Even against Cy Young candidate, Orioles lineup again proves it’s one of MLB’s best
The ball traveled 443 feet, tied for the farthest an Oriole has hit one this season. Colton Cowser was still trotting out of the batter’s box when it landed, absorbing the moment in front of a sellout crowd of 44,525 at Camden Yards as his two-run homer put Baltimore ahead by three in an eventual 8-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Sunday series rubber match pitted two Cy Young Award candidates against each other. The Orioles’ prevailed — Corbin Burnes posted his 10th consecutive quality start — while their offense didn’t shy away from the matchup against Zack Wheeler.
Instead, the Orioles lineup tagged the 34-year-old right-hander for eight runs on nine hits and chased Wheeler before he finished the fifth inning. In doing so, they claimed two of three games in the weekend showcase between two of the sport’s best squads and stamped themselves as perhaps the most dangerous lineup in baseball.
Who they’re facing rarely matters.
“Our bats have come a long way,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “The ability to hit premier pitching like that is not easy to do.”
At the center of Sunday’s onslaught was Cowser. His role has shrunk over the past month after coming down from his early-season tear, but he hasn’t let it diminish his impact.
The left fielder went 2-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a stolen base in the victory to punctuate a weekend that encapsulated his role of late. He began Friday’s game on the bench and entered in the 11th, striking out with the tying run on base, then started Saturday but was removed for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.
Cowser’s usage has been anything but regular in recent weeks. Difficult at first, the 24-year-old outfielder is finding solace in that.
“All our young guys, they’ve done a great job of staying ready,” Hyde said. “They’re gonna ride the wave a bit. Everybody does. They’ve been pretty consistent for being a young club.”
There were still the regular contributors. Gunnar Henderson hit his MLB-leading eighth leadoff home run of the season to cap off a nine-pitch at-bat against Wheeler. Adley Rustchman clubbed a solo shot in the third. Jordan Westburg slugged a three-run homer to the opposite field in the fifth. Cowser’s single in the next plate appearance forced Wheeler out.
The veteran right-hander’s eight runs allowed are his most since 2018. He’d never given up four home runs in a game. Sunday was his second shortest start of the season and the first time he hasn’t completed at least six innings in over a month. It was the first time a Philadelphia starter allowed four homers and eight earned runs in a road game since 1928.
“Gunnar’s leadoff at-bat honestly kind of gave everyone else the blueprint,” Cowser said. “Today, we had a good offensive plan and went out and executed it.”
After hitting .303 with six home runs in his first 28 games, Cowser entered Sunday hitting just .162 with eight extra-base hits in his past 39 contests. Early in the season, his role was solidified as an everyday outfielder. Now, he comes to the ballpark unsure whether Hyde will pencil him into the lineup — especially against left-handers, having struck out 21 times in 53 plate appearances against them this season.
Cowser has still found ways to contribute despite the uncertainty. He touts a .824 OPS in games he’s entered as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement. He’s also blossomed into one of MLB’s best defenders. Cowser’s eight outs above average are second best among all outfielders, and his arm strength ranks in the 98th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
“He’s got huge power. We’ve seen that,” Hyde said. “When he’s on time with the heater, good things can happen.”
Cowser sparked an offensive outburst with his ninth home run of the season in an output from a lineup that has proved to be one of MLB’s best. The Orioles paced the league with 114 home runs, a .452 slugging percentage and a 44.2% hard-hit rate entering Sunday. They’re top three in MLB in runs, OPS and average exit velocity.
And on Sunday, they proved again that it doesn’t matter who the opposing pitcher is.