Let’s start the morning by tossing some love at a first-inning walk in Miami.

Gunnar Henderson led off with line drive single into right field and was erased on a force at second base on Taylor Ward’s ground ball. Dylan Beavers stepped to the plate against Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara and milked him for 12 pitches to draw the walk.

Twelve pitches. He fouled off seven. He battled back after falling behind 0-2 in the count.

Alcantara threw everything at Beavers but the kitchen sinker.

Pete Alonso followed with a two-run double, moved to third base on Kyle Stowers’ error and scored on Samuel Basallo’s 111.3 mph double.

Basallo came within a home run of the cycle, but back to Beavers.

Beavers had a .383 on-base percentage in 361 minor league games and he posted a .375 OBP last season in 35 games with the Orioles. He has a very particular set of skills.

The inning cost Alcantara 34 pitches. He threw 106 in 4 1/3, and the seven runs allowed matched his season high in Detroit on April 12.

*Chris Bassitt threw the Orioles’ 19th wild pitch this season, which allowed a run to score in the first inning.

Nineteen tied the Nationals for most in the majors.

The Orioles got another short start, with Bassitt allowing four runs and six hits in four innings.  He walked three, struck out three and hit two batters.

The hook was quick, with Bassitt removed after 76 pitches. His ERA is 5.91.

*Blaze Alexander had his first three-hit game Monday since Aug. 23 with the Diamondbacks. He did it twice in 2024.

Alexander was in the lineup for all four games in New York and went 6-for-15, including 5-for-8 in the last two. He was batting .177 with a .460 OPS when the series began and finished with a .221 average and .524 OPS.

His only RBI before Sunday was on Opening Day.

Staying in the lineup last night with a start at second base, Alexander singled in the fourth inning.

In a season of unexpected developments, Alexander playing in his 30th game ranks among them.

Alexander has made starts at third base, second base, shortstop and all three outfield positions. That’s the utility work intended for him. But he’s become a more regular presence in the lineup with Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg on the injured list.

Neither player has appeared in a game with the Orioles this season. Holliday is supposed to begin another rehab assignment this weekend at Double-A Chesapeake. Westburg is shut down from his throwing progression with soreness in his right elbow, which is going to intensify speculation that he’ll need surgery.

The Orioles traded Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena and José Mejia to the Diamondbacks for Alexander on Feb. 5. Strowd is pitching at Triple-A Reno, where he posted a 1.54 ERA in 11 games with two earned runs in 11 2/3 innings. He walked six and struck out 13.

Aracena allowed two runs in 14 2/3 innings with High-A Hillsboro, with six walks and 18 strikeouts. Mejia was batting .342/.490/.570 with five doubles, two triples, three home runs, 15 RBIs, 22 walks and 16 strikeouts in 24 games with Class A Visalia.

*Taylor Ward is stuck on one home run, only 35 short of matching last season’s total with the Angels, but he’s doing everything else.

Ward began last night as one of the four players leading their teams in hits (36) and walks (29) this season. The others are pretty good – Yordan Alvarez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bobby Witt Jr.

As shared by STATS, Ward is the third Orioles player in the last 10 years to lead the team in both categories through the first 35 games, along with Cedric Mullins in 2021 and 2025, and Manny Machado in 2018.

Through four innings last night, Ward had a single, walk and two runs scored. He walked and scored again in the ninth. Of course he did.

*Adley Rutschman was hitting .414 (12-for-29) with two outs before last night. But he also had other dramatic splits.

Rutschman was batting .400/.442/.750 (16-for-40) with five doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs in 11 home games. He was batting .167/.211/.278 (6-for-36) with one double, one home run and four RBIs in nine road games.

The Orioles are facing three right-handed starters in Miami. Rutschman was batting .348/.400/.587 (16-for-46) from the left side of the plate and .200/.226/.433 (6-for-30) from the right.

After going 1-for-17 in the Yankees series, Rutschman was on the bench to begin last night’s game. He was 14-for-30 with two doubles and four home runs in his previous seven games.

Manager Craig Albernaz sent up Rutschman to pinch-hit for Basallo against left-hander Andrew Nardi with Ward on second base and two outs in the ninth. Rutschman singled to break a 7-7 tie.

Now he’s 7-for-31 against lefties, 13-for-30 with two outs and 7-for-37 on the road.

Rutschman collected his 500th career hit Monday night on a 110.3 mph single in the first inning, his hardest-hit ball of the season.

*Rookie Anthony Nunez retired the side in order in the sixth inning last night gave up back-to-back one-out home runs in the seventh that cut the lead to 7-6.

Nunez had a 1.35 ERA on April 26. He’s allowed seven earned runs and nine total with 10 hits over his last four appearances totaling 3 1/3 innings.

Basallo’s throwing error in the eighth let the tying run score off Andrew Kittredge, who started the jam by allowing a hit and walking a batter. Rico Garcia stranded an inherited runner to run his total to 12 without allowing one to score, most in the majors.

Garcia retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out his final batter, in a much-needed 9-7 win. His ERA is down to 0.56.

*The inevitable scoring change is official.

Jeremiah Jackson is now charged with an error in the first inning of Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Astros after failing to make a backhand stop of Yainer Diaz’s grounder up the middle.

Diaz loses a single and Brandon Young’s line now includes four earned runs and six unearned. His ERA is lowered from 6.14 to 4.30.

Jackson also was charged with an error in the fourth after failing to handle Weston Wilson’s throw while trying to get the out at second base. It appeared that the throw was low and behind Jackson, which could have stuck Wilson with the error.