Orioles Blow Multiple Leads, Lose Series To Lowly Rockies

The full 2026 Orioles experience was on display Wednesday in Colorado and the version of this team that has showed up far more often than the other – the one that just finds ways to lose – wouldn’t be suppressed in the end.

The O’s came a ridiculous Colton Cowser catch away from getting swept by the lowly Rockies, and this 11-inning defeat might truly wound their belated Wild Card push. Their offense was inept all series – and most of the season – and failing reliver Grant Wolfram, the last guy they’d want to have to close this out, took the loss in a 6-5 game at Coors Field.

Baltimore scored twice in the 11th, and it looked like it might be enough. A lucky ground-rule double kept the Rockies from scoring the tying run – if the ball stayed in play TJ Rumfield (on base all series) scores easily – and set up the crushing blow. With second-and-third and two outs Brett Sullivan punched a 3-2 pitch into left field and newcomer Luis Robert Jr’s throw went up the first-base line and both runs scored easily.

This road trip ended up 6-3 - any less than that against these three horrible teams would have been brutal – but they now limp back to Baltimore to face tougher teams (Boston and Cleveland) still with just one five-game winning streak all season. They trail the final Wild Card at 69-71, and since slugger Pete Alonso’s bat cooled off the run production has ceased.

“This one hurts,” said manager Craig Albernaz, who contributed heavily to the loss Tuesday night. “Good road trips are okay, but not good enough. When we have the lead we have to close it out.”

Wasted A Gem

The Orioles got a tremendous start from Trevor Rogers (11 of the staff’s 17 strikeouts), who had been wavering lately, to put them in position to win, but Andrew Kittredge was not sharp in the ninth (he would have blown the save Monday if not for Cowser’s theatrics). Zac Veen doubled with two outs to tie the game and Josh Walker bailed him out by striking out Troy Johnston on an alert challenge by rookie catcher Samuel Basallo.

Alex Hoppe, superb since being acquired from Seattle in the package for failing left field Taylor Ward, struck out ex-Oriole Connor Norby in the 10th, and then, after Hunter Goodman just missed a home run down the left-field line, he got him to ground out. Jackson Holliday made a bizarre decision as the Zombie runner himself in extras – thrown out at third – and his error Tuesday cost a run too (he was the DH Wednesday with Alonso, dealing with a calf injury, returning to first base).

“Just trying to do too much there,” Albernaz said of Holliday's base-running blunder.

In the 11th, Basallo (his expert tag saved another run early in the game after a botched relay) drove in the “zombie runner.” Blaze Alexander, looking better at the plate than anytime prior since his recent return from a long IL stint, drove the ball to center to score another run for a 5-3 lead. It ended up for nought.

Robert Jr. cost a run early in left field – his defensive slide makes him fit right in here – but also drove in two runs with a double. The Orioles held an early 3-0 lead, and Rogers locked in after a slow start (no walks), striking out the side in the sixth and pitching into the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.

“We wanted Kitt to nail it down, and he just made a mistake,” Albernaz said.

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