Orioles Fall 4-2 to Rockies as September Playoff Push Gets Tighter

The Baltimore Orioles entered Tuesday night at .500, sitting at 69-69 and trying to keep themselves within striking distance of the final playoff spot. Instead of taking another step forward, Baltimore dropped a 4-2 decision to the Colorado Rockies, falling to 69-70 and leaving themselves with even less room for error as September moves forward.

The loss was frustrating because the Orioles had opportunities to make this game different. Baltimore collected seven hits, received a home run from Jackson Holliday and got five innings from Kyle Bradish, but the offense could not consistently produce with runners in scoring position. The Orioles went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.

Colorado, meanwhile, took advantage of its opportunities. The Rockies finished with 10 hits, scored twice in the second inning and twice again in the seventh, and held off Baltimore over the final two innings.

For an Orioles team fighting for the final postseason position, this is exactly the type of game that can become costly when the calendar reaches September.

Colorado Takes Control Early

The Rockies wasted little time putting pressure on Baltimore.

Kyle Bradish started for the Orioles and worked five innings, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out four and walking one. He threw 95 pitches, 62 for strikes, and posted a game score of 49.

Bradish's biggest problem came in the second inning.

Colorado's Adael Amador opened the scoring with a solo home run to right field, a 396-foot shot that gave the Rockies a 1-0 lead. The Rockies then added another run when Jake McCarthy singled to center, allowing Zac Veen to score.

Just like that, Baltimore was facing a 2-0 deficit.

The Orioles answered in the third inning. With Cedric Narváez involved in the rally, Gunnar Henderson grounded into a double play that allowed Narváez to score. The play cost Baltimore an out, but it also brought the Orioles within one run at 2-1.

That score would hold until the seventh inning.

Jackson Holliday Provides the Big Offensive Moment

Jackson Holliday supplied Baltimore's biggest offensive highlight of the night.

In the seventh inning, Holliday launched a home run to right field, a 401-foot blast that tied the game at 2-2. It was Holliday's seventh home run of the season and gave him his 28th RBI.

The home run was important because Baltimore had spent much of the night trying to manufacture offense against Colorado pitching.

Holliday finished 1-for-5 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored. His home run represented one of the few times the Orioles were able to deliver a big blow with the game hanging in the balance.

Unfortunately for Baltimore, the tie did not last long.

Rockies Answer in the Seventh

Colorado immediately responded in the bottom half of the seventh.

After Baltimore's Luis De León entered the game, the Rockies put together the decisive sequence.

Triston Rumfield hit a two-run home run to right-center field, a 404-foot shot that scored Michael Moniak and put Colorado ahead 4-2.

That was the turning point.

Baltimore had fought back from a 2-0 deficit and tied the game, only to watch the Rockies regain the lead almost immediately. The Orioles were unable to produce another rally over the final two innings.

De León was charged with the loss after allowing one hit and two runs in one inning. He struck out one and walked one.

Cade Sanders worked a scoreless eighth inning, but the Orioles could not get the offense back on the field with a chance to tie the game.

Colorado's Jake Hill earned the victory after pitching the eighth inning, while Jhoan Duran? No — the box score shows Jorge Romano closing the door for Colorado with a scoreless ninth and two strikeouts. Romano earned his 14th save.

Orioles Offense Couldn't Capitalize

The most important number in Baltimore's offensive line may not be the seven hits.

It is the 0-for-3 mark with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles had traffic on the bases but could not consistently deliver the big hit.

Jackson Holliday was the only Baltimore player to homer. Holliday's blast accounted for one of the team's two runs.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Dylan Beavers also collected a hit and finished 1-for-4. Pete Alonso went 0-for-3 but drew a walk. Gunnar Henderson went 0-for-4 and grounded into a double play.

Samuel Basallo went 0-for-2 with a walk, while Leody Taveras went 0-for-4 and struck out three times.

Colton Cowser also went 0-for-4 and struck out twice.

That last line should not overshadow what Cowser did for Baltimore the previous night.

Before We Move On: Colton Cowser's Catch of the Year

We recently wrote about Baltimore Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop and the importance of special teams in close football games. But the Orioles gave us another reason to talk about spectacular defensive plays.

On Monday night, Colton Cowser delivered what has a legitimate claim to be the catch of the year.

Cowser's ending catch was the kind of play that can change the complexion of a game and become one of those moments fans remember long after the season is over. It was athletic, aggressive and came at a critical moment.

While Tuesday's box score shows Cowser going hitless, the numbers don't tell the entire story of what he has provided defensively.

That's one of the great things about baseball. A player can go 0-for-4 and still make the biggest play of the game.

Cowser's catch from Monday deserves to be remembered separately from Tuesday's offensive performance. The Orioles are fighting for their postseason lives, and when games are this important, defensive plays can be just as valuable as home runs.

The Orioles need more plays like that down the stretch.

They also need more offense.

Kyle Bradish Gives Baltimore a Chance

Bradish's five innings were not spectacular, but they were good enough to keep Baltimore in the game.

He allowed six hits and two runs, including Amador's home run. He struck out four and walked one.

The 95-pitch outing included 62 strikes, showing that Bradish was generally around the zone. He recorded 13 first-pitch strikes against 23 batters faced.

The problem was that Colorado was able to generate nine fly balls against him compared with just two ground balls.

Bradish's game score was 49, and Baltimore needed a little more length from its starter. Still, allowing only two runs through five innings gave the Orioles a chance.

The bullpen ultimately became the deciding factor.

Walker worked a scoreless sixth inning, allowing two hits while striking out one. De León gave up the two-run homer in the seventh, and Sanders finished the eighth without allowing a run.

In a close game, one pitch can change everything.

Rumfield's home run was that pitch.

Colorado's Offense Was More Efficient

The Rockies finished with 10 hits and four runs, but they were hardly dominant with runners in scoring position.

Colorado went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

That is not a great number.

But the Rockies were able to make their hits count.

Amador's home run gave Colorado its initial lead. McCarthy's RBI single added another run. Then Rumfield's two-run homer broke the 2-2 tie.

Colorado also received a strong performance from Amador, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and a walk. He was one of the primary reasons the Orioles had trouble controlling the game.

McCarthy went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double. Rumfield finished 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs and a walk.

Colorado's ability to produce extra-base hits made the difference.

The Rockies recorded two doubles, a triple and two home runs.

Baltimore had one double and one home run.

That extra-base hit advantage mattered.

The Defensive Mistakes Matter Too

Baltimore also committed an error.

Holliday was charged with his fifth fielding error of the season.

Colorado committed an error of its own, with Rumfield charged with his fifth fielding error.

Neither mistake directly tells the entire story of the game, but when a team is fighting for a playoff spot, every extra out, extra base and missed opportunity matters.

The Orioles cannot afford to give away small advantages in September.

The Bigger Picture: 69-70

This is where Tuesday night's loss becomes more important than a single game.

Baltimore had reached 69-69 on September 1.

Getting back to .500 was important because the Orioles are trying to remain alive in the postseason race. But after Tuesday's loss, Baltimore is once again below .500 at 69-70.

That record does not eliminate the Orioles.

But it means the margin for error is shrinking.

Every game from here forward carries additional weight. The Orioles cannot simply wait for other teams to lose. They have to start stacking wins themselves.

The final playoff spot is the target.

To get there, Baltimore needs its offense to become more consistent, its starting pitching to give the team length and its bullpen to avoid allowing one mistake to turn a tie game into a loss.

Tuesday night featured several examples of what Baltimore needs to improve.

The Orioles scored only twice.

They went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

They left eight runners on base.

And after tying the game in the seventh inning, they surrendered the lead again immediately.

Those are difficult mistakes to overcome in September.

Pete Alonso and the Middle of the Lineup

Pete Alonso went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

That is another example of the Orioles needing more from their lineup.

Alonso's presence in the middle of the order is supposed to provide power and run production. Baltimore needs that production, particularly now that every game has playoff implications.

Gunnar Henderson also went hitless, finishing 0-for-4.

When two of the team's biggest offensive names are held without a hit, it becomes much harder for the lineup to generate enough runs.

The Orioles cannot depend on one player to carry the offense.

They need Henderson, Alonso, Holliday, Basallo, Cowser, Beavers and the rest of the lineup contributing consistently.

Jackson Holliday Continues to Give Fans Reasons for Optimism

Holliday's home run was one of the positives.

His seventh home run of the season showed the type of impact Baltimore hopes he can have as the season progresses.

A 401-foot home run is not a cheap shot.

It was a legitimate power display, and it temporarily changed the game.

Holliday also participated in a double play defensively with Henderson and Basallo, showing that his night was not simply about the home run.

The Orioles need young players like Holliday to continue developing while the veterans carry their share of the responsibility.

Final Thoughts

The Orioles lost Tuesday night because Colorado made the bigger plays at the right time.

Baltimore fought back from a 2-0 deficit and tied the game on Jackson Holliday's seventh home run. For a moment, the Orioles appeared positioned to complete the comeback.

Instead, the Rockies answered with Triston Rumfield's two-run homer.

That was the difference.

The final score was Colorado 4, Baltimore 2.

The Orioles finished with seven hits and one error. The Rockies had 10 hits and one error.

Baltimore's pitching was good enough to win, but the offense was not.

The Orioles are now 69-70.

That means the September playoff push has become even more urgent.

There are still games remaining and opportunities ahead, but Baltimore has reached the point where moral victories do not matter. The Orioles need wins.

They need timely hitting.

They need better production with runners in scoring position.

They need their best players to perform like their best players.

And they need their defense to continue producing game-changing moments like Colton Cowser's incredible catch from Monday night.

We recently talked about Tyler Loop and how one special-teams play can become a defining moment for the Ravens. Cowser's catch showed the same thing from a baseball perspective: sometimes the biggest moment of a game does not come from a home run.

Sometimes it comes from a player covering ground, timing a jump perfectly and making a catch that simply should not have been possible.

That is the kind of play the Orioles will need if they are going to make this September interesting.

At 69-70, Baltimore is still fighting.

But the fight is getting tougher.

The final playoff spot is there to be taken, and the Orioles have to start taking advantage of every opportunity.

Tuesday night was one they let slip away.