Hello, friends.
The Orioles continue to sidestep any opportunity to win a fourth game in a row. They’ve now managed three straight wins five times in this 2026 season and each time they have failed to really stitch together a nice winning streak that will get them back where they needed to be. Their latest failure yesterday was a 9-3 setback at the hands of the Padres, a game where they trailed from the top of the first inning. Trey Gibson had a rough day, Albert Suárez had a rough day finishing it off, and all in all, things stunk. Check out Tyler Young’s recap of the game for more of the not-so-lovely totals.
There may end up being lingering drama from this game. In the fifth inning, as Gibson was running out of steam, he threw a sinker that did not sink and ended up hitting Xander Bogaerts in the head. Bogaerts later left the game to be checked out for the concussion protocol. This was obviously not intentional, but still, it was a hit in the head, and you can understand them being a little peeved about it. The Padres seemed to be looking for some retaliation with the bases empty in the seventh inning, Gunnar Henderson at the plate as they lead, 7-2. Over the course of a seven-pitch walk, three pitches were well inside at Henderson. They were trying to hit him, and they didn’t, and that should have been the end of it.
That wasn’t the end of it. In the ninth inning, Henderson again batted with two outs and the bases empty. The Padres pitcher at this point, Ron Marinaccio, threw his first pitch right into Henderson’s back. The home plate umpire immediately ejected Marinaccio and, after Padres manager Craig Stammen argued about that ejection, he was also ejected. That’s to the plate umpire’s credit. He knew the deal. Everyone knew the deal. Henderson certainly did, telling reporters after the game:
We hit somebody of theirs and obviously weren’t trying to, but it is what it is. You had your opportunity to get it back and they did and missed. So that should have been it. … I guess they were trying to get payback, so I guess we’re even now.
As Henderson said, that should have been it. And perhaps it would have been if Orioles manager Craig Albernaz didn’t, for the second time in a week, really step in it when it comes to one of his players. The manager’s quote on the same matter:
Trey hit Bogaerts in the head and their dugout didn’t like it at all. Obviously, it definitely wasn’t intentional. It was a two-seam that slipped out of his hand. I get there why they’re mad, the ball hit him in the head and he had to come out of the game. I’m not saying the ball to Gunnar was on purpose, but it was done the right way. And that’s why there was no gripes from us, and Gunnar was fine with it and just took it to first base.
What in the actual hell are you talking about, man? There is no “right way” to blatantly throw at Henderson twice in the same game, coming back for a second bite at the apple after failing the first time. If Albernaz wants to be diplomatic about it because he’s not looking to carry over the situation into Sunday, that’s fine, but if you’re not going to at least gripe about the guy who was the best player on this team for the last three years running getting thrown at on purpose, what are you doing here? And not only is he not complaining but he writes it off as “the right way”?
Take this in combination with Albernaz’s recent bungling about Samuel Basallo, which I ranted about the last time it was my turn to do Bird Droppings, and this is two really bad missteps in the span of just a few days. I will say again that I think a lot of discontent with Albernaz up to this point has largely stemmed from “Orioles players haven’t played well” and Albernaz takes flak for a bunch of little decisions that probably didn’t matter all that much, and frankly were likely suggested by the Orioles front office instead.
It’s not that there’s no room to second-guess tactical decisions that fail, it just doesn’t interest me to do it except in the most ridiculous of situations, like, say, calling up Jonathan Rodríguez from the minors and immediately putting him in as the cleanup batter.
Now there’s this. Albernaz doesn’t have to channel the ghost of Earl Weaver and go out and kick dirt on home plate or anything like that. I don’t even care that he didn’t leave the dugout; the Padres pitchers was immediately ejected and their manager was ejected for whining. Umpires often screw up this kind of thing by letting the aggrieved team get a free shot in before issuing warnings, and they didn’t do that, they just ejected Marinaccio, as they should have done. The situation was handled.
For Albernaz to come out and call all of that “the right way,” especially when Henderson accurately summarized the whole situation and was understandably getting peeved about them trying and succeeding at hitting him again after the first attempt, is unacceptable. I would not be pleased if that was my manager saying that. I don’t know.
Maybe Albernaz didn’t mean it the way it reads and maybe that’s not what he told Henderson privately, but after the Basallo business I’m not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and this is another big screwup. Relationships with the players was supposed to be his strong point and this is a concerning sign that he’s not actually all that when it comes down to it. All that he had to say was exactly what Henderson said, he should have seemed like he was annoyed about it but he wasn’t going to do anything else about it because that kind of retaliation isn’t worth it, and he didn’t do it. Geez.
The Orioles and Padres conclude their three-game set starting at 1:35 this afternoon. If the O’s are going to manage the series win before heading out west, they’re going to have to overcome a Trevor Rogers start. Walker Buehler, who has a 4.33 ERA in 13 games, starts for San Diego.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
Notes on Alonso, O’Neill, and other Orioles (School of Roch)
Before yesterday’s game, the manager gave a small update on Ryan Mountcastle, plus some thoughts on recent performance by a few active Orioles, including Tyler O’Neill. Things are quietly going a little better for O’Neill lately. He’s going to need a whole lot more than that to change anyone’s mind about him.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 1985, Earl Weaver un-retired, replacing recent World Series-winning manager Joe Altobelli in the Orioles dugout. The team played to a 53-52 record the rest of the way that season.
In 1996, Cal Ripken Jr. set a less-heralded record to do with The Streak in game #2,216, passing the 2,215 consecutive games played by third baseman Sachio Kinugasa in Japanese professional baseball.
After last night, Orioles first baseman has played in 488 consecutive games.
Of all the players to ever play for the Orioles, not a single one has been born on June 14.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: author Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811), psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer (1864), actor/singer Burl Ives (1909), actress Lucy Hale (1989), and rapper Gunna (1993).
On this day in history…
In 1775, the Continental Congress established the Continental Army. Today’s United States armed forces recognize this as their creation date.
In 1807, Napoleon’s French Grande Armée notched yet another victory in the Battle of Friedland, in which a combined clash between close to 150,000 French and Russians led to Russian defeat and the end of the War of the Fourth Coalition. It took two more coalitions to finally beat Napoleon and three more to send him packing for good.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 14. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!
James Wood
Yordan Alvarez
Jonathan Aranda 
