Orioles fall to Phillies in rain-shortened game, dropping series before trade deadline

There was something fitting about the soggy environment at Camden Yards, the grounds crew’s attempts to pile quick-drying sand and dirt on a drenched infield. The rain fell, and so did the Orioles — in a season that has felt like a slog, the final game ahead of the trade deadline was a washout.

Baltimore fell to four games below .500 when the Philadelphia Phillies captured the final two games of this series. On Sunday, in a game interrupted by an almost two-hour rain delay, then cut short due to the rain after 5 1/2 innings, the Orioles lost the battle of the bullpens, 8-0.

“Extremely frustrating on a lot of different levels,” manager Craig Albernaz said.

Baltimore (54-58) enters Monday 2.5 games back of the final American League wild-card spot. President of baseball operations Mike Elias, who declared Friday that the Orioles would buy and sell at the deadline, has many decisions to make. How aggressive he chooses to be in either direction remains to be seen.

“You look at the landscape of the division, where everyone’s at in the AL, we’re not too far off,” outfielder Colton Cowser said. “Ultimately, we’ve got to put our faith and trust into the front office at this time.”

It had been a marquee pitching matchup between Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler and Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish. The rain, which started at the first pitch, began falling quickly in the third inning with Bradish on the mound. While he’s not likely to make an excuse, it sure didn’t help.

Justin Crawford doubled, and Bradish hung a curveball to Bryan De La Cruz. With drier weather, perhaps he buries that curveball. Instead, it fluttered up in the strike zone and De La Cruz crushed it for a two-run shot.

“Unfortunately, curveball slipped out of the hand, left it up in the zone and he hit it for a homer,” Bradish said. “That was kind of the only pitch that I really thought that got away from me.”

Before the bottom of the third began, the grounds crew attempted to resurrect the waterlogged infield. They flung dirt around, but with it still pouring, there was little benefit. After several minutes, and after Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper discussed matters with the umpires, the umpires directed the grounds crew to cover the field with the tarp.

Prior to a game, the decision to start in a delay is made through consultation with the league and both teams. During the game, it is an umpire’s discretion, based on information relayed from the grounds crew, whether to enter a delay. The umpires chose to play through the rain for 2 1/2 innings. It left the field soaked.

And almost two hours later, when the tarp came off the field, the work began again on the mound, plate and infield. Wheeler and Bradish weren’t returning; the game turned over to the bullpens.

The Orioles had an opportunity in the bottom of the third inning when Jake Rogers walked and Dylan Beavers singled. They wound up in scoring position for Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson. But Alonso’s rocket line drive was caught and Henderson flied out to right field.

With that chance gone, it immediately fell apart for Baltimore. Philadelphia scored in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Right-hander Anthony Nunez began the torrent with two runs against him, left-hander Josh Walker gave up a homer to Harper, and when a new downpour began in the top of the sixth, right-hander Albert Suárez dealt with the rain.

The Phillies scored three runs off Suárez to create an eight-run lead. And, before the Orioles could attempt to chip away, the tarp came out once more.

It didn’t come off. The game ended in the middle of the sixth inning, and now the wait goes on until Monday at 6 p.m., when the trade deadline arrives.

“The grounds crew did a great job of trying to keep the batter’s box and pitcher’s mound playable, but you can only take so much rain,” Albernaz said. “No one’s going to make an excuse. Both teams had to play through it. Phillies end up taking a W.”

This article has been updated.