7 October 2023
Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Orioles’ 3-2 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the best-of-five American League Division Series on Saturday at Camden Yards.
Childs Walker: Kyle Bradish was sharp in his postseason debut, striking out nine Rangers and walking just one, but this Texas offense is good enough to beat even a top pitcher who’s on form. What else can you say about a team that led the American League in runs scored and then added a mature, scorching hot prospect in Evan Carter? The Orioles, meanwhile, made life too easy for Rangers starter Andrew Heaney and those who followed him, failing to work deep into at-bats or make hard contact with runners on base. They’re in a tough spot in the series, with Texas’ top pitcher, Jordan Montgomery, up Sunday. They will need their own Game 2 starter, Grayson Rodriguez, to step up as he did three weeks ago in a crucial series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hayes Gardner: The Orioles pitched and fielded well enough Saturday to win. Nothing went horribly wrong. Even Kyle Bradish, despite getting hit hard in the fourth inning, did not have a bad outing. But Baltimore was largely doomed by quiet bats and inopportune outs when one key swing could’ve turned the game on its head. A sold-out crowd of 46,450 was waiting for that moment to explode, for the Orioles to take a lead in their first home playoff game since 2014 — but it never happened. Baltimore is down, but not out. Rookie Grayson Rodriguez, pitching the biggest game of his career, will seek to right the ship tomorrow.
Tim Schwartz: It seemed like the Orioles were going to get that big hit and tie the game or take the lead, but it just never came to fruition. Baltimore will need to quickly forget that eighth inning when they had two runners on and no outs against a wild Aroldis Chapman, who induced a gut-wrenching double play and got a strikeout to get out of the jam. In a five-game series, this one felt so important, especially with the Rangers coming off a sweep of the Rays. Texas has all the momentum, and it will require the Orioles’ bats to wake up and a stellar start from rookie Grayson Rodriguez on Sunday for Baltimore to make it a series. Time runs out quickly in this round, and the young Orioles’ mettle will be tested.
C.J. Doon: The winner of Game 1 claims a best-of-five series 71% of the time, but these Orioles have been resilient all year. They haven’t been swept in 91 straight multigame series, one of the longest streaks in major league history. Think back to their series against the Rays last month, when they lost the first two before winning two straight to remain in first place on their way to an AL East title. This loss will sting, especially considering the missed opportunities at the plate in the final innings, but the Orioles can quickly put it behind them with a victory Sunday before heading to Texas.
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