With 18 games left on their regular-season schedule, Monday’s series opener against the Red Sox offered plenty of opportunities to put up some crooked numbers on the Fenway Park scoreboard. Instead, they stranded 11 base runners and their bullpen crumbled late as they fell to their division rivals, 12-3, for their third straight loss.

“Our guys are grinding, there’s no doubt,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’ve got to just turn the page on this and come back tomorrow. Not a whole lot went right tonight. Wasted a couple opportunities and just had a tough time putting zeroes up out of the bullpen.”

Anthony Santander did his part, becoming the eighth player in Orioles history and first since Mark Trumbo in 2016 to hit 40 home runs in a season with a solo shot in the seventh inning. He drove in all three of the team’s runs to improve his team-leading RBI total to 94, but Baltimore otherwise squandered scoring chances in each of the first four frames.

The Orioles loaded the bases in the first and fourth innings and walked away with only one run each time courtesy of Santander. He scored Gunnar Henderson on a hard-hit single in the first before later bringing Colton Cowser home on an RBI walk. Otherwise, the Orioles went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position to stay true to what has become an all-to-familiar theme over the past three months.

Rookie starter Cade Povich, coming off the best start of his young career with 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox, got an early hook from Hyde after allowing a lot of hard contact, including back-to-back home runs by Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O’Neill in the third that helped Boston jump out to a 4-1 lead.

“I thought it wasn’t too bad,” Povich said. “I thought a couple pitches were on the edges, but just left a little too up. And then, the fastball, I think to O’Neill, was up but maybe just not up enough. But overall, I thought the stuff was all right at the beginning and then, I think those last couple innings, it was trending toward the right direction, getting better, starting to get back in a groove.”

He lasted two outs into the fifth before giving way to Burch Smith, who got out of the inning with some help from his defense. Cowser played a fly ball off the Green Monster perfectly and fired a 95.1 mph throw home that Adley Rutschman gathered before making a diving tag to nab Refsnyder trying to score from first. The play was part of a defensive clinic put on by the Orioles’ outfield with Cedric Mullins making a diving catch in center field in the third.

“It was just one of those where you’re on your horse, you get to it as soon as you can,” Mullins said of his grab, which Statcast gave a 10% catch probability. “It’s a moment that keeps someone off the bases, for sure, and made the play.”

But Smith unraveled in the sixth, loading the bases before Ceddanne Rafaela extended the Red Sox’s lead with a two-run single. Gregory Soto then came in to get out of the jam and Refsnyder struck again with a two-run single that made it 8-2. All four runs were charged to Smith, who has allowed 15 earned runs in his last 14 2/3 innings (9.20 ERA) dating to Aug. 6.

Craig Kimbrel’s equally unimpressive ongoing stretch continued as well. The demoted closer struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh before giving up a single, stolen base, walk and two-run double by Rafaela. Since recording his latest save on July 7, Kimbrel has an 8.83 ERA over 18 appearances with three losses and two blown saves.

“It’s kind of how the innings have been going lately where he gets two quick outs and then a base hit and stolen base,” Hyde said. “Tough time putting a clean inning together. He’s throwing the ball really well. First two hitters, punchouts. And then [Trevor] Story, kind of a nice piece of hitting there on a fastball away, and didn’t execute after that.”

He was replaced by Cole Irvin, who became the second pitcher of the night to allow consecutive home runs to Refsnyder and O’Neill. Refsnyder came to the plate in the eighth a triple short of the cycle and had to settle for a multi-homer game, driving in his fifth RBI by poking one just inside of Pesky’s Pole in right field. O’Neill then capped off the evening with another Green Monster-clearing blast.

With the New York Yankees winning their series opener against the Kansas City Royals, 10-2, the Orioles (82-63) will head into play Tuesday sitting 1 1/2 games back in the American League East. They have not trailed by more than two games since June 18. Albert Suárez will take the mound for the second leg of their series in Boston opposite right-hander Kutter Crawford.

“It’s doing fair,” Mullins said of the mood in the Orioles’ clubhouse. “It’s not at its best, but not terrible, either. We got soundly beat today. The beauty of baseball is we come out tomorrow and set the tone for us to move forward.”

Orioles at Red Sox

Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

McCann, 34, was the Orioles’ choice as the player who “best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” In addition to being a clubhouse leader, he and his wife Jessica are involved in several charity initiatives across the Baltimore area.

“It’s very special,” McCann said of the nomination. “The Clemente Award, it’s a different award, obviously. It’s what you do in the community, what you do off the field. What Roberto Clemente stands for, who he was, obviously, as a player and then just who he was to his community, words don’t really describe what it is to be viewed in that same light. Being nominated for that, it’s a very special award. I’m proud of it, and I feel very strongly that using my platform to be able to impact the community in a positive way is very important.”

Over the past year, the McCann family has worked to support students in Harlem Park as part of the Orioles’ larger initiative in the community and taken on the personal mission of working with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to help families of children born prematurely. He’s also partnered with Dream On 3 to help a pair of adopted brothers, DJ and Marshall, with life-altering conditions fulfill their dream of getting a VIP experience at an Orioles game. The Orioles credit McCann for his participation in the club’s Military Suites Program and his work with the Church of the City’s Wrap Around Closet in Nashville as well.

“He’s done a lot of great things with the community and congratulations to him,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “This is a big award. This is something that’s really, really special. It means a lot to players, so for him to get this nomination, and have a chance to win this, a credit to him and his wife for what they do off the field in helping so many people.”

McCann would be the fifth player in Orioles history to win the honor, joining Brooks Robinson (1972), Ken Singleton (1982), Cal Ripken Jr. (1992) and Eric Davis (1997). New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the reigning winner. Originally created in 1971 as the Commissioner’s Award, the annual honor was named for Clemente after he died in a plane crash while on his way to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He was 38 years old.

Lauded for his toughness — especially after he played through a broken nose after being hit in the face by a pitch in July — McCann has served as the Orioles’ backup catcher each of the last two years. He entered this week’s series against the Boston Red Sox hitting .220 with five home runs in 58 games this season.

Around the horn

• MLB named Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson the American League Player of the Week on Monday after he went 10-for-24 (.417) with three home runs, five RBIs and six runs scored for Baltimore. It’s the first time this season and second in Henderson’s career that he has garnered the honor. He’s the third Oriole to receive it in 2024 with Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg going back-to-back in April.

• Hyde expressed tepid optimism that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) would be able to return from the injured list by the end of the regular season but hedged his comments saying, “I just don’t know when.” Mountcastle has been sidelined since Aug. 22 when he jammed his wrist into second base on a headfirst slide.

• Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez is hoping to throw a live bullpen session “sometime this road trip,” Hyde said before Monday’s game. Rodriguez threw off a mound for the first time Wednesday and facing hitters in a simulated game setting is the next step in his progression toward a potential return before season’s end.

Baltimore (82-62) squandered a quality start from its ace Sunday, failing to push a run across in a 2-0 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. A two-run home run by Rays left fielder Jonny DeLuca broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning for the lone blemish against Burnes, who put together his best start since July 30. However, the blast proved to be enough as right-hander Zack Littell threw five scoreless frames and the Tampa Bay bullpen slammed the door shut.

“Really since the All-Star break it’s been a challenge,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Tough time offensively. Guys are swinging a little bit frustrated and pressing. Trying to do way, way, way too much. Way too many big swings.”

The month of August wasn’t kind to Burnes, the Orioles’ prized offseason addition who had performed up to his billing as an American League Cy Young Award contender over the first four months of the season. He then turned in a 7.36 ERA over five starts in August, his worst statistical calendar month since 2019. After showing signs of improvement in his previous start Monday against the Chicago White Sox, he looked much more like an ace Sunday afternoon.

Burnes, 29, scattered seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He stranded six base runners, including two in scoring position in the second. Catcher Adley Rutschman threw out second baseman Christopher Morel trying to steal in the first — just the fifth time the Orioles have caught a runner stealing with Burnes on the mound this season — but the Rays pulled off a double steal the next inning. Burnes then struck out catcher Ben Rortvedt swinging on a looping curveball to end the threat.

He kept the Rays off the board until the sixth when a leadoff walk to first baseman Jonathan Aranda cost Burnes. With Aranda on first, DeLuca clobbered a hanging slider 412 feet over the extended Camden Yards left field wall. Burnes finished the inning at 93 pitches, 20 of which were fouled off by Tampa Bay hitters — fourth most in a game by any opponent against him this season.

“The difference in the game was one swing of the bat today,” Burnes said. “Threw the ball pretty well, got a lot of weak contact. A lot of weak contact went for hits today, but kind of how it goes. The 1-1 slider wasn’t a bad pitch, kind of went down and got it and put a good swing on it, and that was the difference today.”

Relievers Matt Bowman and Keegan Akin kept the score at 2-0 with three scoreless frames between them, putting the Orioles in position to win their finale with the Rays and clinch a third consecutive series victory. But their offense again lacked consistency and couldn’t come through with runners in scoring position. Gunnar Henderson recorded his fourth multihit game of September with three singles and Cedric Mullins stayed hot (.856 OPS since June 9) with a pair of singles, yet those were the only hits Baltimore could muster.

An announced crowd of 29,519 gained hope in the eighth when the pinch-hitting Coby Mayo drew a leadoff walk and Henderson followed with an infield single. That hope was short-lived as Rays relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta combined to strike out Rutschman, Eloy Jiménez and Anthony Santander in order. Mayo then took over at first base in the top of the ninth to make his first MLB appearance there.

“The swings are looking too hard right now,” Santander said. “We have to be shorter to the ball and put the ball in play, especially with runners in scoring position.”

Uceta returned for the ninth and retired the side to secure the shutout, Baltimore’s sixth of the season. The loss halts any momentum the Orioles gained from their series wins against the Colorado Rockies and White Sox over the last week, adding pressure to find a spark on the road Monday when they open a three-game series against the Red Sox in Boston.

Around the horn

• Orioles reliever Danny Coulombe will make his first rehabilitation appearance with Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, pitching coach Drew French announced before Sunday’s game. Coulombe, 34, has been out since June 8 and had surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow. The left-hander has a 2.42 ERA in 29 games this season as a key piece in the back end of the Orioles’ bullpen.

• Baltimore is also nearing a potential return for right-hander Jacob Webb, who will pitch for Norfolk on Tuesday in his third rehab appearance since hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation. Webb, 31, has a 3.08 ERA over 53 appearances, a total that led the team when he landed on the IL.

• The club announced its probable starting pitchers for the upcoming road series in Boston. Rookie Cade Povich will take the ball for the opener Monday followed by Albert Suárez and Dean Kremer. The Red Sox have lined up Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta to start against them, respectively.

Orioles at Red Sox

Monday, 7:10 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

The Orioles outfielder enters play Sunday with 10/27 (-270) odds on FanDuel SportsBook, making him the clear betting favorite over New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (+185), Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (+2500) and Yankees starter Luis Gil (+7000). His second-half surge at the plate has helped Cowser take the AL rookie lead in home runs (20), runs scored (69) and FanGraphs’ wins above replacement (3.5) while ranking second in doubles (21) and RBIs (62).

Cowser’s case is aided by just how much he’s played this season — only Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela has appeared in more games among AL rookies — but where he’s truly separated himself is his defense. Despite playing half his games at Camden Yards, where the extended left field wall requires him to cover much more ground than the average outfielder, he leads all primary left fielders — rookies or otherwise — in Statcast’s fielding metric Outs Above Average (OAA) with 11.

“He’s put the work in,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s come a long way in a year and you saw the talent, the speed, the throwing arm. I think the accuracy has improved over the course of the year also. Be it just him being more aggressive. Honestly, he was pretty passive last year, especially in center field, and now he’s way more comfortable.”

OAA is a range-based statistic that aims to measure how many outs a player has saved throughout a season factoring in the number of plays they made, or didn’t make, and how difficult they were. Cowser, who has also played center field this season, not only leads all left fielders, but his total is more than double the next closest player at the position: the Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick, who has tallied five.

It’s a testament to how well Cowser has handled the wall at Camden Yards, which was extended ahead of the 2022 season to stretch as deep as 394 feet from home plate and raised five feet to eliminate any hope of fielders pulling balls back from over the wall. His range is tested more than most players at his position, and he’s responded to the challenge by improving his route running and getting used to making reads with the third deck of the ballpark behind the ball.

“Any time when there’s a ball hit over your head it feels like you can … put on a full sprint,” Cowser said of playing left field in Baltimore. “I think that it’s one of those outfields where you can put your head down and get plenty of space to keep going and you kind of know whenever a ball is going to get out in left. Usually, it’s hit a little different, which you can really tell. But I just think overall, just being aggressive out there.”

The Orioles showed just how much they trust Cowser in left when they traded Austin Hays at the July 30 deadline. Hays, a Gold Glove Award finalist last season, was part of the Orioles’ calculus in their decision to move the wall back in the first place. In moving on from him, the Orioles placed their faith in Cowser, their No. 5 overall draft pick in 2021, to man the position for the rest of this year and beyond.

“I think he’s a legit center fielder that can go play in the corners,” said first base coach Anthony Sanders, who coaches outfield defense. “But he’s adjusting. I know he’s played a lot of center in the minor leagues but that left field is like no other. You just have to drop your head and keep going and going but he does a really good job. Obviously, losing Austin Hays, who I thought was excellent out there, he’s picked up the pace.”

Cowser’s aggressiveness has been evident in his throws. He’s only racked up two outfield assists this season, but has showed off 96th-percentile arm strength according to Statcast. With only one error all year, he’s put himself in the running for a Gold Glove in addition to Rookie of the Year. Cowser would be the first player to win both in the same season since Ichiro Suzuki’s historic debut season for the Seattle Mariners in 2001.

Competition will be stiff for a Gold Glove, however. While Cowser leads all AL left fielders in OAA, other advanced metrics such as Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) both favor the Cleveland Guardians’ Steven Kwan — who beat out Hays for the award last year — Detroit Tigers All-Star Riley Greene and Yankees veteran Alex Verdugo. He would be spared from competing against the Toronto Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho, who qualifies for center field despite playing a significant chunk of his season in left.

“It’s not something I’m crazy worried about or anything like that,” Cowser said of winning a Gold Glove. “It’s not like that’s something that I was making a goal for myself or anything like that but if that’s how the cards fall then, yeah, it’d be really cool.”

Even if he only wins Rookie of the Year, he would follow Gunnar Henderson to give the Orioles the first set of back-to-back winners since the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger in 2016 and 2017. Doing so would be a massive organizational victory for the Orioles, who would net an extra pick in next year’s MLB draft.

He has already won over the fan base with loud “Moos” following him around the country and cow costumes filling the seats at Camden Yards. Perhaps the voters will be next.

Here are five things we learned from their week, which resulted in Baltimore retaking a half-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East.

Zach Eflin is back, and the Orioles can breathe again

Following a minimum stint on the injured list, Zach Eflin returned to the mound for the Orioles on Sunday and picked up right where he left off. The trade deadline acquisition was spectacular against the Rockies, carrying a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning and tying his season high with nine strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 1.95 in five starts with Baltimore.

His return was a huge sigh of relief for the Orioles, who are still without Grayson Rodriguez while he works his way back from a lat/teres muscle strain. The Orioles’ pitching injuries have tested their depth, requiring greater-than-expected contributions from Albert Suárez and rookie Cade Povich, but they’ve also left the Orioles searching for stars to step up in their place. Eflin has been that star, and his addition might be the most significant of any team in the pennant race.

Despite his August slowdown, Gunnar Henderson’s season is proving historic

August wasn’t a banner month for Gunnar Henderson, but most players would trade their worst months for Henderson’s slumps in a heartbeat. The Orioles’ shortstop posted a .709 OPS in August, his worst in any month since April 2023. It’s also only five points under the MLB average OPS of .714 for this season.

Henderson has opened September with much better results, going 7-for-15 (.467) at the plate with two home runs in four games. The second of those blasts was his 35th of the year, breaking a tie with Cal Ripken Jr. and Miguel Tejada for the most home runs in a single season by a shortstop in Orioles history. By FanGraphs’ WAR metric, Henderson (7.1) already owns the 10th most valuable season by any Orioles hitter and he could crack the top five with a strong finish.

It’s been clear for a while the Orioles have a special player. Now, he has the results to back it up.

Coby Mayo is up, but consistent playing time isn’t certain to follow

Manager Brandon Hyde said he’s going to “pick my spots” with top prospect Coby Mayo. The Orioles recalled the corner infielder when rosters expanded Sunday and, with Ramón Urías hitting the injured list with an ankle sprain the same day, there appeared to be a path to regular playing time for Mayo. However, he’s played two of four games thus far and Hyde subbed him out for Ryan O’Hearn in the field for the final three innings Sunday.

While Mayo has the potential to be a centerpiece of the Orioles’ roster for years to come, he’s hitting .087 (2-for-23) and the club is in a tight division race in which one win could prove to be the difference. With the Tampa Bay Rays lining up a trio of right-handers for their upcoming weekend series in Baltimore, Mayo’s development might have to take a back seat to the Orioles’ short-term goals.

As Craig Kimbrel’s issues linger, the rest of the Orioles’ bullpen shows life

The Orioles’ bullpen has quietly put together an impressive run over the past two weeks. Since Aug. 27, the club’s reliever ERA of 2.30 ranks fifth best in the majors. While Craig Kimbrel has yet to follow suit — he’s sandwiched a pair of scoreless appearances around a two-run outing Saturday — Baltimore is getting encouraging returns from its bullpen at the right time.

Kimbrel might not get back to closing out games in the ninth inning this season, but Seranthony Domínguez is 8-for-8 in save chances and Yennier Cano, Gregory Soto and Keegan Akin have impressed in front of him. With Jacob Webb on a minor league rehabilitation assignment and Danny Coulombe progressing to facing live hitters in a bullpen session Tuesday, reinforcements are on their way as well. Come October, their bullpen could wind up being a surprise strength.

Cedric Mullins is saving his season

Nobody on the Orioles had a better week than Cedric Mullins, who recorded a hit in all six games while hitting .429 (9-for-21) with a home run, a double, four walks and two stolen bases. After getting off to an abysmal start to the year, Mullins’ season OPS is four points shy of .700 — no small feat considering he was sitting at .522 as recently as June 8.

All he’s done since is slash .284/.363/.483 with eight home runs and 14 stolen bases in 71 games. Those are numbers that, had they occurred to start the year, would’ve put him in consideration for a spot in the All-Star Game. They’re also numbers that closely resemble those he posted in 2021 when he had 30 home runs and 30 steals. Injuries had raised doubt over whether he could get to that point again, but he’s put to rest any concerns for now.

“I think I’ve sat in roughly 15 different spots in the ballpark so far,” said Griggs, the Orioles’ new president of business operations. “This is an incredible location, but it’s new to me. I know that, and the only way I can get to know it is by experiencing it. We serve our fans. I want to understand what they’re going through. I was in the splash zone for the sixth inning the other night against the [Chicago] White Sox. I got real wet. It was a lot of fun.”

The Orioles introduced Griggs with a news conference in their first base dugout Wednesday, providing a glimpse at the priorities of the first major hire David Rubenstein made as owner. Griggs, who assumed the role Aug. 19, moved her family across the country to join Baltimore after working in the same capacity for the Seattle Mariners over the past three years.

As she sat on the back of the bench looking out at her new home ballpark, Griggs outlined her hopes for overseeing stadium upgrades, boosting attendance and expanding the club’s outreach to all types of fans in the region. She named Camden Yards’ sound system and center field scoreboards as potential items on the Orioles’ agenda for the next two years.

“I think [in] 2025 are likely going to be relatively smaller changes, just because it generally takes time from a permitting standpoint to ensure that we’re doing things right,” Griggs said. “So, you will see things in ’25. I think you’re likely to see much more substantive change in 2026. Just looking out behind you right now, I think we have some opportunity with the videoboards, and rumor has it that there’s some audio things that we might be looking to improve as well. But there’s a lot of things.”

Griggs stressed that she wants to protect the “integrity” of Camden Yards, a ballpark she had already visited before for its reputation as a gem among baseball’s cathedrals. Opened in 1992, the stadium has a timeless aesthetic that’s held up even as its technology and amenities have become outdated. The Orioles signed a new lease last year to remain at the ballpark and Rubenstein plans for the team to remain there for the entire 30-year term.

While Rubenstein has stated his desire to negotiate a development rights deal for some of the state-owned land surrounding the ballpark, Griggs ​​doesn’t see The Battery Atlanta — a mixed-use development adjacent to the Braves’ Truist Park that former Chairman and CEO John Angelos considered a model for Baltimore — as a viable blueprint.

“Part of the decision that they made was to leave their downtown neighborhood and their historic ballpark to move out further into the suburbs where there was more space,” Griggs said. “We’re not in that environment. So, I don’t think what they did would make sense as a copycat here in Baltimore. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t components of it that we couldn’t look into in terms of, ‘How do we continue to reinvest and make sure that we’re creating an amazing experience?’ But I don’t think it’s going to be a copycat of that.”

Griggs joined the Orioles’ front office with a decorated resume that includes three years in Seattle and four as the chief business officer for the MLS club Atlanta United FC. The 2022 Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 honoree graduated high school at 14 years old and attended both North Carolina State and Dartmouth, earning both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the latter. She’s one of two women in MLB history to hold a president role with a team.

“I think it’s a very significant hire for us,” Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said after the team announced it was bringing her aboard in July.

“She is coming from a run of success and a really good organization and a great operation out there in Seattle and I got the chance to talk to her extensively before we made the hire. I was extremely impressed by her. I can’t wait to work with her, and I think it’s going to be a wonderful, fresh look and addition of somebody who’s kind of been at the top of the field, best practices and a lot of skill and vision.”

While Griggs won’t work on the baseball side of the club — she described the roles of her and Elias as “incredibly symbiotic” — her hire is one of several moves the Orioles have made under Rubenstein that suggest their “The Next Chapter” is more than just a slogan slapped on billboards. Rubenstein also sanctioned increased spending on the roster at the trade deadline, albeit with an increase in season ticket prices that soon followed, and has been a visible presence at games engaging with fans. The ripple effects aren’t lost on the Orioles’ clubhouse.

“I think it’s all positive,” manager Brandon Hyde said of the state of the franchise. “I think the organization is on the up and up. There’s a lot of fresh ideas, there’s a lot of people that are excited about our team, excited about the organization. I think there’s a ton of positives. You just feel it. You can feel there’s a ton of positivity around our club. Everybody’s pulling in the same direction, and the organization is really backing our team and cares. It’s a great feeling being a part of the organization at this point.”

During her Mariners tenure, the club hosted both the MLB All-Star Game and the NHL Winter Classic at T-Mobile Park. Griggs was pleased with the efforts the Mariners made to revitalize the area surrounding the ballpark that struggled in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. In Baltimore, she hopes to host another All-Star Game at Camden Yards and instill the vision she had in Seattle of being the “most progressive team” in baseball by fostering an environment where all fans feel comfortable and welcome to attend a game downtown.

“Very much hope to bring that same mentality here,” said Griggs. “This is an incredible city, and I think the reality is, if you look at the stands right now, we reflect some of our population but not all as perhaps as well as we could. So, I’m really excited to continue to figure out, how do we become that place where all of Baltimore can come together to celebrate baseball?”

Making her rounds across Camden Yards, she’s finding out one section at a time.

The Orioles’ ace was anything but across his five starts, posting a 7.36 ERA with an additional seven unearned runs crossing the plate with him on the mound. After entering the month firmly in the running for the American League Cy Young Award, Burnes is suddenly a critical axle on which Baltimore’s hopes of making a deep playoff run could balance.

Despite the lackluster results, nobody in the Orioles’ clubhouse is panicking about the 29-year-old’s ability to turn things around. Burnes has had some poor batted-ball luck — opponents hit an unsustainable .341 on balls in play — and the Orioles’ defense behind him extended innings longer than he might have deserved.

But he also made crucial mistakes executing pitches in several key spots, such as Teoscar Hernández’s go-ahead, three-run home run in his last start Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I see that there’s a pitch or two maybe executed a little bit better — usually it’s after something negative happened that’s led to a crooked number and led to him having a shorter outing,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “So, it’s definitely not stuff-related. The stuff is still there. It feels good. I feel like it’s been a little bit bad circumstance and some bad luck.”

Burnes called the start in Los Angeles, an outing in which he allowed six runs but only one earned, “a step in the right direction.” The right-hander induced 19 swings-and-misses in the game, tied for his second-highest total for any start this season and the most since May 19 against the Seattle Mariners.

“I think the two prior [starts] to this one, we were just up in the zone and getting beat,” Burnes said. “I guess they are related in a way that there’s one big inning every time, which we did a good job of kind of avoiding throughout most of the year. Outside of those one big innings every time, they’re pretty good outings. So, just have to find a way to minimize and not leave balls up in the zone, it’s just kind of what has hurt me the last couple.”

Among the key takeaways from that Dodgers outing was Burnes’ cutter location. He threw the pitch, which he throws twice as much as any other offering, at an average height of 1.9 feet above the ground. Keeping the cutter down in the zone has been a point of emphasis in his work between starts after his location started to drift upward in late July through mid-August. Hitters, like Hernández, were taking advantage when he left it high in the strike zone.

Burnes hasn’t been the strikeout artist he was with the Milwaukee Brewers, focusing instead on getting ahead early in counts and pitching to contact when the situation calls for it. He’s also allowed opposing base runners to steal a career-high 37 bases against him, but has started using a slide step to speed up his delivery with runners on base.

“We value those eight guys behind us, and we know how good they are, and we want to embrace the nine-on-one sort of battle that we’re in instead of the one-on-one battle, which is pitcher versus hitter,” pitching coach Drew French said. “So, we’ve been really proud of him that he’s embraced that. But I think getting back to the best version of himself is the guy that has zone presence, the guy that controls the count, but he also pitches situationally based on what the game dictates.”

As the Orioles enter the September stretch run, they can’t afford for Burnes to slide any further. Grayson Rodriguez is still weeks away from returning to the mound and Dean Kremer’s health is in question after he took a comebacker off his forearm Saturday. The Orioles’ rotation has suffered losses to both the front end and its depth. They have no choice but to lean on their ace to return to form as they close out a tight American League East division race.

“We very much trust in his process and we trust in the work that he puts in and specifically his mentality, how he attacks things and the type of competitor he is,” French said. “We know that six innings and eight punch outs is never going to be enough for him, and so he’s always striving for better and he’s striving for more. That motivates me and that motivates the guys around him and I think that’s why he’s the ace.”

What’s to come?

The Orioles return home from their six-game road trip for a light home slate. They host the Chicago White Sox, who on Sunday set their franchise record with their 107th loss of the year, for three games to begin the week before the Tampa Bay Rays come to town for a weekend series.

Tampa Bay, which sold heavily at the trade deadline, is 3-7 in its past 10 games. This upcoming stretch will offer a prime opportunity for the Orioles to overtake the New York Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore enters the week a half game back of first place with New York facing the Texas Rangers and red-hot Chicago Cubs.

What was good?

After struggling mightily for the first three weeks of August, the Orioles’ bullpen — outside Craig Kimbrel — showed encouraging signs of turning a corner. Orioles relievers combined to post a 2.14 ERA over 21 innings. Without Kimbrel’s two-run eighth inning Saturday, that number drops to 1.35.

Yennier Cano, Cionel Pérez, Gregory Soto and Burch Smith all made multiple appearances without allowing a run, offering hope that the relief corps can continue to hold on for a few more weeks until Jacob Webb, who made a rehabilitation appearance Sunday, and Danny Coulombe are ready to return from injury.

What wasn’t?

Adley Rutschman hasn’t been the same since the All-Star break, a fact more evident than ever this week when he went 2-for-17 (.118) at the plate. The Orioles catcher’s August OPS (.625) was higher than his mark from July (.482), but still left much to be desired for a player who routinely hits at the top of their lineup.

Rutschman hit as low as fifth in the lineup earlier this month but is still making the majority of his starts in the No. 2 spot, batting in front of the closing-in-on-40-homers Anthony Santander. The Orioles’ lineup is much stronger when Rutschman is getting on base at his career .355 clip. As long as he continues to struggle — and continues to hit in front of the heart of their lineup while he does it — the Orioles’ offense will fall short of its full potential.

On the farm

The lower levels of the minor leagues are winding down with Low-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen both heading into the final week of their 2024 schedule. Baltimore is getting a quick look at some of its top 2024 MLB draft picks in Aberdeen, promoting five draftees, including first-rounder Vance Honeycutt, according to a source familiar with the moves.

Double-A Bowie, meanwhile, has two weeks left to go while Triple-A Norfolk plays through Sept. 22. Baltimore has promoted several of its top prospects in recent weeks to give them a quick taste of the next level, including catcher Samuel Basallo, who is hitting .174 over his first five games in Norfolk, and outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., who has a .286 batting average and .796 OPS in 15 games at Bowie.

Outfielder and first-round pick Vance Honeycutt (selected 22nd overall) leads a group that includes shortstop Griff O’Ferrall (32nd), catcher Ethan Anderson (61st), outfielder Austin Overn (97th) and catcher Ryan Stafford (160th) to move on quickly from Low-A Delmarva.

Honeycutt, 21, appeared in only seven games for the Shorebirds, going 7-for-28 (.250) at the plate with four stolen bases. The North Carolina product did strike out 12 times — the lone knock on his prospect profile that allowed him to fall to the Orioles in the back half of the first round.

O’Ferrall, Anderson, Overn and Stafford all appeared in double-digit games with Delmarva. Overn, a third-round pick out of USC, paced the group with an .882 OPS, collecting five extra-base hits and stealing 12 bases while walking (12) nearly as much as he struck out (16). O’Ferrall only hit .235 with a .614 OPS but reached base at a .359 clip behind a high walk rate.

Delmarva has six games remaining on its schedule before its 2024 season is over.

Zach Eflin returned from the injured list Sunday and carried a perfect game bid into the sixth inning to help Baltimore clinch a series victory over the Colorado Rockies, 6-1. The right-hander retired the first 15 batters he faced, striking out six of them, before right fielder Jake Cave spoiled his chance at history with a swinging bunt down the third base line.

He instead had to settle for the win in a dominant outing that showed no rust despite Eflin missing 15 days with right shoulder inflammation. The Orioles’ prized trade deadline acquisition allowed four hits over seven innings of one-run baseball. He’s posted a 1.95 ERA with 34 strikeouts in five starts since coming over from the American League East division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Baltimore is 5-0 when he’s taken the ball.

“I’m such a command guy and a field-based pitcher, I got to live on the corners,” Eflin said. “So, that’s what I’ve been focusing on the entire time I’ve been on the IL when I’ve been throwing and feeling better. So, it was just nice to go back and compete again and to be able to live on the corners and keep them guessing.”

The Orioles offense left a rough August in the past with a pesky performance complete with situational hitting, smart base running and a tape-measure home run by James McCann. Gunnar Henderson led the way with a pair of RBI singles, the first of which gave Baltimore an early lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Henderson, who entered the contest hitting .130 (6-for-46) over his last 12 games, had not had  a multi-hit game since Aug. 17.

“A lot more comfortable out there,” Henderson said of the Orioles offense. “It looked like we were just playing ball. Not trying to do too much. Felt like it was a good all-around day today.”

Baltimore wore Rockies starter Ty Blach down to set up a four-run fourth inning, which was capped off by McCann’s two-run, 429-foot blast to left-center field. Eloy Jiménez got the rally started with a leadoff walk before scoring from first on a ground ball that Coby Mayo snuck through the right side and underneath the glove of Cave to roll all the way to the wall. Cedric Mullins dropped a flare into shallow right field to score Mayo, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to the game, before coming around on McCann’s homer.

By jumping ahead 5-0, the Orioles (79-59) opened up their largest lead at any point of a game since building an initial 7-1 advantage over the New York Mets on Aug. 20. They tacked on another in the seventh when Jackson Holliday singled, stole second base and scored on Henderson’s second RBI knock. Holliday recorded a hit in all three games of the series in Denver, where his father, Matt Holliday, played six seasons during his storied MLB career.

The effort Sunday was a strong response from the Orioles following Saturday’s disaster in which both Dean Kremer and Ramón Urías left with injuries. Urías landed on the 10-day injured list with an ankle sprain Sunday morning and Hyde said he “would be surprised” if Kremer was able to make his next start, though he added that it was too soon to tell.

“It’s tough, if it’s not one thing it’s been another,” McCann said. “But this is what you train for all offseason, this is what you plan for all season long is this month, the last 30 days of the season, competition for a division title and competition for a playoff spot, and then obviously hopefully a long October run.”

The lone blemish against Eflin on the day was a two-out, seventh-inning rally by Colorado. Center fielder Brenton Doyle, first baseman Michael Toglia and designated hitter Nolan Jones strung together three straight singles off Eflin to score a run and prompt a mound visit from pitching coach Drew French. Eflin then struck out Cave to end his outing at 85 pitches, a conservative play by manager Brandon Hyde after his starter chose to forgo a rehabilitation start to return from the IL on time.

“He’s just been great for us,” Hyde said. “We’ve got to keep him healthy this last month. That’s going to be key. But he just pitches like a total pro and he’s such a competitor and he’s got such confidence in all his pitches.”

Matt Bowman took over for the eighth and worked around a walk to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar for a scoreless frame before Gregory Soto closed out the game in the ninth. With the win, the Orioles clinched their first series victory since taking two of three from the Rays on Aug. 9-11.

They finished 3-3 on their National League West road trip and now return home trailing the New York Yankees by half a game in the AL East. Baltimore is set to host the lowly Chicago White Sox for the three game with Corbin Burnes slated to start opposite Chris Flexen on Monday.

With the move corresponding with the Sept. 1 active roster expansion date, the Orioles also recalled infield prospect Coby Mayo from Triple-A Norfolk, activated right-hander Zach Eflin to start Sunday’s series finale and selected catcher David Bañuelos’ contract. They designated outfielder Forrest Wall, claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, for assignment to clear a spot on their 40-man roster.

Right-hander Dean Kremer, who also left the game Saturday after taking a 103.1 mph comebacker off his forearm, remained on the active roster. The team announced that X-rays came back negative on a fracture and he was diagnosed with a right forearm contusion.

“Kind of a disappointing night,” said Orioles first base coach Anthony Sanders, who spoke to the media pregame Sunday in place of manager Brandon Hyde. “But just really worried about Dean and Urías, and then especially him getting tipped with the nose and then now the ankle after that. Just got to cross our fingers and just hope that we can just stay healthy down the stretch.”

The Orioles also announced a pair of updates on relievers who were recently designated for assignment. Left-hander Nick Vespi cleared waivers and was assigned to Norfolk. The Toronto Blue Jays claimed right-hander Dillon Tate, putting an end to his seven-year run with the organization.

Urías is the latest in a long string of players to hit the IL for the Orioles this season, and his loss will be felt by the lineup after he slashed .260/.337/.521 with five home runs and 17 RBIs as an admirable replacement for injured All-Star Jordan Westburg. Mayo will look to produce similar results, arriving for his second stint in the majors after he went 1-for-17 earlier this month.

“I was on the plane and, obviously, I saw what happened after the fact,” Mayo said. “But he was obviously doing very well and I’m bummed for him because it’s probably his best point of the season but yeah, obviously these guys probably need me to step up and I’m just going to do my best and play hard and no pressure. Just do what I can do.”

Mayo, 22, is the Orioles’ No. 1 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline’s organizational rankings. The 2020 fourth-round pick has smashed Triple-A pitching this season, hitting .293 with 22 home runs and a .943 OPS in 87 games. Hyde penciled him in at third base Sunday, batting sixth in their lineup. Mayo has also played first in Norfolk and could see some time there while Ryan Mountcastle is on the IL with a wrist injury.

The Orioles also get a boost from the return of Eflin, who missed the minimum 15 days recovering from right shoulder inflammation. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline, Eflin has a 2.15 ERA with 25 strikeouts in four starts for Baltimore. With Kremer’s health in question, Grayson Rodriguez working his way back from right lat/teres discomfort and fellow starters Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells all out for the season, the Orioles will need Eflin to pick up right where he left off for the September stretch run.

Bañuelos, who was on the Orioles’ taxi squad, rejoins the active roster for the third time this season. Wall went 4-for-11 with a home run and five RBIs in three games with Norfolk.