Orioles can't hold lead in eighth and are swept in doubleheader (updated)

The deficit grew to four runs, Charlie Morton kept warming in the bullpen and the Orioles were staring at a doubleheader sweep. Their own reflection was depressing – a team 10 games below .500 and getting worse.

What happened next was easy on the eyes. The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in the third, Cedric Mullins hit a grand slam to highlight a six-run inning, and a split was in the works.

Look again.

Yennier Cano was summoned in the eighth and Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer before the right-hander retired his first batter in the Twins’ 8-6 victory before an announced crowd of 10,169 at Camden Yards.

Morton allowed one run in three-plus innings of relief and was in line for his first Orioles win in eight decisions before the Twins rallied. Chayce McDermott, making his second major league start, allowed four runs and four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in three innings.

"Charlie was really good," said manager Brandon Hyde. "So that's something to build off."

The lead crumbled in the eighth.

Willi Castro singled, stole second base and moved up on Cano’s balk. Royce Lewis walked and Clemens lifted a changeup over the out-of-town scoreboard.

The Orioles (15-26) are a season-high 11 games below .500. The Twins have won 10 games in a row, including last week’s sweep at Target Field.

“Yeah, it sucks," Mullins said. "We’re grinding out there, trying to scrape out wins. But in terms of my thoughts, I’m not one to give up. And I’m going to continue to bring that energy and that confidence and the desire to win every single day to the team, and continue to go out there and put our best foot forward."

And try not to count how many steps it takes to get back to even and beyond.

“You can’t really think about it," Mullins said. "You know you’re coming from a deficit, but it’s a long process and it’s going to take one day at a time. Every guy being diligent with their work and their confidence in themselves. Go out there and be their best. So got a long way. Got a hard road ahead, but continue to push.”

Cano didn’t surrender an earned run in his first 12 appearances before the Royals homered twice on May 4. He was charged with two runs over one-third of an inning in his next outing in Minnesota and followed with two scoreless appearances.

“Flare hit to start the inning and the walk against the right-hander with the balk didn't put him in the best position," Hyde said. "But after the homer, he looked like Cano. But just the first three hitters, he had a tough time.”

Mullins reached on an infield hit in the eighth inning and Castro raced toward the left field line to snare pinch-hitter Tyler O’Neill’s liner. Emmanuel Rivera singled, but pinch-hitter Adley Rutschman flied out. The Orioles left 16 runners on base in the doubleheader.

"We've had a tough time adding on," Hyde said. "We've talked about that a lot. We thought we created a lot of traffic in both games and just the big hits were tough to come by for us. Ced, he got a big one with the grand slam. I thought we took really good at-bats late. O'Neill off the bench with a big ... Castro makes a heck of a play, possibly changes the game, changes that inning. So they're making plays.

"Teams are getting hits against us in big spots and we're having a tough time doing that.”

Jackson Holliday, Ryan Mountcastle and Gunnar Henderson had consecutive one-out singles in the third to trim the Twins' lead to 4-1. Ryan O’Hearn grounded into a force, Ramón Laureano walked and Mullins parked a slider from Simeon Woods Richardson onto the flag court for his fourth career slam and first since Sept. 11, 2023.

Mullins also reached and passed the 300-RBI mark, the 41^st player in team history to achieve the milestone.

Two pitches later, Heston Kjerstad pulled a fastball to right for his fourth homer and a 6-4 lead – the fourth time this season that the Orioles went back-to-back.

Henderson singled in his first two at-bats to give him four hits in the doubleheader, and he drove in his third run of the day in the third inning. He’s reached base in 19 consecutive games.

Morton retired five of the first six batters before Castro’s home run with two outs in the fifth. He allowed two hits, walked one batter and struck out four, and Gregory Soto replaced him in the seventh after Byron Buxton’s leadoff single. Larnach grounded into a double play.

“Charlie Morton was the one of the highlights of today," Hyde said.

The first inning was bumpy for McDermott, and also a foreshadowing.

McDermott struck out three batters but also walked Buxton, allowed a single to Ryan Jeffers, walked Castro with two outs to load the bases and fell behind 1-0 on Harrison Bader’s infield hit.

Rivera took a step toward the ball and didn’t break for third base, leaving Henderson to try for the out at first.

McDermott hit DaShawn Keirsey Jr. leading off the second inning, retired the next two batters and surrendered a two-run homer to Trevor Larnach at 108 mph off the bat. He threw 28 pitches in the first and was up to 44 through the second and 65 after the third.

"I thought he struggled," Hyde said. "He only went three innings, gave up four. I thought command was the problem. He's got to be able to throw more strikes than that up here and be able to work ahead and probably a little bit nervous, too. It's only the second big league appearance but tough time throwing strikes today.”

"Command is the big thing," McDermott said. "Execute pitches. It’s as simple as that. Just didn’t do that tonight."

McDermott, called up as the 27th man and making his first home start, admitted to being nervous at the onset.

"Once I got into the first inning, though, I settled down," he said. "I’m nervous before every start, doesn’t matter where it’s at. So it was a cool experience."

The leadoff batter reached in each of the first three innings. Brooks Lee walked in the third, the next two batters were retired, and Clemens singled into right field for a 4-0 lead. Clemens was tagged in a rundown to prevent McDermott from having to throw a 66^th pitch.

Clemens later prevented Morton from getting that first win, and most important, the Orioles from splitting the doubleheader.

"You come back tomorrow and you got a day game tomorrow, so we've got to put today behind us," Hyde said. "That was a long day and a really disappointing day, and got to flush it and come back tomorrow.”

“I think we’ve been pretty good at flushing the past," Mullins said. "Going out, trying to win a game, any way we can. There’s multiple ways to do it. Sometimes it’s slugging. Sometimes it’s pitching. Putting that all together is what we need to get it consistent, so that’s what we’re fighting for.”

* Jorge Mateo pinch-ran for Rivera and played third base for the first time since 2021.