The Orioles have played from behind far too often this season. Today they decided to try something different. Baltimore scored in each of the first four innings, and the bullpen stepped up after a short outing from Brandon Young. Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo and Colton Cowser all went yard, and the Orioles avoided a sweep with a 7-3 win in the nation’s capital.
Gunnar Henderson kicked off the early production with a solo shot in the first. Henderson squared up a sweeper and snuck it inside the right-field
foul pole to provide Baltimore an early advantage. The ball left the bat at 107 MPH and traveled all the way to the third deck in right field.
Young delivered a shutdown bottom of the first, and the Orioles built on their early lead in the second. Samuel Basallo led off with a hard hit single to right field. With one on and one out, Coby Mayo battled until Miles Mikolas left the ninth pitch up in the zone. Mayo launched the sinker 407 feet to left field, and the Orioles led 3-0 after two.
Young gave one back in the bottom of the second when Jacob Young launched a solo shot to left, but the O’s starter minimized the damage after the solo shot and a two-out double.
The Birds picked up where they left off when Taylor Ward took a walk to start the third. Henderson followed with a hard hit single, and Ward took the extra-base to put runners on the corners for Pete Alonso. The first baseman made contact and muscled a fly ball deep enough to score Baltimore’s fourth run of the day on a sacrifice fly.
Young kept the Nats off the board in the bottom of the third, and the Orioles kept their foot on the gas in the next half inning. Leody Taveras got things going with a hustle double before Mayo lined out sharply to third. Mayo has trended upward over the last week with several solid at bats, but Baltimore’s number eight hitter needed a big hit more than anyone.
Colton Cowser entered the game without a hit off of a breaking ball this season. Mikolas gave Cowser a belt-high slider, and Cowser delivered a swing that instantly lifted a weight from his shoulder. The Milk Man hooked the ball 394 feet to right field for his first home run of the season. The blast gave Baltimore a 6-1 advantage, and Cowser’s teammates rewarded him with the silent treatment after his first dinger in 2026.
The early offense was exactly what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, Young stopped short of pairing a strong offensive performance with a quality start on the mound. Despite pitching with a five-run lead, Young allowed a leadoff single and then walked the bases loaded in the fourth.
Young got the first out of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Keibert Ruiz. The 6-foot-6 Texan followed that with a strikeout of Nasim Nuñez, but James Wood reloaded the bases with an infield single. Luis García Jr. stepped to the plate represent the tying run, and Craig Albernaz made a move. The Orioles couldn’t afford to let Washington back into the game, so Albernaz summoned Anthony Nunez. Nunez met the moment and sent García down swinging to end the threat.
Baltimore’s bats went silent for a bit, but the bullpen did its part. Nunez returned for a clean fifth, and Tyler Wells retired the side in order during the sixth. Wells allowed a run on three singles in the seventh, but he struck out Daylen Lile to keep the lead at three.
Yennier Cano tossed a scoreless eighth, and the Orioles added an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Jeremiah Jackson got into scoring position with a double to right-center, and Henderson brought him home with his fourth hit of the day. Henderson finished 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
The extra run eliminated a save opportunity for Rico Garcia, but Baltimore still turned to its best reliever in the bottom of the ninth. Garcia allowed a rare extra-base hit on a one-out double, but he still posted a scoreless frame to secure the 7-3 victory.
The early offense was the story today. Gunnar Henderson did his part with a four-hit day. Coby Mayo and Colton Cowser both delivered big blasts, and Anthony Nunez prevented Washington from creeping back into the game. Who is your pick for Most Birdland Player of the Day? Let us know in the comments below!
