-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
The 21-year-old catching phenom signs an eight-year contract extension less than a week after his major league debut. Two more players go on the injured list.
Just another day in the life of the Orioles, who can bounce from unpredictable to monotonous in a matter of seconds.
They had to play the latest game on their schedule, the 128th this season, and lost to the Astros 10-7 before an announced crowd of 24,224 at Camden Yards.
After claiming three series in a row for the first time, the best they can do against Houston is a split. Dean Kremer starts Saturday night.
Colton Cowser hit his 10th home run in the seventh inning to reduce Houston’s lead to 7-6, the ball traveling 417 feet to right field at 108.3 mph. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos left a fastball over the middle of the plate and regretted it.
Samuel Basallo, recipient of a new contract today, pinch-hit in the seventh after Dylan Beavers walked and struck out on three pitches. He batted in the ninth and struck out again.
Victor Caratini pinch-hit for the Astros in the eighth and doubled off Corbin Martin to score two runs, both charged to Matt Bowman. Pinch-runner Jacob Melton came home on Jeremy Peña’s double, and the Orioles fell to 59-69.
They also set another record, with Vimael Machín replacing Luis Vázquez at third base to become the 63rd player used this season, the most in franchise history. To mark the occasion, Machín led off the bottom of the eighth with his second career home run and first since July 10, 2022 – his final year in the majors until the Orioles selected his contract today.
“There’s a lot of happiness in the dugout for him by his teammates," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "He’s kind of last in line in some ways to get here in the big leagues with us, and it’s neat to see him do that right there and he will definitely be in the lineup tomorrow.”
Machín swung at the first pitch, a fastball from Kaleb Ort, and launched it over the center field fence at 107.6 mph. He's the ninth Oriole to homer in his plate appearance with the club, the most recent Keon Broxton in 2019 in Colorado, and the third since 2000 to do so on the first pitch.
“I don’t even know how to explain it, to be honest," he said. "But all I wanted to do was get a good pitch to hit, obviously, and do damage. It’s been since 2022, I believe, so being back here, I’m not gonna lie, I was kind of nervous on deck. That’s why I had that plan going. Just try to be as early as I can and put a good swing on.”
The Orioles kept promoting other utility-type infielders ahead of him, including Jeremiah Jackson, Luis Vázquez and Terrin Vavra. Machín never stopped hitting, in spring training and in Triple-A.
“It’s been a grind, obviously," he said, "but at the end of the day it’s a business, it happens. I was just leaving it in God’s hands and here I am.”
The Orioles have put 28 different players on the injured list and hope to avoid making Coby Mayo the 29th. Mayo was drilled on the right hand by a 97.2 mph fastball from Bryan Abreu leading off the ninth, fell face-down in the dirt and eventually went to first base. X-rays for a fracture were negative.
"There wasn’t a lot of concern out there on the field," Mansolino said. "Tough kid. Handled it fine.”
Cade Povich was charged with four earned runs and six total in 4 2/3 innings. Yennier Cano inherited two runners in the fifth and Christian Walker demolished a sinker - identified as a changeup by Statcast - for a 7-3 lead.
Povich retired the first six batters, but the first five reached in the third inning. The Orioles committed two errors and Peña hit a three-run homer.
Kyle Bradish will be reinstated from the 60-day IL and make his first start next week since June 14, 2024. A spot opened in the rotation with Brandon Young sidelined by a strained left hamstring. Povich returned from a hip injury that kept him out for almost two months and struck out 10 Astros over five innings in Houston before the rematch.
Povich struck out the side tonight in the second on a curveball, changeup and sinker, the latter to former Orioles infielder Ramón Urías. Mauricio Dubón drew a leadoff walk in the third and Vázquez and Povich made errant throws to give the Astros a 1-0 lead.
Peña followed by clearing the left field fence. A single, double play and strikeout raised Povich’s pitch count to 61. He threw 96 before leaving the game.
“Yeah, he was cruising, man,” Mansolino said. “He goes through that second inning, punches out three guys. You walk up there, that first guy in the third inning, you go 3-0 right out of the gates. He’s not trying to do that, we didn’t love that right there. Then he’s kind of falling behind in some ways. And then we just kind of threw the ball around the field.”
“Obviously," Povich said, "facing a team twice in back-to-back starts a week apart is always a challenge, something that, as a starting pitcher, you’ve got to learn to do."
All the damage in the fifth came with two outs. Cano contributed to Povich’s ERA rising to 5.13 in 17 appearances. Cano’s ERA is 5.56.
"That one was a little frustrating," Mansolino said of Cano, whose velocity was down. "We have so much faith in him. The people who have been here over the years, we’ve got a lot of faith in him. We’ve seen him so good, and you kind of see him in Boston, that last game, and get through that 11th inning and get that big double play ball. He’s one of the guys when there’s a big spot, that he’s one of the first names in that bullpen that we think about."
Lance McCullers Jr., reinstated from the injured list, brought a 6.90 ERA into the game and fell into trouble in the first four innings. The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Cowser and Mayo struck out. They had two on with two outs in the second and Jeremiah Jackson grounded out. Gunnar Henderson lined a single into right field to begin the third and Ryan Mountcastle grounded into a double play.
Back-to-back walks in the fourth created another jam and Alex Jackson singled to score Mayo. Jackson had 10 hits with the Orioles before tonight: seven doubles and three homers. Jeremiah Jackson’s fly ball to right deflected off Cam Smith’s glove for a two-out, two-run double.
The Orioles loaded the bases against reliever Shawn Dubin with no outs in the sixth and scored on Jackson Holliday’s fielder’s choice grounder and Jeremiah Jackson’s bouncer.
The game took a back seat to today’s news that Basallo agreed to an eight-year extension with a club option for 2034 and escalators that made the total package worth $88.5 million.
“It’s a big deal,” Mansolino said earlier. “Sammy wants to be here in Baltimore, and hopefully in the future there’s other guys, too, that would like to be here, as well. So it’s a big deal for the organization. Hopefully, it’s a big stepping stone for us.”
Basallo said in a MASN interview that negotiations began after his arrival on Sunday, calling it “a crazy week.” He stepped out of the dugout tonight after the first inning and acknowledged the cheers after the Orioles congratulated him in a scoreboard message. A louder ovation broke out in the seventh.
"It’s exciting for one of our players to accept an extension, sign it and we know we’re going to have this guy here for a long time," Mansolino said. "I know the fans in Baltimore have been waiting for this for a while. It’s exciting for Sammy. We hope it’s one of many."
“I came from a little neighborhood in the DR (Dominican Republic),” Basallo said on MASN. “This means a lot for us.”
* Albert Suárez started at Triple-A Norfolk tonight and tossed five scoreless innings with two hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He threw 56 pitches, 33 strikes, and is getting closer to his reinstatement from the injured list.
Jorge Mateo played shortstop and went 1-for-4.
Double-A Chesapeake’s Levi Wells allowed two earned runs and three total with six strikeouts in five innings. Trace Bright followed with 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
High-A Aberdeen’s Juan Rojas didn’t allow a run or hit in 4 2/3 innings.
Class A Delmarva’s Carson Dorsey allowed one run and one hit with eight strikeouts over five innings.
