Shane Baz fades fast as Orioles’ struggles continue in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — In a twist of irony befitting this Orioles season, a pitcher who has long needed run support finally got it — and then failed to make those runs count.

Shane Baz produced the shortest start of his season and his fastball velocity was on average 2 mph slower than it usually is during a worrisome appearance Wednesday. Given a cushion in the third inning through Dylan Beavers’ three-run home run, Baz allowed four runs in an inning that consisted of six hits.

Just like that, the Orioles’ lead was gone. And, soon after, so was Baz.

In the series-ending 7-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins, Baz managed three innings — marking the third time in four games an Orioles starter lasted four or fewer.

Baz said he doesn’t think there is an injury concern, but he noted “something was just a little off” and that led to “poor execution.”

In Baz’s previous outing against the Texas Rangers, he showed how dominant he can be. He allowed two runs in eight innings — and earned the loss — during that showing. For the most part, that is who Baz has been since June began. In his previous 12 starts entering Wednesday, Baz had a 3.13 ERA.

But this was a departure from that crispness, and that peeved him.

“It was just unacceptable,” he said. “Going from that outing to this one honestly just pisses me off.”

He struggled to miss bats the way he normally does, and as a result the Twins notched nine hits against him — tying Baz’s season high. Minnesota went on to record 14 hits for the second time this series, and it was the ninth time this season Baltimore’s pitching staff allowed 14 or more.

“He wasn’t missing many bats today,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Just from his feedback, he felt like he was just moving slow today. But he battled and grinded through his outing. ... He just felt like he was moving slow.”

Baz said he didn’t know if that was because it was a day game or if it was more randomly “just one of those days where you’re just not feeling good.”

“I’ll try and look back and kind of see if there’s anything that was glaring to me,” Baz said.

The Orioles (58-63, 2.5 back in the wild card) started well against right-hander Zebby Matthews. Gunnar Henderson began the game with a walk, and he ran first to third on Pete Alonso’s single. Jackson Holliday’s RBI groundout (his 100th career RBI) gave Baz a lead with which to work.

It didn’t take long for that lead to evaporate. Trevor Larnach singled to start the bottom of the first, and he tagged up to move to second on a deep fly ball to left field. That heads-up baserunning allowed Larnach to score on Josh Bell’s single.

And, after Beavers recorded his first home run since April 24 to give the Orioles a three-run lead, that advantage also vanished in a heartbeat.

Royce Lewis, Bell, Kody Clemens and Brooks Lee all recorded hits to begin the third, and two more runs scored via RBI hits from Victor Caratini and Alan Roden. The Twins scored another two runs in the fifth against right-hander Cam Sanders.

The Orioles’ offense, meanwhile, didn’t manage much until Leody Taveras began the ninth inning with a solo homer against right-hander Yoendrys Gómez. But, after Christian Franklin reached on a hit-by-pitch, pinch hitter Colton Cowser lined a ball sharply at Gómez. The pitcher, who likely didn’t know too much about it, caught the hot shot and doubled off Franklin.

It’s that sort of luck that left Albernaz shaking his head. Holliday also lined out to Clemens at second base to end the seventh, which stranded two runners in scoring position.

“We had some pretty good swings that were just at people, and that’s all you can do,” Albernaz said. “You can control putting a good swing on it, but also they did a good job of keeping us off balance and we had a tough time, especially later in the innings, getting the leadoff guy on. And it’s tough to get stuff going without getting the leadoff guy on.”

The loss sinks the Orioles to two series losses as part of this three-city road trip. Baltimore has an off day Thursday before beginning a four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays.

All three of the Orioles’ opponents on this road trip are in the postseason hunt. The Rangers and Twins are ahead of Baltimore in the slow-moving chase for the third wild-card spot in the American League. Tampa Bay has the best record in the AL.

The Orioles have yet to prove they’re worthy of serious postseason talk. That much was clear before a pair of series losses and the front office’s choice to sell at the trade deadline. This road trip has only reinforced it.

“I think, if we just play our brand of baseball, I think we can have some success and kind of change the momentum,” Beavers said.

This article has been updated.