A new series means a fresh start. After losing two out of three against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Athletics began a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Tupac bobblehead night at Camden Yards. The A’s ruined the Orioles’ Tupac celebration, winning the first game of the series 4-3, thanks to timely hitting, arguably Jacob Lopez’s best start of the season and a bullpen that bent, but did not break.
Orioles Waste Early Scoring Chance
Yesterday, the A’s scored four times in the first inning against the Phillies’ pitcher.
In contrast, Orioles’ starting pitcher Kyle Bradish retired the first six A’s hitters.
His counterpart, A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez got into some trouble in his first inning. He walked Orioles’ shortstop Gunnar Henderson and then catcher Adley Rutschman singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Somehow Lopez escaped the early jam unscathed by getting first baseman Pete Alonso to pop out and then right fielder Tyler O’Neill to ground out. Buoyed by that escape, Lopez shut down the Orioles over the next three innings.
Bradish Halts A’s First Rally
With two outs in the third inning, Bradish hit Jeff McNeil with a pitch then A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz hustled down the line to beat the Orioles third baseman’s throw for an infield single, his team’s first hit of the game. Kurtz’s hit extended his on-base streak to 32 games, the longest active streak in MLB. Alas, Bradish struck out A’s catcher Shea Langeliers to end the rally and the inning.
Orioles Strike First
With one out in the fourth, Alonso hit his eighth home run of 2026, a solo shot to right field to put the hosts up 1-0 after four frames. The four hitters in that inning all hit deep fly balls off of Lopez, but fortunately only Alonso’s reached the seats.
A’s Immediately Respond
Athletics’ shortstop Jacob Wilson led off the fifth with an infield single, extending his hit streak to 12 games. Center fielder Lawrence Butler followed with a single to left. Then third baseman Zack Gelof came up and hit a single to left, scoring Wilson to tie the game.
A few pitches later, with runners on second and third and one out, Kurtz came through! The “Big Amish” hit his first triple of the season, a rocket down the right field line that scored both runners to put the A’s up 3-1.
Unfortunately, the visitors stranded Kurtz at third base. Bradish got the next two hitters out to limit further damage. Langeliers struck out for a second straight time with a runner in scoring position and then left fielder Tyler Soderstrom grounded out.
Lopez, who has struggled this season the deeper he pitches into games, recorded a much-needed shutdown inning in the bottom of the fifth.
Orioles Inch Closer
In the bottom of the sixth, the Orioles halved their deficit. Rutschman hit his fifth home run of the season, a solo blast to left-center. A’s manager Mark Kotsay promptly pulled his starter from the game. Lopez performed much better tonight. He gave up three hits and those two solo home runs in 5 1/3 innings, striking out five while walking only two.
The Orioles starter was also much improved from his last start. Bradish struck out ten over seven innings of three-run ball.
It was up to the A’s bullpen to hold the team’s slim lead. Right-hander Justin Sterner got the final two outs of the sixth inning, aided by Wilson’s nice ranging defensive play to field Alonso’s hard-hit ground ball. Fellow right-hander Scott Barlow set Baltimore down in order in a scoreless seventh.
A’s Get Crucial Insurance Run
In the eighth inning, the Athletics sought insurance runs against Orioles’ reliever Trey Gibson. Langeliers and Brent Rooker singled. With two outs, Wilson poked his second single past the diving Alonso, scoring Soderstrom from second to restore his team’s two-run lead.
Once again, the A’s needed a shutdown inning and they got it, this time from reliever Joel Kuhnel, who got three quick outs in the bottom of the eighth.
A’s Barely Hang on
The Orioles did not go quietly in the bottom of the ninth. A’s hard-throwing right-hander Jack Perkins entered the game seeking his fourth save. Rutschman led off the inning with a walk. Perkins bounced back by striking out Alonso and pinch-hitter Dylan Beavers. With the Orioles down to their last strike, designated hitter Samuel Basallo bounced a single into center field, scoring Rutschman from second to make it a one-run game.
The A’s brought in left-hander Hogan Harris to replace Perkins, a risky decision that could have backfired. Harris walked the first batter he faced before striking out Orioles’ second baseman Jeremiah Jackson to put a stop to Baltimore’s last-ditch comeback attempt, pick up his second save of the season and seal the Athletics victory in this tightly-contested, entertaining series-opener.
These two teams will play the second game of their series tomorrow afternoon. The A’s will send right-hander Aaron Civale (3-1, 2.95 ERA) to the mound in pursuit of the series title. The 30-year-old has been a steadying presence in the team’s rotation through his first seven starts with the A’s. Civale will be opposed by Orioles’ right-hander Shane Baz, who is 1-3 with a 4.99 ERA through his first seven starts with Baltimore. It should be another great game between two well-matched teams.
