Shane Baz Points to Missed Play in Orioles' Close Loss

For Baltimore, Shane Baz gave the Orioles the type of start they needed Friday night, but the offense could not give him enough help in a 2-1 loss to the Rangers.

Baz pitched all eight innings, allowed three hits and one walk, and struck out nine, while one two-run home run in the sixth was enough to beat him.

By the ninth, the final score was frustrating because Baltimore had scored first and still had a chance to tie the game, but the issue was familiar, as the Orioles collected seven hits, left eight runners on base and finished another strong start without a win while falling to 56-60.

After Friday, Baz is now 4-11 with a 3.76 ERA, even though he has worked 136 1/3 innings and struck out 120 batters this season, and his record does not show how well he pitched in Texas, where he completed a game for the first time in his career.

Coby Mayo singled home Leody Taveras in the second inning, and that lead held until Elias Díaz reached on a slow roller in the sixth, which Baz could not field cleanly, then Joc Pederson hit a two-run home run that put Texas ahead for good.

The slow roller stayed with Baz after the game.

He said, "I’m probably going to replay that dribbler in my head all night. That’s more what I’m upset about. It’s just one of those things where if I field that ball, it’s a tie game, then we have a lot better shot."

In the ninth, the Orioles nearly tied the game when Taveras reached on an infield single and Christian Franklin doubled for his first major league hit.

Taveras tried to score, but he was called out at home, and the call stood after replay before Texas finished the game.

At the plate, Taveras entered Saturday hitting .224 with 10 steals, and his two-hit night gave Baltimore a chance from the bottom half of the order.

The Orioles still needed the top of the lineup to produce more, especially after the team has fallen well short of its preseason hopes.

Baltimore has already watched Gunnar Henderson work through a difficult season, and the lineup cannot keep asking its pitchers to win with one run.

Baz kept Texas quiet for most of the night, but the Orioles had only one run to show for seven hits.

That leaves almost no room for a missed play or one pitch that leaves the park.

The Orioles showed in July that they could put together a winning run, but at this point, close losses are harder to accept because the schedule is getting shorter.

Baz gave them eight innings, saved the bullpen and kept the game within reach, which is everything Baltimore could ask from a starter.

The series continues Saturday in Texas, and the Orioles need the offense to respond before another useful pitching performance is wasted.

Baz can fix the slow roller that bothered him, but Baltimore's hitters have to fix the larger problem by turning more of their chances into runs.