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. 

"The Friday night game, the game today, we’ve played really well, and we’ve played well for a while now," the interim skipper said today. 

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. 

HOUSTON – All eyes are on the future of the Orioles. Calling up one of the best prospects in baseball only fuels that fire. 

On Friday, Brandon Young came within four outs of a perfect game. Yesterday, Dylan Beavers made his long-anticipated debut. 

And today, for the grand finale, Samuel Basallo, the No. 8 prospect in the game, according to MLB Pipeline, puts on an Orioles jersey for the very first time in the big leagues. 

His dad was the one to call and tell him that he had made the Show. 

“There’s no better feeling than getting that phone call from your family,” Basallo said this morning, via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “My dad is very special to me, he means a lot to me. To get that phone call from him and from my family, it means everything.” 

The infusion of top prospects in the Orioles’ roster is reflected in today’s lineup for the series finale in Houston.

Samuel Basallo is making his debut at designated hitter. He’s batting sixth.

Basallo is the 62^nd player to appear in a game, tying the franchise record set in 2021.

Dylan Beavers is in left field after collecting his first major league hit last night.

Colton Cowser returned from the concussion injured list this morning and he’s in center field, one spot ahead of Basallo.

One day after the Orioles selected outfielder Dylan Beavers’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk, introducing one of the organization’s top prospects to the majors, they did the same with catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo.

The top guy is here.

Basallo wasn’t in Norfolk’s lineup last night and he joined the team in Houston for this afternoon’s series finale. MLB Pipeline ranked Basallo eighth in its Top 100 and Baseball America has him seventh.

Basallo, who just turned 21, is batting .270/.377/.589 with 17 doubles, 23 home runs and 67 RBIs in 76 games. The contact is loud and violent. He sends baseballs sailing over scoreboards and stands.

“He’s grown a lot this year,” Norfolk manager Tim Federowicz said yesterday. “Obviously, he has a ton of power. He’s hitting the ball hard. Not sure on the timetable on that (promotion), but I’m sure it’s gonna happen at some point.”

Tim Federowicz is more than halfway through his first season replacing Buck Britton as manager of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He inherited a team and a specific responsibility.

Telling a player that he’s going to the majors.

And Friday night, informing one of the top prospects in the organization that he’s flying to Houston to join the Orioles. That it’s finally happening.

“Um, real quick,” Federowicz said in the visiting clubhouse at VyStar Ballpark in Jacksonville. “Got a lot of questions about this the last couple weeks, so I’m just gonna answer in front of everybody. Dylan Beavers, you’re going to The Show.”

The Orioles posted the video on social media, which showed Beavers stand up, tip his cap, walk through the celebratory gantlet of back slaps and embrace Federowicz.

HOUSTON – The August schedule isn't an easy one for Baltimore. 

With inexperience everywhere, the O's have had to face the two crown jewels of the American League West, the Mariners and Astros, in two consecutive series. 

Baltimore took two of three against Seattle. And after taking game one in Houston, the Birds fought tooth and nail in Game 2. 

In the end, though, it was Houston that came away with a 5-4 victory in 12 innings. 

And, of course, it was Ramón Urías. Last night, the former Oriole broke up Brandon Young's perfect game bid. Tonight, he walked it off. Another slow dribbler to third, and another heartbreaker. 

HOUSTON – The second half of the Orioles’ 2025 season won’t go the way that many had expected. 

Baltimore won’t be competing for an American League East crown, nor will O’s fans be keeping an eye on wild card playoff spots. Instead, the excitement will come from memorable moments, encouraging signs for the future, and individual accomplishments. 

Last night, Brandon Young provided the excitement. The rookie tossed 7 ⅔ innings of perfect baseball before surrendering his first hit with one out to go in the eighth. He did so in front of family and friends, who made the short trip from Lumberton, TX to watch Young deliver the best start of his young career. 

Today, it’s Dylan Beavers who provides the excitement, making his MLB debut as one of the O’s most anticipated prospect promotions. 

“It’s super exciting,” Beavers said this afternoon. “It’s what I’ve kind of been working for my entire life. But there’s nerves, too, kind of uncertainty in not knowing when it’s going to happen. A little bit of a mixed bag of emotions, but yeah, exciting.” 

Dylan Beavers is making his major league debut tonight, starting in right field and batting sixth in Houston. He’s the 61^st player used by the Orioles this season, one short of the franchise record set in 2021.

Daniel Johnson is in center field and Dylan Carlson is in left.

Coby Mayo stays at first base, with Ryan Mountcastle serving as designated hitter. Get used to it.

One night after rookie Brandon Young tossed a perfect game for 7 2/3 innings, the Orioles are using Rico Garcia as an opener.

What a weird season.

One wait is over.

The Orioles are selecting outfielder Dylan Beavers’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk, one day after the date to retain his rookie eligibility for 2026.

Outfielder Greg Allen was designated for assignment to create room. Beavers will wear No. 12 and he could be in tonight’s lineup against Astros right-hander Jason Alexander.

Beavers could have bloodied his knuckles from the hard knocks on the major league door.

The 33^rd-overall draft pick in 2022 is batting .304/.420/.515 with 14 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs, 51 RBIs, 68 walks, 74 strikeouts and 23 stolen bases in 94 games in his fourth professional season. He was the designated hitter last night in Jacksonville.

No pitcher in the history of the Baltimore Orioles has thrown a perfect game.

No one could have anticipated that a rookie carrying a 6.70 ERA in his first 10 major league starts would get within four outs.

Brandon Young is a big fan of classic rock. His outing last was an instant classic, and boy, did he rock. He retired 23 batters in a row before former Oriole Ramón Urías reached on an infield single in the eighth inning in the Orioles’ 7-0 victory over the Astros at Daikin Park.

Urías sent a chopper to the left side and Young made a barehand grab. He threw off his back foot and the ball sailed past first baseman Coby Mayo for a hit and error.

Young probably had time to plant and throw but understandably was in a rush.  

HOUSTON – When a pitcher is in a groove, you can look up at the box score in the middle innings and think to yourself, “Oh wow, he’s through four without allowing a hit.” Usually, it doesn't amount to much. 

Tonight, many in Daikin Park may have shared that thought about Brandon Young. 

The rookie looked sharp through three. Then, he was through four perfect innings. And then five. 

Through six, things start to feel real. Through seven, folks at home change their evening plans to find a television. 

Young recorded the first two outs of the eighth inning, but surrendered his first hit and baserunner of the game on a 56 mph single off the bat of, you guessed it, former Oriole Ramón Urías. It was a tough play for Young, who fielded the dribbler and delivered a throw wide of first. 

HOUSTON – On Friday, Aug. 1, the Orioles roster looked drastically different for an afternoon contest at Wrigley Field. 

Gone were four members of the lineup, a starting pitcher and four key pieces of the bullpen, including a new resident of Chicago, Andrew Kittredge. 

Orioles hitters saw their former teammate right away, as Kittredge entered that game in the top of the seventh inning, blanking the O’s en route to a Cubs victory. 

Kittredge, while impressive in an Orioles uniform, didn’t have much time to leave a lasting impression. After missing a large chunk of the season, the right-hander appeared in just 31 games for Baltimore, pitching to a 3.45 ERA. 

So the feeling evoked upon seeing Kittredge trot through the outfield glass in Chicago’s colors was, more than likely, relatively subdued. 

The Orioles have been held to four hits or fewer 22 times this season, tied with the Pirates for second most in the majors behind the Rangers’ 25. They’ve scored five runs or fewer in 12 straight games since Aug. 1. But they won the last two against the Mariners, including their first walk-off, to complete the homestand.

They’re back on the road tonight to begin a three-game series in Houston, with no roster moves announced.

Coby Mayo stays at first base. Daniel Johnson is the center fielder and Jeremiah Jackson is in right.

Gunnar Henderson has an extra-base hit in a career-best five consecutive games. He’s batting .310/.384/.500 (70-for-226) with 18 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 36 RBIs and 37 runs scored in 64 games since June 1.

Henderson leads the majors with a .511 average (23-for-45) with runners in scoring position since June 1.

The first phone call came around 2 p.m. The Tigers informed pitcher Dietrich Enns that he was designated for assignment. The left-hander had lost his major league job.

The second call arrived about 3 ½ hours later with the deadline approaching. The Orioles had traded for Enns, consummating the deal under the wire. He was losing significant ground in the standings, going from first place to last, but he avoided a demotion to the minors.

“I probably took just a couple hours to process all of that stuff, I’m guessing,” he said yesterday morning. “I wasn’t sure if I was gonna stick around with Detroit or not, but it was a blessing to be able to get traded over here and have an opportunity here.”

That was merely the first part. Enns had to take advantage of it.

The first outing was rough, with Enns allowing a run and five hits in 1 2/3 innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He was scoreless in his next three appearances covering 3 2/3 innings, with two hits, no walks and nine strikeouts.

Tomoyuki Sugano didn’t allow a run today while he was on the mound and the Orioles kept manufacturing them.

They were able to control everything except the weather.

Sugano shut out the Mariners over 5 1/3 innings before a series of storms forced a stoppage that lasted 2 hours and 18 minutes in the Orioles’ 5-3 victory before an announced crowd of 14,083 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles are 55-66 overall and 7-14 in rubber games. They went 5-1 against the Mariners and are 13-5 since the beginning of 2023.

The 5-0 lead in the fifth inning represented the most runs scored since Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. They came on a wild pitch, double steal, single, double and sacrifice fly.

The Orioles will dip into their past for a celebration next month at Camden Yards.

They have to go back 30 years.

Another anniversary is almost upon us of the night that Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-games streak. He reached 2,131 in a row on Sept. 6, 1995, and the Orioles are marking the occasion with a full slate of events before hosting the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m.

Ripken will be in attendance, but not in his usual seat in the first row behind home plate.

The club announced a list of confirmed attendees that includes Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Harold Baines and Mike Mussina, Orioles Hall of Famers Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry and B.J. Surhoff, and former teammates Ben McDonald, Rafael Palmeiro and Larry Sheets.

The Orioles complete their latest homestand this afternoon against the Mariners and fly to Houston for a three-game series, followed by two in Boston.

The roster will change again before they make it back home. Count on it.

My mailbag also changes with each massive dump. And this is probably a good place to stop, but let’s keep going.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original that currently airs on Netflix. Or is it Amazon Prime? Anyway, it’s out there, just like so many of you.

Questions aren’t edited for clarity, style, length, brevity or bravado. And I wouldn’t tell you anyway, because, again, who cares?

With each passing start, Trevor Rogers offers further confirmation that what he’s doing isn’t a fluke. He isn’t going to fall apart at the baseball seams. This is how he pitches.

He can't control the bullpen, which stumbled again, but he can put his trust in a young hitter to make the mishap irrelevant.  

Rogers completed seven innings again tonight and allowed only one run, and Jackson Holliday doubled with two outs in the ninth to score Dylan Carlson and give the Orioles their first walk-off win, 4-3, over the Mariners before an announced crowd of 17,290 at Camden Yards.  

Carlson, who had two hits after ending an 0-for-35 slump last night, singled off Matt Brash with two outs and raced home on Holliday's first career walk-off. The Orioles were the last team in the majors to get one, and it came from Holliday, who was 5-for-41 this month before pulling a slider down the right field line.

"I knew he had a really good slider," said Holliday, who almost had his jersey torn off by teammates during the celebration. "Honestly, just trying to hit another line drive, hit a barrel. But I was kind of looking for that pitch and just trying to get it in a good spot to do something with and was able to do that.

Zach Eflin will undergo lower back surgery on Monday, which should lead to a four-to-eight month recovery period.

"I think it really all depends on how the post-op stuff goes, how everything responds and how my body's moving post-surgery," he said today. "I don't expect not to be ready for spring training. From what I've heard from the surgeon, after 12 weeks I'm able to have a normal offseason, so I'm pretty optimistic it's not gonna be a long thing."

Eflin said he’s experienced back pain randomly for the past five or six years and is looking forward to the lumbar microdiscectomy, which relieves pressure on a spinal nerve caused by a herniated disc.

“It’s just gotten progressively worse,” he said. “A couple months ago an MRI was a little worse than it was previously and just seems like the disc is in a place where it’s kind of pushing against my nerve and it’s just not going away. Tried an epidural, didn’t really work, so I think the next step is just to get it taken care of, and hopefully be ready for spring training.”

Eflin said “all signs” point to the surgery bringing a permanent resolution.

The Orioles gave up on wondering what else could go wrong a long time ago.

Their luck wasn’t going to change for the better. A horseshoe would come from the thoroughbred that trampled them.

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, starter Grayson Rodriguez and reliever Andrew Kittredge didn’t break camp with the team, and that should have provided a hint. The 2025 season was going to destroy everything in its path. It was going to break them.

Only nine players are on the active roster from the 26 who made the club on Opening Day. Seven are on the injured list, including utility player Jorge Mateo, who was questionable throughout camp after undergoing left elbow reconstructive surgery.

Remember when his status in Sarasota was worthy of daily updates?