BALTIMORE — After ending a four-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over Seattle, the Orioles carried that needed reset into Friday night’s series opener against San Diego.
BALTIMORE — After ending a four-game losing streak with back-to-back wins over Seattle, the Orioles carried that needed reset into Friday night’s series opener against San Diego. Behind a two-homer performance that pushed Baltimore to seven runs by the end of the fourth inning, the Orioles beat the Padres, 7-3, for their fifth three-game winning streak of the season. That has been the shape of their year: Enough good stretches to suggest more is there, but not enough sustained winning to prove it. Each of the Orioles’ previous four three-game streaks ended before reaching a fourth. On Saturday, Baltimore (34-37) will get another chance to turn a brief run into something more substantial. After Gavin Sheets lined an RBI double to right in the top of the first, Adley Rutschman answered with a sacrifice fly that scored Taylor Ward, who reached on his 62nd walk of the season. Two batters later, Samuel Basallo teased the Camden Yards crowd with a deep foul ball before sending the next one out for real: A 389-foot homer to right-center for his 10th home run of the season. Fernando Tatis Jr. trimmed the deficit to one with an RBI single in the second, but Baltimore responded again. Jackson Holliday lifted a sacrifice fly, and Pete Alonso followed with a two-run grounder that skipped past third baseman Manny Machado, pushing the Orioles’ lead to 6-2 after two innings. The bats cooled briefly in the third before the fireworks returned in the fourth. As pyrotechnics erupted beyond the T. Rowe Price sign above the video board and the setting sun illuminated the B&O Warehouse with an orange haze, Gunnar Henderson launched a 386-foot solo homer to right field. The blast was his 14th of the season and the 100th of his career. The fifth was starter Shane Baz’s last inning. He allowed one final run on a grounder by Sheets with one out but finished the frame at 103 pitches, his second-highest total of the season and his first time eclipsing 100 since May 15. Baz allowed six hits and walked two while striking out one, leaning mostly on his four-seamer and curveball. The cutter, thrown just 18% of the time, was effective, with a 56% whiff rate. He threw 62 strikes. Manager Craig Albernaz said before the game that Baz has been pitching with more confidence, and the results back that up. The right-hander hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his past five starts. Even as Baz worked around traffic Friday and ran up his highest pitch count in nearly a month, he limited the damage and gave Baltimore’s offense room to build its lead. Padres (35-33) starter Griffin Canning was also pulled after the fifth, conceding six hits and seven earned runs while striking out two. The Orioles turned to Anthony Nunez after Baz, who struck out two and didn’t allow a baserunner in the sixth. Keegan Atkin allowed one hit in a scoreless seventh before Cano struck out all three batters faced in the third. Andrew Kittredge closed the game with a hitless ninth. — Right-hander Ryan Helsley struck out three batters Thursday in his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Norfolk. The closer, who hasn’t pitched for Baltimore since April 28 because of right elbow inflammation, faced four hitters, allowing one single. His fastball averaged 97.7 mph, and he recorded two strikeouts with his splitter and another with his slider. “The progression he had that was built in was awesome,” Albernaz said. “He checked every box. He looks great.” Albernaz added that Helsley, who signed a two-year, $28 million deal this past offseason, is scheduled to make another rehab appearance Saturday. — With right-hander Chris Bassitt on the 15-day injured list because of back discomfort, Baltimore will turn to Trey Gibson to fill his rotation spot as the club begins a West Coast trip next week against the Mariners, Dodgers and Angels. Gibson was recalled Monday as the corresponding move for Bassitt’s placement on the injured list and pitched 4 2/3 innings against Seattle, allowing five hits and three earned runs. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.24 ERA in three starts this season. “Trey’s been throwing well,” Albernaz said. “We love to have him around.” — Veteran outfielder Tommy Pham was granted his release from the Orioles and is now a free agent. Pham played 16 games with Norfolk after signing a minor league contract with the organization on May 16. The 38-year-old’s deal included an opt-out clause that allowed him to exercise it if he was not added to Baltimore’s active roster by Friday. Pham batted .197 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and 21 strikeouts for the Tides. — Outfielder Dylan Beavers hit off a velocity machine Friday and is scheduled to face live pitching Tuesday or Wednesday. Beavers, who hasn’t played since May 10, is on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique. The 2022 first-round pick batted .243 with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 33 games earlier this season. — Weston Wilson, who was designated for assignment last weekend, cleared outright waivers and elected free agency instead of accepting an assignment to Norfolk. Wilson appeared in 19 games for Baltimore this season, batting .231. ©2026 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print.
