Orioles lose to Reds, 24-2, in team's biggest loss since 2007

Matt Weyrich, The Baltimore Sun on Apr 20, 2025

Published in Baseball

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BALTIMORE — Entering Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with a taxed bullpen, the Orioles needed Charlie Morton to shake off his rough start and provide some length. Instead, his struggles continued as the veteran starter allowed seven runs over 2 1/3 innings and his relievers failed to minimize the damage in a laugher of a 24-2 loss.

The outing was Morton’s shortest yet amid a concerning first five starts for the 41-year-old. He still hasn’t completed more than five innings in a game and his 25 earned runs are the second most an Orioles pitcher has ever allowed over his first five starts with the team. Baltimore (9-12) moved to 0-5 with him on the mound and he’s been charged with all five losses.

He was outpitched by Reds opener Brent Suter, the first of five relievers Cincinnati used to finish off the series with a bullpen game. The Orioles also called on Cionel Pérez to get them through another two innings before manager Brandon Hyde gave the ball to utility man Jorge Mateo in the eighth and catcher Gary Sánchez in the ninth; they were the first position players to pitch for Baltimore since former catcher James McCann on July 6, 2024.

Right-hander Cody Poteet, recalled Sunday morning to give the Orioles an extra arm in their bullpen, replaced Morton in the third and wasn’t much better. Making his first MLB appearance since last September last season, Poteet had to wear six runs (five earned) just to get the Orioles into the sixth inning and avoid wearing their bullpen, which entered Sunday with the best reliever ERA in the American League despite its heavy workload, down any further.

Félix Bautista, still being eased in coming off Tommy John surgery, was unavailable after securing the save Saturday. Six other relievers also pitched in the club’s 9-5 win on Saturday, including Matt Bowman for the second straight day. As a result, the Orioles didn’t have many options to get through the middle innings especially with the score well out of hand early.

The Reds never stopped pouring it on. Pérez’s early-season issues resurfaced as he gave up three runs on five hits and a pair of walks over two innings and the Orioles’ position players pitched like position players. Mateo gave up three singles and a hit by pitch before third baseman Noelvi Marte took him deep for a grand slam. Sánchez allowed four runs including a three-run homer as well.

It marked the sixth time in Orioles history the club has allowed 20 runs in a game, and it was the team’s biggest blowout loss since falling 30-3 to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 22, 2007.

Leading the way for the Cincinnati offense was former Orioles catcher Austin Wynns, who went 6 for 7 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs. In addition to Marte, shortstop Elly De La Cruz homered as well and made a sensational diving catch to rob Jackson Holliday of a hit early.

Baltimore scored its first run of the afternoon on a throwing error by Marte in the second and the other came on a solo home run by Adley Rutschman in the eighth. The Orioles’ unearned run tied the game at one apiece on a hustle play by Ramón Urías but the Reds’ seven-run frame in the third quickly squashed any hopes of a competitive contest.

With the loss, the Orioles dropped to 0-10 when scoring three runs or fewer. They are 9-2 when plating at least four.

Instant analysis

How much time are the Orioles going to give Morton to figure this out?

His unsightly 10.89 ERA is the driving force behind their 6.11 rotation ERA — highest in the majors. They only have four starters on their active roster at the moment because their bullpen has been overused and while Kyle Gibson appears to be getting close to joining the rotation after throwing 78 pitches in a start for High-A Aberdeen on Sunday, they need him just to fill the injured Zach Eflin’s spot.

The only way to get Brandon Young back on the active roster for the next 10 days would be to place a pitcher on the injured list. He’s the lone starting pitcher, aside from Gibson, currently on the Orioles’ 40-man roster. Simply put, the Orioles don’t have many other options other than riding out Morton, who’s being paid $15 million this season, or placing him on the injured list.

On deck

The Orioles will get a day off Monday before heading down I-95 for a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. Baltimore will open the series with Dean Kremer on the mound coming off his best start of the season, a one-run, 5 1/3-inning performance against the Cleveland Guardians. The Nationals, who played a doubleheader Sunday in Colorado, haven’t yet announced their probable pitchers for the series.