Disputed foul-ball call costs Pete Alonso a home run as the Orioles fall to the Yankees

Pete Alonso did his best Carlon Fisk impression, shuffling down the first-base line, willing his long fly ball to hug the foul pole.

Alonso’s theatrics were matched by those of third-base umpire Will Little, who demonstratively waved what would have been a go-ahead blast foul.

After a two-minute review, the call stood. Alonso struck out to end the seventh inning. He walked back to the dugout shaking his head.

The next half-inning, the Yankees took a 5-3 lead. That was the final score Wednesday night as Orioles fans filtered out of Camden Yards, still in disbelief over a call that could have changed the game.

“After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official could not definitively determine that the ball left the playing field in fair territory. The call stands, and it is a foul ball,” the MLB Replay Center said in a statement.

Alonso, the highest-paid player on the team and Most Valuable Oriole front-runner, has taken command of a clubhouse plundered by trades and injuries. He delivered an impassioned plea to fans to keep the faith after a painful trade deadline. He’s fought through calf cramps to keep his streak of consecutive games played alive.

But not even Alonso, who hit a solo home run in the third inning, can seem to keep the Orioles (61-66) from perpetually sliding into mediocrity. After winning three key games against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Baltimore has lost three straight, halting its momentum.

Baltimore’s frustrations were compounded by the fact that it received another solid start from Chris Bassitt while knocking Yankees starter Will Warren out after just four innings.

Neither starter was particularly sharp early.

The Orioles scratched a run across in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Warren walked leadoff hitter Jackson Holliday, then Gunnar Henderson two batters later. With two outs, the pair executed a double steal, with Henderson swiping second and Holliday scoring from third.

Baltimore’s 1-0 lead was short-lived. Bassitt, making his second start since returning from the injured list, surrendered two runs in the next frame.

Then Ben Rice smacked his 34th long ball of the season, a majestic 431-foot blast that landed on the PureWager Pavilion underneath the scoreboard in center to make it 3-1 Yankees.

Alonso, who served as the designated hitter for the fourth straight game, returned fire in the bottom half of the inning. His full-count homer to the seats in right field was punctuated by a high-arcing bat flip.

It was Alonso’s 14th opposite-field homer, the most in baseball.

The managers in both dugouts were faced with the same conundrum of when to pull their struggling starters. Yankees skipper Aaron Boone opted for the quick hook.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stuck with his veteran. Bassitt rewarded the decision by finishing with 2 2/3 scoreless frames.

The Yankees bullpen was almost perfect, with the only blemish coming on a Dylan Beavers opposite-field solo shot in the sixth inning. That tied the game at 3.

Baltimore’s bullpen faltered in the eighth, when Cam Sanders loaded the bases with two outs. New York took a 4-3 lead on an infield single by George Lombard Jr., then a wild pitch from Yennier Cano made it 5-3.