Baltimore Orioles Swept By Texas Rangers in ALDS as Feel-Good Season Comes to a Close
The Baltimore Orioles have officially followed up their breakout regular season with a swift exit from the playoffs.
After losing Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS to the Texas Rangers on Saturday and Sunday, the Orioles went down to Arlington and got blown out in Game 3 on Tuesday night. As a result, Baltimore got swept out of its first playoff appearance since 2016, and the team remains winless in the postseason since 2014.
The Orioles hung tight with a one-run loss in Game 1 and a three-run defeat in Game 2, but that was not the case Tuesday. The Rangers got out to a quick 6-0 lead, chasing starter Dean Kremer off the mound in the second inning, eventually locking up the 7-1 win to punch their ticket to the ALCS.
Eight of Texas' nine batters recorded a hit, while three belted home runs. Shortstop Corey Seager got the ball rolling with a solo shot in the first, right fielder Adolis García crushed a three-run homer in the second and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe added a solo home run of his own in the sixth.
Baltimore, on the other hand, got just six hits from four players. AL Rookie of the Year favorite Gunnar Henderson led the charge by going 3-for-4 with an RBI, compared to the 3-for-29 mark his teammates combined to post.
All-Star righty Nathan Eovaldi trimmed his postseason ERA down to 1.32 as a result of the Orioles' quiet bats, striking out seven in 7.0 innings of work en route to a win.
The only real traction the Orioles had came in the top of the eighth, when they loaded the bases against former All-Star reliever Aroldis Chapman. Closer José Leclerc came in to clean up Chapman's mess, and he got the job done by forcing an inning-ending groundout seven pitches into designated hitter Aaron Hicks' crutial at-bat.
Leclerc stayed in for the ninth, snuffing out Baltimore in what turned out to be the final inning of their season.
The Orioles made real waves in 2023, winning the AL East crown thanks to their 101 wins – the franchise's most since 1979. Manager Brandon Hyde's squad didn't get swept in a series all regular season, as the young core proved just how high its ceiling could be.
According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, the Orioles were the 17th team to go through a full regular season without falling victim to a sweep.
They joined the 1998 San Diego Padres as the only one to get swept out of the playoffs.
While the Orioles will pack their bags and head home to Baltimore for the start of a long offseason, the Rangers await their opponent in the ALCS. The Houston Astros currently lead the Minnesota Twins 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Minneapolis.
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