The challenges keep coming at the Orioles, one after another, contenders leaving them and others waiting right around the corner.

A ninth walk-off win last night is followed by a three-game series in Houston, where the Orioles can visit with former teammate Trey Mancini and try to gain ground in the wild card race.

Last night’s improbable result, a 4-3 win in 11 innings over the White Sox, kept them 2 ½ games back for the last spot.

The Orioles earned their 29^th comeback win, the most since 2017, after Kyle Stowers tied the game with his first major league home run after falling behind 0-2 with two outs in the ninth. Anthony Santander singled in the 11^th for his second career walk-off hit.

The club has registered three consecutive winning months for the first time since April-June 2016.

Jordan Lyles coaxed the double play grounder that he needed last night with runners on the corners with one out in the third inning. Catcher Adley Rutschman jogged to the first base line, gave Lyles a congratulatory pat and maintained a dialogue with him as they walked to the dugout.

Tim Cossins, the Orioles’ major league field coordinator, is watching from a distance this season after relocating from the dugout to the bullpen. He smiles at the mention of Rutschman’s enthusiastic routine. And he’s reminded of the conversations that were held to debate its merits.

The bottom line was this: Changing anything about Rutschman defied logic. Let the kid keep doing it.

Tweak some mechanics behind the plate to improve throwing accuracy. That’s fine. But otherwise, don’t fix the parts that aren’t broken.

Cossins, also the team’s catching instructor, believes that baseball’s former No. 1 prospect came as advertised, and this is a supreme compliment.

A clubhouse that’s started to check the standings while it’s in the thick of a wild card race – likely a majority of players, if not universally – knew exactly where it stood tonight before the first pitch.

The Rays won. The Mariners won. Two teams gaining ground ahead of the Orioles.

The outcomes don’t really matter if the Orioles can’t take care of their own business, which is why they glance at the scores and lock in on their opponent.

Jordan Lyles surrendered a first-pitch home run tonight and cruised into the seventh, where the White Sox tied the game on two soft hits and a throwing error. They scored a run in the eighth against Dillon Tate, again doing damage within the bullpen, and came within a strike of winning in regulation. Of retiring the last 13 batters.

Down 0-2 against closer Liam Hendriks, Kyle Stowers hit his first major league home run with a shot to center field that tied the score. A rookie in his seventh major league game, with three hits in 23 at-bats and none in his last 13, handling some of the business.

Tyler Wells threw his second bullpen session today and keeps making progress in his eventual return from a left oblique injury.

Wells is nearing a live batting practice session to get him reacclimated to facing hitters.

“It’s going very well,” Hyde said. “Threw his second bullpen, feels great after. All positive news from there.”

The Orioles haven’t determined Well’s role after he makes it back onto the active roster. Building him back up as a starter will take longer, which could influence them to make him a reliever.

“We’re still going to work some things out,” Hyde said.

The Orioles recalled reliever Rico Garcia from Triple-A Norfolk today to provide a fresh arm for a struggling bullpen. They optioned reliever Louis Head after last night’s game.

The club also optioned reliever Phoenix Sanders after claiming him off waivers yesterday from the Rays. He has three minor league options.

Garcia has appeared in four games with the Orioles and allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. He has a 2.30 ERA in 14 appearances with Norfolk.

The Orioles will try tonight to win another series and move closer to the final wild card spot. They remained 2 ½ games back after last night’s 5-3 loss to the White Sox.

Kyle Stowers is in right field and Terrin Vavra is starting at second base.

The debate over American League Rookie of the Year is boiling down to Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman and Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez. Much of the field is evaporating. They could be one and two, though more than a month of the season remains.

The ballot distributed to qualified members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America holds three names.

Does Orioles reliever Félix Bautista belong on it?

“Yeah, he’s been unbelievable this year,” said first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.

“Absolutely,” said starter John Means.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle made a diving stop of Yoán Moncada’s ground ball tonight and outraced him to the bag to record the out and prevent at least one more run from scoring. Elvis Andrus struck out, and Spenser Watkins caught a break only down 2-0 in the first inning.

On many nights in 2022, that play would launch a comeback for the Orioles. Their starter would get on a roll, they’d string together some hits, and the outcome would strengthen the belief that they have the stamina to stay in the wild card chase.

They still feel that way. Their confidence won’t erode. And Watkins didn’t allow another run. But the Orioles couldn’t push past the White Sox, who kept the lead and won 5-3 at Camden Yards.

Austin Hays slugged a two-run homer off Liam Hendriks in the ninth, his 300th career hit, but a fifth attempt to move seven games above .500 failed, dropping the Orioles to 64-59.

Watkins stranded a runner in each of his next four innings and retired the side in order in the sixth on three ground balls. The White Sox hadn’t cashed in much during this series, leaving 27 on base.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is breaking out his reverse-splits lineup again tonight with the White Sox starting right-hander Lucas Giolito.

Robinson Chirinos is catching and Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter. Terrin Vavra and Kyle Stowers are on the bench.

Shortstop Jorge Mateo is batting eighth tonight for the 20^th time. He’s batted second once, fifth in three games, sixth in four, seventh in 16 and ninth in 65.

Mateo is slashing .294/.342/.538 with nine doubles, four triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs and 27 runs scored in his last 44 games since July 1, and .317/.355/.574 with seven doubles, two triples, five home runs, 20 RBIs and 20 runs scored in 29 games since the All-Star break. His .929 OPS in the second half ranks 11^th in the American League.

Hyde could elevate Mateo in certain matchups, but he doesn’t want to mess with a good thing.

The Orioles are adding a new reliever to the bullpen, claiming right-hander Phoenix Sanders from the Rays earlier today.

Sanders won’t report before Thursday. He’s filling the vacant spot on the 40-man roster.

The Rays designated Sanders, 27, for assignment two days ago. He made eight appearances this season as a rookie and allowed five runs and 12 hits with three walks and 12 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.

Sanders, who was born in Germany, has registered a 3.35 ERA and 1.151 WHIP in five minor league seasons. He’s struck out 313 batters in 258 innings, walked 71 and surrendered only 28 home runs.

The 2022 season didn’t go smoothly at Triple-A Durham. Sanders posted a 5.40 ERA and 1.367 WHIP in 25 appearances, though he walked only two batters and struck out 36 in 30 innings.

While the Orioles chase their playoff dreams in 2022, they know where they’ll begin the 2023 season and which opponent will be their first at Camden Yards.

Opening day for the Orioles is set for Thursday, March 30 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. A trip to Texas follows before their first home game on April 6 against the Yankees.

The homestand includes three games versus the Athletics before trips to Chicago and D.C.

The last regular season series consists of four games against the Red Sox at Camden Yards, the last on Oct. 1, after the Orioles host the Nationals for two.

The All-Star break runs from July 10-13, after a four-game series in the Bronx and three games in Minnesota. The second half begins with visits from the Marlins and Dodgers.

A new format reduces the number of division opponents, with every team appearing on the schedule.

Other National League visitors include the Pirates on May 12-14, the Reds on June 26-28, the Mets on Aug. 4-6, the Rockies on Aug. 25-27 and the Cardinals on Sept. 11-13.

The Mets series features manager Buck Showalter’s return to Baltimore, his first since the conclusion of the 2018 season.

The Orioles travel to Atlanta on May 5-7, San Francisco on June 2-4, Milwaukee on June 6-8, Chicago’s Wrigley Field on June 16-18, Philadelphia on July 24-26, San Diego on Aug. 14-16, and Arizona on Sept. 1-3.

The longest road trips involve Detroit, Kansas City and Atlanta, an August swing through Seattle, San Diego and Oakland, and a September excursion to Arizona, Anaheim and Boston. Each series consisting of nine games in 10 days.

The Orioles go to Houston and Cleveland back-to-back in September, which repeats their upcoming trip.

All six games against the Tigers will be played in April.

The schedule shows games played on Easter Sunday (April 9 vs. the Yankees), Mother’s Day (May 14 vs. the Pirates), and Memorial Day (May 29 vs. the Guardians).

Times will be finalized at a later date.

Jorge Mateo made his 108^th start at shortstop last night, his status as the position’s caretaker long ago established.

But what about 2023?

Gunnar Henderson is baseball’s No. 1 or 2 prospect, depending on the rankings, and his debut is coming. He played second base again last night with Triple-A Norfolk, his fifth consecutive game on the right side of the infield, including two at first base. But he’s a shortstop getting his footing at other spots for roster flexibility with the Orioles – if he is, indeed, promoted in 2022.

Beyond that, he’s always been projected as their shortstop unless Jordan Westburg pushed him to third. Or if Joey Ortiz pushed him to third.

It’s never been about Mateo, but now it must be, because, well, look at him.

Moving away from the American League East doesn’t necessarily feel like a great escape for the Orioles.

They host the White Sox for three games and travel to Houston and Cleveland. Two leaders of their own divisions and a team battling for a wild card spot. Everyone with something to play for during the fourth week of August.

“They’re good,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “No breaks here.”

The Orioles caught one in the first inning tonight when Dylan Cease hung a slider that Ryan Mountcastle turned into a three-run homer to trump Eloy Jiménez’s two-run shot off Austin Voth in the top half. And two more when balls that would have been home runs in past years ricocheted off the top of the left field wall, forcing the White Sox to settle for doubles measured at 405 and 402 feet.

Voth bent a lot without snapping, and the Orioles made the most of a few clutch swings in a 5-3 win at Camden Yards.

Tyler Wells threw his first bullpen session this afternoon since experiencing soreness in his left oblique during a July 27 start.

Wells has been playing catch in the outfield. Today marked another important advancement in his quest to rejoin the Orioles pitching staff next month.

“Went well, felt really good,” Wells said. “Just another step in the process that we’ve kind of decided on was, feeling good enough to get out there. Felt really good, no issues, and just pleased with it.”

Wells called it a “normal” bullpen session, with more than just fastballs thrown.

“Today was a good feel day to just move down the mound and get a good feel for it,” he said.

The Orioles are 2 ½ games out of the last wild card spot, but they moved ahead of the Twins without playing last night and begin another important series against the White Sox at Camden Yards.

Chicago is four back in the wild card race.

No moves were made today to alter the Orioles’ active roster. All they did was reinstate infielder Jonathan Araúz from the 10-day injured list and option him to Triple-A Norfolk.

If shortstop Gunnar Henderson is making his major league debut this week, it won’t happen tonight.

Terrin Vavra is batting fifth and playing second base. Rougned Odor is at third base.

The Orioles begin a crucial non-division series tonight with the White Sox in town for three games.

Crucial no longer seems like a necessary designation. It's redundant. They're all big.

Every tie-breaking scenario comes into play with a packed wild card race, and the Orioles won three of four in Chicago back in June. Head-to-head results are important.

They missed out on a sweep after Dylan Cease, who starts tonight, held them to one run and struck out 13 batters in seven innings. They scored two unearned runs in the ninth off Kendall Graveman after consecutive errors by first baseman José Abreu in a 4-3 loss.

So long ago that Jonathan Arauz homered and had a run-scoring single.

Left-hander DL Hall didn’t make it out of the bullpen yesterday at Triple-A Norfolk, if that’s where he sits when he isn’t scheduled to pitch.

He wasn’t on the lineup card. And he didn’t pitch.

The Orioles want Hall back in the majors as a power arm coming out of the bullpen. They’re shortening his outings and intend to do the same with his rest periods.

But not yet, apparently.

The minors shut down on Mondays except for the Florida Complex League, which went dark yesterday. Hall could get a few innings Tuesday night in Jacksonville.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Orioles officially have a home game tonight versus Boston although they have traveled north to Williamsport, Pa. to play in the Little League Classic.

After a 15-10 Orioles win on Friday night and 4-3 loss on Saturday, the teams play the third and deciding game of this series tonight at historic Bowman Field, home of the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League.

It's the fifth annual Little League Classic.

The O’s trailed 3-0 in the last of the seventh yesterday and scored twice to pull within 3-2 that inning on a Kyle Stowers' RBI groundout and a wild pitch that scored Jorge Mateo. Boston would take a 4-2 lead in the top of the ninth before the O’s pulled back within a run on another Stowers grounder. But that was as close as they got.

The Orioles (62-58) have lost three straight one-run games and are 17-21 in one-run decisions for the season. Overall, Baltimore has lost three of four and five of the last eight games.

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – After their visit earlier today to the Little League World Series site, including Lamade Stadium and interactions with numerous Little Leaguers, the Orioles have moved over to Bowman Field where they are scheduled to play the Red Sox tonight to wrap up a three-game series.

There has been heavy rain in the area this afternoon with steady rain still falling after 4 p.m. today. The clubs are hopeful they will get this one in. For the Orioles, it is a chance to show a national audience on ESPN how much their team has improved this year.

“We haven’t been on the national stage very often, if at all," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "And to be able to have our guys be seen across the country, the only game that is going, I think it’s a big deal for a lot of our players. Lot of those guys have not been in postseason or on Sunday Night Baseball before. To be able to showcase and to be able to have friends and family watch on national TV, our guys will take a lot out of that."

Hyde said center fielder Cedric Mullins, who didn’t play Saturday after fouling a ball off his shin Friday, will be in tonight’s lineup. And he’s leading off in center.

“He’s going to get some treatment here and his foot feels better,” Hyde said.

The Orioles are in Williamsport, Pa. tonight for the Little League Classic and their first appearance in ESPN’s primetime game in four years.

Outfielder Yusniel Diaz has joined the team as its 27^th man, an unexpected perk considering this isn’t a doubleheader.

Diaz struck out in his major league debut on Aug. 2 after a temporary promotion at the trade deadline.

The Orioles are 2 ½ games back for the last wild card spot. The Twins are one game ahead of the Orioles, and the White Sox are a half-game behind.

There’s a traffic jam in this race.

If you’re inclined to read a little or a lot into a player’s position change, Gunnar Henderson starting at second base last night at Triple-A Norfolk is a real page turner.

Henderson made his first career starts at first base in the past two games and moved to second last night, where his only experience was one game with high Single-A Aberdeen in 2021. He played five innings but didn’t start.

What’s going on with Henderson?

The same thing that put him at first base.

The Orioles want Henderson to get comfortable on the right side of the infield and increase their options if his contract is selected, which seems like a lock. They can use his left-handed bat in multiple ways, and the roster gains more flexibility.