HOUSTON – “For a lot of the year, for the first month and a half, there were a lot of nights when we probably looked like the worst team in major league baseball,” Tony Mansolino said after Friday night’s dominant win over the Astros.
“We were probably 30th of 30 how we played the first month and a half. Tonight, for nine innings, we looked like the best team in baseball in all facets of the game. On the mound, defensively, and then also at the plate.”
Today, the Orioles excelled in all facets once again in a dominant 12-0 victory.
After taking two of three against a playoff-caliber Mariners team, they took two of three against a playoff-caliber Astros team. Baltimore didn’t play favorites with who they want to win the American League West.
Dean Kremer was nearly flawless, Jordan Westburg drove in a career-high five, Samuel Basallo got his first big-league hit and RBI, and the O’s cruised to another series victory.
The story entering play was, of course, Basallo, the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, making his MLB debut.
Basallo wasted no time getting on base. It probably wasn’t the way that he envisioned, though.
In the second inning, the 21-year-old was hit by an up-and-in fastball and took first base. His 1.000 on-base percentage, at the time, was the best in the history of baseball.
And in the bottom of that frame, Gunnar Henderson reminded us why he was the best prospect in all of baseball just a few years ago. With a runner on third and two down, the shortstop made a spectacular diving play in the shallow outfield grass, wheeled and fired to first to get the final out of the inning.
When he came up to the plate in the third, the superstar almost broke the game open, too.
In a 2-1 count and the bases loaded, Henderson hit a long fly ball to right that was bound for the first row of outfield seats. Jesús Sánchez leapt above the wall and robbed him, bringing the ball back from whence it came. Henderson would have to settle for a sacrifice fly, but it did put the Orioles up 1-0.
The O’s had some quality contact against Astros starter Cristian Javier, but they didn’t see him very long. Javier left the game after the third inning due to illness, and Houston’s bullpen would have to piece things together the rest of the way.
On the opposite side of the mound, Kremer was absolutely cruising. One start after putting up eight innings of one-run baseball against the Mariners, the right-hander was at it once again. Through four innings, he allowed just two hits without allowing a run or a walk with three strikeouts.
In the top of the fifth, he got some more run support.
Dylan Beavers collected the second hit of his career, a liner with eyes up the middle to center. He then went first to third on a single from Jeremiah Jackson, a tough read for Beavers that the newly promoted outfielder made look easy. Then, he scored on an RBI-single from Jackson Holliday.
It was the first run Beavers scored in the big leagues, and he’ll surely remember Holliday bringing him home. The young second baseman described Beavers as one of his best buddies.
But the O’s didn’t stop there.
The next batter, Westburg, sent a three-run home run to right-center, his 15th long ball of the season. When The Earl landed, the Birds had a 5-0 lead.
I seem to recall something about pitching, defense, and three-run homers.
Kremer, after some help from his defense to escape a jam in the second, found his groove.
The third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings only featured three Astros hitters stepping into the batter's box.
Another nice day came from Jackson, who delivered three hits in his first three at-bats. His batting average climbed all the way up to .351. With improving defense in the outfield and the ability to play the infield, combined with a knack for putting bat on baseball, Jackson has been making a very strong case to be part of the 2026 conversation.
A few batters later, the former second-round pick was rewarded for his efforts. Westburg came through with runners in scoring position once again, plating Jackson on a 105 mph RBI-single, and putting the Orioles up 6-0.
After Henderson walked, Adley Rutschman nearly brought home a few runs on a sharply hit ball to first. Mauricio Dubón made a great stop to keep it in the infield, but still, a run did score, putting Baltimore up 7-0.
Basallo almost made it double digits.
The top prospect nearly had his first hit and home run as he launched a fly ball to right field. But, yet again, Sánchez was there to bring it back into play, his second home run robbery of the afternoon.
Kremer continued to dominate, and Mansolino let him eat. The right-hander got all the way up to 114 pitches, tossing seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. He allowed just three hits, and seldom faced any real pressure.
The O's bats piled on in the eighth, adding his fifth RBI of the day on a single to left. It was his fourth hit of the day, too. That made it 8-0. A Henderson walk with the bases loaded made it nine. Rutschman's single made it ten.
Then, it was finally Basallo's moment.
The prospect rocketed a four-seam fastball 101.1 mph into the right-center field gap for a single, scoring two more runs. One at-bat after being robbed of his first big league knock, he found redemption. He very easily could've been 2-4 with five runs driven in if his near three-run homer wasn't robbed.
But this will work just fine.
The Orioles cruised the rest of the way, and that was the ballgame.
This was a weekend full of excitement for the Orioles. Brandon Young was nearly perfect on Friday, and two of the team's best prospects made their debuts. Beavers already recorded a few hits, and Basallo was a few feet from his first home run.
No, the Orioles won't be pushing for a playoff spot down the stretch. But they can play spoiler, and their young core can continue to grow and develop. Perhaps new players can be added to that "core" distinction, or, at least put themselves in the conversation for a roster spot in 2026.
The joy of watching new prospects take their first steps in the big leagues will continue tomorrow in Boston. Perhaps the winning will continue, too.