Narvy. He called an unbelievable game today. He was fully ready to go when we had our pregame meeting. For a guy I’ve only pitched against a couple of times, we already had a good mix back there. When I wanted something, he was already putting it down. I couldn’t have asked for a better first outing with him.

Rico Garcia stranded two in the seventh, crouching on the mound as Zach Neto’s 372-foot fly ball was caught at the left field wall. Andrew Kittredge, still on the team, allowed a run eighth on back-to-back doubles. Josh Lowe led off the ninth with a double for the Angels’ 11th hit. Orioles pitching didn’t have a clean inning.

Rodriguez recorded his first quality start since his final appearance with the Orioles on July 31, 2024. He allowed two runs and three hits with one walk and six strikeouts over seven innings. Coby Mayo tripled with one out in the seventh and was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice.

The Orioles were chirping at Rodriguez from the dugout, which amused him.

“I think Grayson is one of the biggest chirpers we had here,” Mayo said. “So for him to respect that, it’s obviously cool to see. It’s all for the love of the game.”

Mayo has tripled twice in his last four games.

“Both of them coming in 0-2 counts, I think,” he said. “That’s what makes me more happy about that, is just protecting with two strikes and was able to get a heater and stay behind it a little bit and poke it to right. I don’t do it enough. I should try to do that more often. But it was nice to get.”

The same goes for the win, which moved the Orioles to within 1 1/2 games of the Wild Card.

“Within that clubhouse, there’s a lot of confidence in there that we can still make a push here,” Albernaz said. “The biggest thing for me was, there’s 50 games left. Three-quarters of the season’s done. It’s a 50-game sprint to the finish line. What can we do these next 50 games to give ourselves a chance to sneak into the playoffs or not?”

They’re down to 49 and will need to replicate tonight’s result, perhaps with the thick layer of sadness slowly lifting.

“It was awesome,” Albernaz said. “At the end of the day, it’s a man’s game. That’s it. Like, the game moves on. Like I said before, no one feels sorry for us, no one feels any type of empathy, you know? You still have to go out and play, and the Angels are trying to win, we’re trying to win. We’ve got to go out and play.

“Our guys did a great job of harnessing those emotions and keeping the main thing the main thing and going out there and playing a complete game of baseball. Yeah, it’s not easy, but at the end of the day you’ve got to go out and play, and our guys did a great job of that tonight.”

Said Povich: “I think for us as a team, we’re just trying to stay together and stay as one, no matter who is here. Guys have to come up when other guys go down anyway, so it’s a little bit of that next-man-up mentality we’ve talked about before.”

Rogers’ reaction to staying

Rogers will make the start Wednesday night. He wasn’t sure if he’d still be around for it.

The trade speculation was heavy with Rogers due to his pending free agency and the demand for starting pitching. He didn’t want to leave, which he expressed many times at his locker.

“It was one of the longer days of my life, for sure,” he said.

“Honestly, I was waiting for the call and thankfully it never came. So I’m just so happy and stoked that I get to be here with his organization for the remainder of this year and get to be with this group of guys.

“When I saw Wardy go, I was like, ‘OK, it’s most likely going to happen.’ I just stayed by my phone all day, and thankfully it didn’t, and I’m really happy to be here.”

Catching up with Narváez

Narváez became the seventh catcher used by the Orioles this season to tie last year’s franchise record.

“Really happy for this opportunity,” he said after coming to Baltimore in the Rutschman trade. “Really pumped to join such a talented team. I know it’s weird for a lot of guys. I know how much Adley meant a lot to this team, to the clubhouse. I just want to come here to contribute, to help the team every way possible.

“I’ve played against a lot of these guys. I don’t like to face them. So such a cool part being there for them, being behind to plate just to keep helping. Trying to win tonight and trying to win tomorrow, day by day. Just happy for this opportunity.”

Albernaz was thrilled to have him.

“He drove down from Boston, I think he got in at like 3 a.m. last night,” Albernaz said. “Quick turnaround, but everything I heard about him was true. He’s a great dude, a great teammate, loves the defensive side of the ball, takes great pride in his craft, takes great pride in navigating the pitchers through the lineup. And that was on full display tonight.”

Injury updates

Closer Félix Bautista threw his first live batting practice session earlier today. Chris Bassitt will make a third rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk. Closer Ryan Helsley began a throwing progression over the weekend. Catcher Samuel Basallo could go on a rehab assignment in two weeks.

Trade acquisitions assigned to affiliates

Triple-A Norfolk
RHP Michael Forret

Double-A Chesapeake
RHP Anthony Eyanson
RHP Brock Moore

High-A Frederick
RHP Kyson Witherspoon
OF Enddy Azocar

Class A Delmarva
RHP Harrison Kreiling
OF Jhomnardo Reyes