CHICAGO – The White Sox announced last night’s attendance at 11,020, but the entire upper deck was empty and the lower bowl had rows and rows of unoccupied seats. Tickets sold don’t equal bodies in the ballpark. The Windy City isn’t keen on supporting a team that …

You can fill in the rest.

The mailbag carried the necessary weight to avoid tipping over. Time to sort through it.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. You ask and I answer. The sarcasm comes at no extra charge.

Also, my mailbag lays down squeeze bunts and your mailbag gets chased out of bakeries for squeezing bundts.

TORONTO – On a given day in 2024, you never knew what you would see from Albert Suárez. 

On May 22 of last year, he tossed two-thirds of an inning against the Cardinals in high-leverage bullpen work. Three days later, he started against the White Sox, tossing four scoreless. 

It was the same story later that season. To kick off August, the right-hander came out of the bullpen for an inning and two-thirds only to follow it up with five shutout innings with six strikeouts against the Toronto Blue Jays. 

That’s exactly what the O’s are hoping for out of Suárez this afternoon, who starts in Toronto after appearing in the 10th inning in his last outing. 

“If you get him up to five, I think you’re probably doing a pretty good job right there,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said of Suárez’s upcoming outing. “I think he got up to five in one of his rehab starts. That’s a while ago. He hasn’t built up that high. I think here with us, probably, three innings is what he’s got. Albert has a tendency to be efficient at times and he can get some outs quick. If all goes well and he gets to the fifth, that would be great. If something went crazy and somehow he got into the sixth, it would be incredible.” 

TORONTO – Trevor Rogers’ early exit from tonight’s game due to left toe discomfort, and the subsequent questions that followed in the brief absence of that injury update, perfectly summed up his recent stretch of dominance. 

The lefty wasn’t his sharpest tonight in Toronto. He walked four batters, contributing to more traffic on the basepaths than we’re accustomed to seeing, and had to work through lengthy innings. 

He didn’t allow an earned run in five innings of work. 

And yet, given Rogers’ standards and the level to which he’s raised the bar, many were left pondering what went wrong. 

That’s the luxurious viewpoint that we’re able to have on Rogers, whose mastery on the mound has made elite outings commonplace and merely good outings surprising. 

Tyler O’Neill will give it another try and hope to make it through the rest of the month.

The Orioles reinstated O’Neill from the 10-day injured list this afternoon and optioned outfielder Daniel Johnson to Triple-A Norfolk. O’Neill hasn’t played since Aug. 5 in Philadelphia due to right wrist inflammation. He just finished a rehab assignment that ended with Triple-A Norfolk.

O'Neill has made three stops on the injured list this season. He's appeared in 43 games in his first season with the Orioles and slashed .210/.293/.434 with six doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 23 RBIs. He homered and went 3-for-3 with three RBIs on Opening Day at Rogers Centre. He also homered against the Blue Jays on April 13 in Baltimore.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers makes his 16^th start after posting a 1.51 ERA and 0.868 WHIP in 95 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Dodgers in his last outing, the first time that he surrendered more than one since July 20 in Tampa.

Rogers’ 1.51 ERA through 15 starts is an all-time low among Orioles pitchers.

The Orioles filled the dugout this evening, a much larger turnout than normal about an hour before first pitch. Legends who preceded their arrivals in Baltimore came out of the tunnel one by one and walked onto the field, including some Hall of Famers. Cal Ripken Jr. was introduced and circled the warning track in a red Corvette convertible, spinning wheels allowing him to skip the jog from 30 years earlier.

The numbers 2131 hung from the warehouse again. The 1995 Orioles finished in third place in their division and missed the playoffs again. The 2025 team is in last place and also headed home after the final game. Past and present got to mingle tonight, the younger crowd captivated by the history lesson.

Little did they know that they’d almost end up on the wrong side of history and ignite their own celebration with an absolutely wild finish.

Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed a no-hitter for 8 2/3 innings before Jackson Holliday homered to right field. The Orioles loaded the bases, drew a walk and won 4-3 on Emmanuel Rivera's two-run single into center field off Tanner Scott before an announced sellout crowd of 42,612. 

Yamamoto threw 112 pitches, the last a 2-1 cutter that bounced back onto the field. Jackson sped up, thinking double, and was signaled home. Yamamoto left the game to a standing ovation from Dodgers fans. He was sensational, walking two batters in the third inning and retiring 19 in a row. He got two easy outs in the ninth on a strikeout and fly ball. 

The Orioles have brought pitcher Chayce McDermott to Baltimore and put him on the 24-hour medical taxi squad.

McDermott is here in case Dean Kremer’s forearm soreness necessitates a stay on the injured list.

Samuel Basallo is catching again tonight after his walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning – which also was his first homer at Camden Yards.

Jeremiah Jackson stays in right field, Emmanuel Rivera remains at third base and Coby Mayo stays at first base. Dylan Beavers is the left fielder.

Trevor Rogers has a 1.39 ERA, the lowest by any Orioles starter in his first 14 games. He’s allowed one run in seven innings in each of his last four outings, and one run in each of his last six.

SAN DIEGO – A couple of injured Orioles are nearing their returns to the active roster this month. The injured list holds 10 players and can get down to single digits.

Consider it an accomplishment in 2025.

Infielder Jordan Westburg (ankle) is doing full baseball activities and should go on a rehab assignment next week.

Westburg hasn’t played since Aug. 18 in Boston.

“Everything is getting closer and closer,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino.

SAN DIEGO – The rest of baseball also recognizes Trevor Rogers’ brilliance on the mound.

Rogers was named the American League’s Pitcher of the Month for August, while Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta won the honor in the National League.

Rogers is the 14^th Oriole to earn the distinction and the first since Corbin Burnes last September. Erik Bedard was the last left-hander in 2007.

This is the first time that Rogers has won it.

It was fairly predictable.

SAN FRANCISCO – Trevor Rogers looked human on the mound this afternoon, but just for a brief moment.

The Giants’ Willy Adames barreled a fastball and deposited it into the left-center field seats with two outs in the first inning. Rogers spun part way to track it and bent at the waist. Only the third homer hit against him in 14 starts and the first since July 20 in Tampa.

As if it mattered. He calmly went back to work and the Orioles went on a power trip.

Jeremiah Jackson and Ryan Mountcastle homered in the third, Samuel Basallo belted his first in the majors, and the Orioles defeated the Giants 11-1 before an announced crowd of 37,711 at Oracle Park.

The Orioles (61-75) won for only the second time in 10 games. The Giants’ winning streak was snapped at six.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Orioles have lost eight of their last nine games, but they have left-hander Trevor Rogers on the mound this afternoon at Oracle Park.

Take the guy with the 1.40 ERA any day.

Rogers has allowed one run in each of his five starts this month totaling 35 innings. He’s struck out 36 batters.

In his final start in July, Rogers shut out the Rockies on one hit over seven innings. If he isn’t Most Valuable Oriole, he’s no worse than the runner-up.

Rogers has made three career starts against the Giants and posted a 2.63 ERA and 1.098 WHIP in 13 2/3 innings. He allowed two earned runs and three total in five innings in his only appearance in San Francisco.

The promotions of Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers to the majors reduced the number of Orioles storylines that create interest over the final month-plus of a hugely disappointing season.

The ball is in Kyle Bradish’s court. And his right hand.

Bradish starts tonight for the first time since June 14, 2024, when he came out of the game after five innings and only 74 pitches. He tossed six scoreless innings with only one hit allowed in his previous outing. Something was wrong.

We knew. Bradish received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow five months early in an attempt to avoid reconstructive elbow surgery. Each start, each pitch, brought its own drama.

How long could he last?

A season that might be the most disappointing in franchise history – it’s certainly in the discussion and ignores each time 2018 wants it to hold a beer – won’t define the future of the Orioles organization.

Every player, coach, instructor front office member and team employee expresses confidence in a major bounce back in 2026. Control owner David Rubenstein waited for executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias to finish an answer Saturday at catcher Samuel Basallo’s press conference and chimed in with his thoughts on the season and what lies ahead.

“We had some bad luck this year, obviously,” he said. “Health challenges were more severe than anybody could have ever predicted. Our players, when we have our best team on the field and they’re healthy, I think we’re as good as anybody in baseball. We just need to stay healthy, and hopefully we can be healthier next year. We’ve got some really good other projects under way. I think people are going to be really happy in Baltimore with what we field next year.”

Catcher Adley Rutschman knows disappointment. He’s roomed with it. They order DoorDash and binge Netflix.

Rutschman is as qualified as anyone to talk about it, with his first two career stops on the injured list due to left and right oblique strains and a .227/.310/.373 line in 85 games. His run of All-Star selections ended at two in a row. And he might not get another at-bat this season until he heals faster than his first shutdown.

The face, name and delivery were familiar. Had to be Trevor Rogers. Just block out the traffic on the bases and it made sense.

Rogers allowed a hit on his first pitch today, walked two batters in the third inning, committed a balk and surrendered the tying run. When the bar is set to near perfection, the hiccups are jolting.

In this magical season for Rogers, he can slip below his usual standards and conjure up a win. He can struggle a little and still skimp on the runs.

Rogers lowered his ERA to 1.40 with one run allowed in his fifth consecutive start, and the Orioles avoided a sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Astros before an announced crowd of 19,746 at Camden Yards. Their record is 60-70.

Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti retired 15 batters in a row before Gunnar Henderson’s two-out single in the sixth inning. Henderson stole second and third base to give him 19, and he scored when Ryan Mountcastle poked a sinker into right field for a 2-1 lead.

BOSTON – The Orioles didn’t bring their smoke machines and disco lights to Fenway Park. The ballpark is so old, the equipment might have blown out the fuses or started a fire. But you could hear players through the walls celebrating after Monday night’s win.

Voices were loud. Veteran pitcher Trevor Rogers made a speech praising 21-year-old rookie catcher Samuel Basallo on his first major league game behind the plate. Basallo didn’t understand every word but appreciated the kindness, smiling through most of his postgame interview at his locker.

The words coming from the stereo last night were understood and not suited for a post-game television broadcast. The music had to be turned down, but you couldn’t kill the party.

This group is having fun again.

Coping with adversity is a big part of it, including the latest round of physical setbacks.

BOSTON – Those moments during the season when it felt like the Orioles were scrambling to fill out their roster have disappeared like one of Samuel Basallo’s home run balls in the minors.

The crab cake analogy fits again – less filler makes for a better product.

Manager Tony Mansolino has a plan, devised by the group, and it’s going to get Basallo, Dylan Beavers and Coby Mayo in the lineup on most nights. Mayo and Adley Rutschman sat last night because Basallo needed to catch and Ryan Mountcastle needed to get some reps at first base. Players can rotate into the designated hitter role, with Jeremiah Jackson taking his turn against the Red Sox.

“It’s exciting,” Mansolino said. “It’s a good problem to have.”

Much better than those constant headaches.

BOSTON – One day after the Orioles scored a dozen runs in a shutout in Houston and celebrated the infusion of young prospect talent and energy on the roster, Jordan Westburg limped off the field and reminded everyone that the 2025 season is a cruel mistress.

Take the good, and there’s much more of it lately, but prepare to get hurt again. It’s a package deal.

Westburg came out of the game with right ankle discomfort, but the Orioles didn’t let it spoil their evening. Trevor Rogers produced another gem with one run in seven innings and the Orioles prevailed 6-3 over the Red Sox at Fenway Park for their fifth win in six games.

Rogers lowered his ERA to 1.41 and WHIP to 0.80 with his 10^th quality start in 12 appearances. Gunnar Henderson hit his 15^th home run in the third inning to create a three-way tie with Westburg and Jackson Holliday for the team lead, and he added a run-scoring triple in the seventh. Samuel Basallo collected his first major league extra-base hit and added a two-run single in the ninth. Dylan Beavers had his first RBI and reached base four times.

Ryan Mountcastle returned to first base, singled three times and flied to the center field wall at 404 feet and 107.2 mph.

BOSTON – The Orioles have won four of their last five games and are sending out another lineup tonight ripe with top prospects.

Samuel Basallo is catching his first major league game, with Adley Rutschman on the bench. Dylan Beavers is in right field.

Coby Mayo also is on the bench. Ryan Mountcastle gets the start at first base. Jeremiah Jackson is the designated hitter.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers has a 1.43 ERA and 0.808 WHIP in 11 starts. And it all began with his start at Fenway Park in Game 2 of a May 24 doubleheader, when he allowed two hits in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

Hoyt Wilhelm (1.25 in 1959) is the only Orioles pitcher with a lower ERA in the first 11 starts in a season. Jim Palmer is third at 1.68 in 1975.

With each passing start, Trevor Rogers offers further confirmation that what he’s doing isn’t a fluke. He isn’t going to fall apart at the baseball seams. This is how he pitches.

He can't control the bullpen, which stumbled again, but he can put his trust in a young hitter to make the mishap irrelevant.  

Rogers completed seven innings again tonight and allowed only one run, and Jackson Holliday doubled with two outs in the ninth to score Dylan Carlson and give the Orioles their first walk-off win, 4-3, over the Mariners before an announced crowd of 17,290 at Camden Yards.  

Carlson, who had two hits after ending an 0-for-35 slump last night, singled off Matt Brash with two outs and raced home on Holliday's first career walk-off. The Orioles were the last team in the majors to get one, and it came from Holliday, who was 5-for-41 this month before pulling a slider down the right field line.

"I knew he had a really good slider," said Holliday, who almost had his jersey torn off by teammates during the celebration. "Honestly, just trying to hit another line drive, hit a barrel. But I was kind of looking for that pitch and just trying to get it in a good spot to do something with and was able to do that.

PHILADELPHIA – The Orioles hadn’t scored in 18 innings and their No. 5 hitter today didn’t produce an extra-base hit or RBI in his first 17 major league plate appearances. The batter behind him began the day with a .213 average and was 2-for-23 since a three-hit game in Baltimore. But post-deadline baseball is meant to provide opportunities with the hope that some wins are attached.

Jeremiah Jackson broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a double down the left field line off Ranger Suárez and Coby Mayo followed with a big-boy three-run homer in a 5-1 victory over the Phillies that prevented a sweep at Citizens Bank Park.

Trevor Rogers had traffic every inning but held the Phillies to one run through the sixth, and the Orioles improved to 52-63 overall and 2-4 on their road trip. They’re off Thursday and host the Athletics over the weekend.

"It feels great," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "You walk in here against this team, especially after getting your teeth kicked in for two nights, it’s easy to lay down at a 12:35 game when you’ve got Ranger Suárez on the mound in Philadelphia with kind of the momentum they have and the lack thereof that we have. For the boys to go out there and do what they did, awesome."

Gunnar Henderson began the fourth with an opposite-field single and Adley Rutschman beat out a grounder that deflected off Suárez’s glove. Jackson gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead and Mayo padded it with authority, blistering a first-pitch changeup 421 feet to left field at 108.5 mph.

PHILADELPHIA – Vimael Machín has joined the Orioles on the medical taxi squad with Tyler O’Neill’s status uncertain.

O’Neill exited last night’s game in the sixth inning with right wrist soreness. X-rays were negative.

Machín can stay with the Orioles for 24 hours without having his contract selected. He hasn’t played in the majors since 2022 with the Athletics.

Machín was removed from last night’s game at Triple-A Norfolk after one at-bat. He’s hitting .294 with an .835 OPS, 22 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 69 RBIs in 97 games with the Tides.

Neither team has posted its lineup for today’s series finales. The Orioles are 1-4 since the trade deadline and have lost five of six games overall.