‘This team is on the rise’: Why Baltimore still has plenty to celebrate
-
Tim Kurkjian, ESPN Senior Writer
ARLINGTON — The looks on the faces of those 46,000 Baltimore Orioles fans as they quietly exited Camden Yards on Sunday after a discouraging loss to the Rangers was not one of anger, but of sadness. The fans of Baltimore — a provincial town, a brick town, a neighborhood town — had waited almost a decade to celebrate the return of October baseball after such a painful rebuild. Instead, 11 walks later, a giant orange mass of people walked into the darkness in stunned silence.
The 11-8 loss — it was 9-2 in the third inning — dropped the Orioles into a 2-0 hole in the best-of-five American League Division Series against Texas, with the series heading to Arlington. And considering the magic with which the relentless Texas Rangers have been playing in this postseason, many of those fans sensed there would be no more baseball this season at Camden Yards.
They were right. The Orioles lost 7-1 in Game 3 on Tuesday, ending the season and marking the first time since star catcher Adley Rutschman debuted on May 21, 2022, that the Orioles had been swept in a series of any length. But yet when the season ended Tuesday night at Globe Life Field, the Orioles clubhouse was not in stunned silence. It was awash in the feeling that a still remarkable season just didn’t end as expected.
Did manager Brandon Hyde view it as a successful season?
“How can I not?” he said. “We won 101 games. We won the East. We defied the odds. No one gave us a chance. We played really well all season.”
And they did: Two years after finishing 39 games out of fourth place, the second team ever to finish that far behind the next-worst team in a league or division, the Orioles swiftly revitalized baseball in Baltimore with swashbuckling style of play: young, hungry and athletic players who pushed the action every night, on the bases, at the plate and on the mound. They had the best record in the American League two years after having the worst record, joining the 1967-69 Mets as the only two teams in major league history to win 100 games in the same three-year period in which they lost 100 games. The fans thought the momentum might carry the Orioles to the AL Championship Series, and maybe the World Series.
“It didn’t end the way that we wanted, but it was a special season,” said outfielder Austin Hays, who had endured a lot of losing before the Orioles broke through last year. “It was fun, it was the most fun I’ve ever seen a team have. That first playoff game at Camden Yards was amazing.”
But then they ran into a Rangers team that is more experienced in October, has a payroll nearly $150 million more than that of the Orioles and was playing exceptionally well at the most optimum time.
“We made great development all year,” rookie shortstop Gunnar Henderson said. “This was a good step in the right direction. This is going to fuel us for next season. We’ve got to get better to make a World Series push.”
Compared to many of the other 2023 postseason squads, the Orioles were just young and inexperienced for October, though Hyde refused to blame those attributes — “Our guys just play.” And despite another round of questions about whether the five days off between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the postseason are good or bad for a top seed, Hyde refused to blame that, either. To stay sharp, the Orioles played two intersquad games, one of which was open to the public — about 2,000 fans showed up.
Still, the Orioles looked young and rusty against the Rangers, nothing like the team that had a winning record every month of the season (other than 0-1 in October). The Orioles lost the opener 4-3 with their best pitcher, Kyle Bradish, against Andrew Heaney, who had thrown 15 innings in the past 32 days. Orioles pitchers struck out 16, allowing the Rangers to become only the second team in postseason history to win a nine-inning game in which they struck out 16 times. The Rangers were the first team in postseason history to have their No. 3 hitter (Robbie Grossman) and No. 4 hitter (Adolis Garcia) each strike out four times in the same game. But the Orioles didn’t get a hit with a runner in scoring position. Down a run in the eighth inning against a beleaguered bullpen, the Orioles had runners on first and second with none out — and didn’t score. They got the leadoff man on in each of the last three innings and didn’t score.
The Orioles’ ninth inning also brought confusion. Henderson singled to start the inning. On a 2-1 pitch to veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks, Henderson was thrown out trying to steal thanks in part to a great exchange and throw by Rangers catcher Jonah Heim. Hyde was caught on TV cameras saying, “What the f—!?” After the game, Hyde called it “a little miscommunication.” Henderson said, “I saw the steal sign.”
The next day, Hyde confirmed, “[Hicks] missed a hit-and-run sign on a hittable pitch.”
As badly as Game 1 ended, Game 2 started even worse. The Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez, one of the best young pitchers in the game, didn’t get through the second inning, allowing four walks and five runs. The Rangers’ Mitch Garver hit a grand slam in the third inning and suddenly the Rangers had a 9-2 lead. The sellout crowd, which was so loud, so joyous when the playoffs began, was suddenly hushed. The Orioles would rally, but the final score, 11-8, was misleading. Baltimore pitchers walked 11 batters, one shy of the major league record for a postseason game.
In Game 3, another five-run second inning for the Rangers blew it open, essentially ending a magical season. The Orioles became the fourth team in history to fail to win a playoff game in a season in which they won 100 games, joining the 1971 A’s, ’76 Phillies, ’80 Yankees and 2019 Twins. It was indeed a deflating way to end a season, but the 2023 season cannot be viewed as a disappointment for the Orioles, not the way it would be for, say, the Dodgers or Braves, who entered the season with enormous expectations. It should be viewed as a building block, a learning experience, for a team that’s likely going to be in the postseason for years to come. In the last two years, the Orioles have gone ahead of schedule in their rebuild, jumping from 52 wins to 83 in 2022, then from 83 to 101 in 2023. It is so difficult to make a huge leap like last season’s — it’s harder to make another vault the next year.
The Orioles did both, and even now their future is exceptionally bright. Henderson, who will win the AL Rookie of the Year, “will be a star in this league for 15 years,” Hyde said. Rutschman is one of the best catchers in the game, and likely will only get better. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who was on the playoff roster, “can mash,” Hyde said. Outfielder Colton Cowser, third baseman Coby Mayor and infielder Joey Ortiz are among the many prospects in the system. The best player in all of minor league baseball is perhaps 19-year-old Jackson Holliday, who might be the Orioles’ everyday shortstop next year (moving Henderson to third base): Imagine that left side of the infield for the next five to 10 years.
Rodriguez, with tremendous stuff and great maturity, is a star in the making. Bradish has a 2.81 ERA over his past 38 starts, and this year became the first Oriole since Mike Mussina in 1992 to finish in the top three in ERA. John Means, the ace of the staff in 2021, pitched effectively at the end of the season after returning from Tommy John surgery. Next year, the bullpen will be without Felix Bautista, who had Tommy John surgery in August; losing him during a pennant race was a huge setback. Still, there are power arms in the pen. Left-hander DL Hall became a go-to arm out of the bullpen this season. And more pitching is on the way.
“This isn’t a fluke,” Hays said. “This team is on the rise.”
“This,” Henderson said, “is just a shadow of what we’re capable of.”
When next season arrives, the Orioles likely will be the team to beat in the AL East. They will still be young, hungry and athletic, but more experienced than the team that finished 2023. And when those fans arrive at Camden Yards on Opening Day 2024, they should be thrilled about the direction the team is headed. It will be a happy day, not a sad one.
Seven of eight first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs have begun, and No. 8 gets rolling on Tuesday.
The Battle of Florida between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers begins anew (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), with both clubs looking like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender if they can survive the intrastate showdown.
Cats-Bolts is the third game of four Tuesday on the ESPN family of networks, following New Jersey–Carolina (6 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Ottawa–Toronto (7:30 p.m., ESPN2), and preceding the nightcap, Minnesota–Vegas (11 p.m. ET, ESPN).
What are the key storylines heading into Tuesday’s games? Who are the key players to watch?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down Monday night, and the Three Stars of Monday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 2 (CAR leads 1-0) | 6 p.m. ET | ESPN
Game 1 sure did not go as planned for the Devils. A win at the legendarily loud Lenovo Center would’ve been stretching it, but losing Brenden Dillon, Cody Glass and Luke Hughes to injury was not an ideal outcome either.
They’ll hope to rebound Tuesday before the series shifts to Newark. Closing the shot attempt differential might help, as the famously possession-savvy Hurricanes held a 45-24 edge on shots on goal in Game 1.
For years, the knock on Carolina was that it lacked that one goal scorer who could get the Canes over the hump in the playoffs. Many observers thought the Canes had acquired such a player in Mikko Rantanen in January. Ironically, it was the player Carolina acquired in its subsequent trade of Rantanen to Dallas — Logan Stankoven — who scored two goals in Game 1. Will he add to that total in Game 2?
Of note heading into Tuesday’s game, the Devils have come back to win a playoff series after losing the first game 11 out of 26 times (42%); that figure drops to 20% if they fall behind 0-2. The Hurricanes have won six of their past seven series after winning Game 1.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 2 (TOR leads 1-0) | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
The atmosphere was intense for Game 1, and the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” led the way: Mitch Marner (one goal, two assists), William Nylander (one goal, one assist), John Tavares (one goal, one assist) and Auston Matthews (two assists) each filled up the scoresheet. A continuation of that output will obviously help Toronto overwhelm its provincial neighbor.
Slowing down the Maple Leafs could depend on discipline, according to Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk. “We took too many penalties, they scored on [them] and that’s the game,” Tkachuk told reporters after Game 1. “So that’s on us. We’ve got to be more disciplined.”
The Sens will also need to capitalize on their chances. According to Stathletes, Ottawa had five high-danger scoring chances in this game, and produced only two goals.
Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1 | 8:30 p.m ET | ESPN
This is the fourth time that the two Sunshine State franchises have met in the postseason, and all four of the meetings have occurred since 2021.
In each instance, the winner of the series has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final — Lightning in 2021 and 2022; Panthers in 2024 — while the 2021 Lightning and 2024 Panthers won it all.
Unsurprisingly, Nikita Kucherov is Tampa Bay’s leading scorer against Florida, with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 15 games. Aleksander Barkov is the Panthers’ leading scorer against the Lightning, with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 15 games.
The two teams split their meetings in the regular season, with the Lightning winning the most recent, 5-1 on April 15.
Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 2 (VGK leads 1-0) | 11 p.m. ET | ESPN
The underdog Wild set a physical tone to the series in Game 1, outhitting the Golden Knights 54-29, but the hosts emerged with a 4-2 victory. Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden (two) were the goal scorers for Vegas, and Matt Boldy was responsible for both Minnesota goals.
Howden, who had never scored double-digit goals until his 23 this season, earned praise from coach Bruce Cassidy after Game 1. “He didn’t change his game,” Cassidy told reporters. “He played physical. He’s part of our penalty kill. He’s always out when the goalie’s out, typically one of the six guys we use a lot because of his versatility. He can play wing. He can take draws as a center. He’s been real good for us all year and good again tonight.”
Sunday’s game was the NHL debut for 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium, who just finished his season with the University of Denver. He played 13 minutes, 37 seconds and finished with one shot on goal.
Arda’s Three Stars of Monday
The greatest goal scorer in NHL history just keeps finding the back of the net. He had two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Caps take Game 1 3-2 despite a valiant third period effort from Montreal to send it to the extra frame.
Connor had the game-winning goal in the third period for the second straight game, as Winnipeg takes both games at home for the 2-0 series lead on the Blues.
Further proof that the Oilers are never out of the game, McDavid helped erase a 4-0 deficit with a goal and three assists, despite the Oilers falling 6-5 late in a thrilling Game 1.
Monday’s scores
Capitals 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
Washington leads 1-0
Much of the regular season was spent focused on Alex Ovechkin‘s “Gr8 Chase” of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record, and he scored historic goal No. 895 on Sunday, April 6. It turns out, Ovi likes the spotlight. The Capitals superstar opened the scoring in the game, and bookended it with the overtime winner — his first ever, believe it or not — as the Caps survived a thriller in Game 1, following Nick Suzuki‘s tying goal with 4:15 remaining. Full recap.
1:51
Alex Ovechkin’s OT goal wins Game 1 for Capitals
Alex Ovechkin’s second goal of the game is an overtime winner that gives the Capitals a 1-0 series lead vs. the Canadiens.
Jets 2, Blues 1
Winnipeg leads 2-0
Game 1 between the two clubs was tightly contested until the Jets took over in the third period. That trend took hold again on Monday — the score remained tied into 1-1 the third period, when Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor scored at the 1:43 mark, and the Jets were able to hold the Blues off the scoreboard for the duration. Connor’s linemate Mark Scheifele assisted on the game-winner and opened the scoring, giving him a league-leading five points this postseason. Full recap.
0:40
Kyle Connor scores clutch goal to put Jets ahead in 3rd period
Kyle Connor extends Winnipeg’s lead after a clutch goal early in the 3rd period vs. St. Louis.
Stars 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)
Series tied 1-1
The series that every observer thought would be the closest in the first round didn’t look that way in Game 1, as the Avs ran over the Stars en route to a 5-1 win. Game 2 was much more in line with expectations, as the two Western powerhouses needed OT to settle things. Colin Blackwell was the hero for Dallas, scoring with 2:14 remaining in the first OT period. Full recap.
0:50
Colin Blackwell comes up with big OT winner for Stars
Colin Blackwell sends the Stars faithful into jubilation with a great overtime winner to tie the series at 1-1 vs. the Avalanche.
Kings 6, Oilers 5
Los Angeles leads 1-0
Monday’s nightcap was a delight to those who like offensive hockey and were willing to stay up late. The Kings roared out to a four-goal lead late in the second period before Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored to pull within three with six seconds remaining. The two teams traded goals to start the third, before the Oilers notched three in a row to tie up the festivities with 1:28 remaining on Connor McDavid‘s first of the 2025 playoffs. L.A.’s Phillip Danault sent his club’s fans home happy, scoring the pivotal goal with 42 seconds left. Full recap.
0:46
Kings retake lead on Phillip Danault’s goal in final minute
Phillip Danault restores the lead for the Kings with a goal vs. the Oilers in the closing moments.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway