Orioles' streak of series wins ends at seven with 12-inning loss (updated)

ATLANTA – Brandon Hyde didn’t have much to offer the local beat crew before today’s game. Nothing had changed in 12 hours besides his lineup. Morning baseball doesn’t usually bring much news or anything of interest unless the roster is impacted. It just happens, taxing bodies and minds after a late night.

The Orioles’ manager held a cup of coffee, not his first of the day, and joked about his breakfast. Eggs over medium. Nothing is easy around here. Hyde got in a quick workout. And he tried to guide his club to an eighth series win in a row.

Of course, the game would go to extra innings. Baseball has a sense of humor.

It also has walk-off wins for the home team.

Michael Harris II doubled off Cionel Pérez in the 12th to score automatic runner Ozzie Albies with one out and give the Braves a 3-2 victory over the Orioles before an announced sellout crowd of 40,800 at Truist Park.

Michael Tonkin tossed two scoreless innings for Atlanta to earn the win. The Orioles' bullpen didn't allow a hit in six innings heading into the 12th when Harris followed an intentional walk with a fly ball to deep left-center.

The Orioles went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

"Just two tough games there the last couple games, but I thought we really fought well, played hard, and we had opportunities today," Hyde said. "Let a few get away, unfortunately.

"We just didn't get any hits with runners in scoring position and I felt like our swings were a little bit big today. We've been doing a pretty good job. Just, maybe they made pitches on us. We definitely had a ton of opportunities to put more runs across. We just didn't get it done today."

Ronald Acuña Jr. threw out automatic runner Austin Hays, who tagged on Adam Frazier’s fly ball, in the top of the 11th. Matt Olson drew an intentional walk with one out in the bottom half, but Mike Baumann struck out the next two batters.

Anthony Santander singled off Jesse Chavez in the 10^th to score automatic runner Cedric Mullins, but Félix Bautista's wild pitch with Sam Hilliard at third base tied the game again in the bottom half. Harris walked, stole second base and was thrown out at third by Adley Rutschman on a tapper in front of the plate. Bautista struck out Murphy to carry the game into the 11th.

The Orioles went left to search for satisfaction in two late one-run losses to the best team in the National League.

"It's a great lineup and it's a really good club and we had a chance to win last night and we had a chance to win multiple times today, so we're obviously disappointed," Hyde said. "I thought we played well, we just didn't do a few things to kind of get a lead there."

"I think it just shows that we're up there with the best," said Tyler Wells. "I think that the last three games have been great baseball regardless of the outcome. ... We came in and I think we just showed everyone exactly who we are."

"We're excited, but a little bit of, for me personally disappointment," Santander said. "But as a team, we played good. We fought all those games. Of course, we're playing against a really good team. We're also right now a really good team. It went their way, not our way, but we have to come tomorrow to the field and forget about this and continue to play hard and win more games."

Wells held Atlanta to one run in five innings and lowered his ERA to 3.15, but the Orioles fell to 22-12. They went 6-4 on the road trip and begin a 10-game homestand Monday night against the Rays, who own the best record in baseball.

Santander has multiple hits in six straight games and seven of eight. Jorge Mateo pinch-ran for him in the 10^th, stole second base and was thrown out at third on Gunnar Henderson’s ground ball to short.

Olson homered with one out in the first inning, driving a fastball 413 feet to left field with a 108 mph exit velocity. The Braves didn’t have another hit until Eddie Rosario singled with two outs in the fourth. Marcell Ozuna walked, and Mullins was pressed against the center field fence to catch Michael Harris’ 406-foot fly ball.

Wells had retired 10 of 11 since the homer, the only baserunner coming on Ramón Urías’ throwing error in the second.

Orlando Arcia led off the fifth with a double, moved to third base with two outs and stayed. Wells’ 96^th pitch resulted in a ground ball to Ryan Mountcastle.

Another strong showing from Wells, but the rotation remains stuck on seven quality starts in 34 games.

"I would say that the best way I can describe it was 'effectively wild,'" Wells said. "Slightly disappointed at the fact that I couldn't go deeper into the game and obviously help the bullpen out, but overall I'm happy with the result. I'm just trying to work through a few things right now. Hopefully next start I'll have all that dialed in."

Austin Voth retired all six batters he faced with two strikeouts and has allowed only one run in his last 10 2/3 innings. Yennier Cano retired the six batters he faced with three strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run or walk in 16 innings.  

"Cano, that was two incredible innings, and Bautista gets kind of unlucky on a ball off the shin guard," Hyde said. "But Michael Baumann stepping up, that was awesome. So, happy with those guys."

The last 10 Orioles were retired in regulation and they didn’t have a hit since Santander’s infield single with one out in the fifth. Fifteen straight Braves were retired.

Hay returned to the lineup for the first time since Tuesday and scored the tying run in the fourth on Urías groundout. The Orioles didn’t want him swinging a bat while the gash closed on his right middle finger.

Hyde said today that the wound has “healed enough.”

“It’s nasty,” he said. “I had him ready to hit the last couple games if I needed him, but I was trying not to, which I’m glad I didn’t. It’s continued to improve. Good enough to play.”

Hyde will keep checking with Hays and the medical team after games.

“They feel pretty confident that we got over the hump on it,” Hyde said.

Hays reached in the fourth on a grounder up the middle that Albies couldn’t backhand cleanly. Frazier doubled into the right field corner and Hays came home on Urías’ grounder to short.

The Orioles loaded the bases with one out in the third inning on an error, Mullins’ double and a Bryce Elder pitch that hit Santander. Mountcastle took a called third strike and Henderson struck out swinging.

Mountcastle is 1-for-9 with a grand slam and walk with the bases full this season. The situation keeps finding him.

Elder began the game with a four-pitch walk to Mullins and needed only three more to end the inning. Adam Frazier walked with two outs in the second. Hays led off the sixth with a walk, Urías walked with one out, Collin McHugh replaced Elder and walked Rutschman with two outs, and Mullins struck out with the count full.

Mullins hadn’t been retired in his five previous plate appearances with the bases loaded, getting three hits and walking twice. He was 14-for-30 with 26 RBIs with runners in scoring position.

Rutschman, who drew his 28^th walk, was out of the lineup for only the second time this season. He’s played in all 34 games.

“Adley definitely needs it (rest),” Hyde said. “An 11:30 game after a 7 is the right time.”

Hyde said he wants to sit Rutschman as much as he possibly can, “but he’s just so important to us.”

“He’s such a good player that you love to have him in there as much as possible,” Hyde said. “But I definitely need to pick my spots with him.”

Mateo also was out of the lineup. A day off for him until the 10th.

“A lot of our guys right now are dealing with everyday major league baseball nicks and bruises and things like that,” Hyde said, “and so you try to keep these guys as fresh as possible.”

* Kyle Gibson, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer are starting against the Rays. Tampa Bay is starting Baltimore native Shane McClanahan, Zach Eflin and Yonny Chirinos.