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What happened? In the final scheduled game for Baltimore at the Oakland Coliseum, Heston Kjerstad hit a three-run home run and Anthony Sanchez drove in four runs in the first inning as the Orioles defeated the Oakland Athletics 6–3.
After the game, attention turned to the selection of All-Star Game pitchers and reserves. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was pleased that star starter Corbin Burns got the nod, but he was unhappy that no one else joined Burns and All-Star starters Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle, third baseman Jordan Westberg, outfielder Anthony Sanchez and designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn finished second in fan voting but were overlooked.
“I’m excited for Corbyn,” Hyde told reporters in Oakland. “He’s the best pitcher in the league. He has been an incredible starter for us and definitely deserves to be there.
“I’m disappointed that a lot of other people didn’t get in. Hopefully, things will happen and spots will open up. I was disappointed.
“When you win as many games as we have over the last year and a half, and you only add three guys, and you’re on the pace we’re on now and won 101 games last year. The same guys we had last year, you’d think we’d get a lot of guys, and I’m disappointed by that, but hopefully they’ll have all-star second halves.”
Closer Craig Kimbrel, a nine-time All-Star, and starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, who won his 11th game Sunday, also were overlooked. Rodriguez chose his words carefully to express his frustration with his teammates.
“I would like to say some things about it, but I can’t. I think we definitely should have had more than three All-Stars,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of guys in that clubhouse that deserve to be there.”
On Sunday, Sanchez hit his first 23-run home run in Oakland.third, And Kjerstad won his third against Oakland starter Mitch Spence (5-5).
“Really good offense early,” Hyde said. “Loved the way we came out and swung the bat. We were inactive for a while… a lot of great games were played today.
Who was hotter? The Orioles took a 5–0 lead in the third when Sanchez singled and moved to second on a wild pitch by Spence and scored when centerfielder JJ Blede buried Kjerstad’s fly ball. Kjerstad advanced to third but could not score.
Rodriguez (11-3) allowed three runs on six hits over six innings.
“I feel like I’m making the transition better. It’s allowed me to pitch deeper into the ballgame,” Rodriguez said. “Obviously, the defense has been great. When you have guys behind you who make plays behind you, it makes it really easy to pitch deep into the game… The way I’m throwing has a lot to do with our offense, so those guys Thank you.’
Rodriguez, who has won six of his last seven starts, won eight and walked one. In his previous start, he gave up two hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
“This is his 11th Win on the season. For a guy in his first full year, it’s incredible,” Hyde said.
The Orioles (57-33) completed their West Coast trip by winning two of three against Seattle and the Athletics (34-58). They lost 19-8 on Saturday.
“Skip just told us this is championship baseball,” Rodriguez said. “When you go to the West Coast, it’s not easy. When you’re able to go on a 4-2 run like that, it’s a big deal. “This will take us to October.”
Oakland scored two runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Tyler Soderstrom and a sacrifice fly by Shea Langeliers. Lawrence Butler scored the third run on Blayde’s force play.
Gunnar Henderson’s RBI single in the ninth gave the Orioles a 6–3 lead.
Jacob Webb, Yenier Cano and Kimbrel combined to record the final nine outs. Kimbrel scored 23 runsthird save.
santander played its 13th It was a relief to get the game and the home run in Oakland.
“I got a good pitch to hit and I finally got a homer here,” Sanchez said on the MASN postgame show.
How does Burns feel about being an All-Star? Corbin Burns was named an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year. It’s been an exciting last few weeks. Burns’ wife gave birth to twin girls last weekend.
“It’s a little crazy,” he said, “excited to be a part of an All-Star Game, honored to represent the Orioles in the American League.”
Burns said he was not sure he would be there to care for three young children.
“I’m still going to have that conversation with my wife,” Burns said. “He’s already asked me to leave.”
Burns, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021 and was traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Orioles on February 1scheduled tribe, I never believed he would be an All-Star. From 2021–2023, Burns represented the National League and pitched two innings in 2021.
“Growing up, you just want to play professional baseball,” he said. “When you get into the pros you want to play in the big leagues. I never dreamed of winning a Cy Young and becoming an All-Star. These are all just kind of afterthoughts.”
What is the word? “I never expected to be an All-Star. I never expect to produce good results.” –Burns lived up to his expectations for this season.
What does it mean? It was surprising that the Orioles, who had four All-Stars last year, only had three. It would not be surprising if Kimbrel, Westberg or O’Hearn were added to the team as replacements for players unable to play due to injury.
What is today’s situation? 1980. Steve Stone was the last Oriole pitcher to start in the All-Star Game in 1980. Burns hopes to join them.
What will happen next? After an off day on Monday, the Orioles began a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs. Dean Kramer (4.4, 3.93) will start for the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. The Cubs have not yet announced their starter.
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