BALTIMORE — You could smell blood in the water at Camden Yards, but Adley Rutschman couldn’t chew it.
With two outs in the fifth inning of Game 2 of the tied Wild Card Game, the Orioles’ franchise catcher took the stage.
Orioles have captured all bases. Rutschman’s team had scored its first points of the series early in the frame on an exciting game-tying home run from Cedric Mullins. The explosion sent the understandably irritated home crowd into complete confusion. The enthusiasm intensified as the next three Orioles reached base loaded with no outs.
After 13 scoreless innings, there was a reason why the sea of black and orange roared with impatience. For the first time in the entire series, the O’s had the Royals and starting pitcher Seth Lugo on the ropes. Instead of firing what would have been the deciding blow in Wednesday’s resulting 2-1 loss, Baltimore hung up the gloves, offered water and threw in the towel at Kansas City.
Anthony Santander, who hit 44 home runs in the regular season, jumped out too eagerly for the first out. So the Royals added hard-throwing reliever Angel Zerpa. Baltimore’s next batter, outfielder Colton Cowser, literally got hacked down. Kauser appeared to have decided to take a swing before pitching, but the ball whirled around, clunked in his hands, and fell to the ground.
That was one of the strangest strikeouts I’ve ever seen.
These two outs threatened to suffocate the rally and dampen the excitement. The stadium was tense and wide-eyed, as if to say, “Let’s do it again.” But when the still-wild Zerpa started throwing balls to Latchman, Birdland rediscovered its voice.
In theory, it was the kind of scenario Oars and their fans could have dreamed of. Their raw franchise catcher stepped up to bat in a playoff game for a chance to become a hero. A loud, desperate, passionate crowd conjures up a wall of noise. A pitcher who lost control.
The whole stadium knew that Zerpa, not wanting to risk losing 3-0 and conceding a goal, had to throw a strike to Lutchman. Rutschman, who has struggled hard since the All-Star break even as his confidence evaporated in a cloud of negativity, must have known this. He had to prepare for the fastball. He’s almost guaranteed to see a pitch he can hit.
On the ESPN broadcast, commentator Ben McDonald, a regular on Baltimore’s home broadcast and familiar with the club, mentioned the moment and Lutchman’s role in it.
“This is the situation. [Orioles manager] Brandon Hyde would like to see Adley Rutschman become more aggressive, right? ” McDonald said in his trademark Cajun drawl. “Bases loaded, count 2-0, go for the fastball. Once you know that, take your swing off and be aggressive.”
The heater has arrived.
But Rutschmann blinked in the spotlight, as his club has done all series.
He couldn’t pull the trigger. Zerpa’s fastball was sucked into the catcher’s mitt and slammed into the middle of the at-bat. Strike one.
When Rutschmann took to the pitch, he froze in that position for an unusually long time, as if he had been turned to stone with regret. McDonald groaned during the broadcast.
Asked after the game if he would have approached the game differently in that at-bat, Rutschman replied, “I would have made a hit.”
Two pitches later, Lutchman hit a sharp ground ball to Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. This player was selected in the 2019 MLB Draft just after the Baltimore catcher. After half an inning, Kansas City regained the lead on an infield hit by Witt. The Orioles never threatened again, failing to even advance a runner to second base in the final four frames. Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson struck out, ending the game, the series, and Baltimore’s season.
Through 18 innings in the Wild Card Series, the Birds’ highly regarded offense allowed just one run. Kansas City pitched very well, but Baltimore helped the Royals with a 1-for-13 at-bat with runners in scoring position. Henderson, who hit 37 home runs during the regular season, went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts in two games. With the exception of Mullins, every Orioles hitter looked comfortable or settled.
And while Lutchman’s lockjaw moment wasn’t the only reason for Baltimore’s early October departure, his 2-0 win crystallized the team’s downfall.
A talented young team with talented young players was at a point where indecision was the difference between winning and losing. The sheen of promise, always a risk, is dimmed by the reality of failure and the sheer difficulty of a very difficult sport. Rutschman, once a dynasty prospect, looked tired, as he did for much of the second half of the season. Published bat speed data shows Rutschman’s swing speed has declined throughout the season, suggesting he was fatigued or injured. His offensive performance declined, and so did his defensive metrics.
“I’ve answered this question a million times,” Hyde told the media after the game. “I think it was a young player facing some adversity. I think he’ll be back next year and I think he’s going to be a different player.”
Hyde’s optimism is well-founded. At just 26 years old, Lutchman remains a treasure trove of talent. There is still plenty of road to growth and glory. So is most of Baltimore’s roster, even though Santander and ace Corbin Burnes are likely to leave in free agency. Everyone involved, from the players to the leadership to the fan base, has every right to believe that brighter days are still out there.
But on this particular gray afternoon in October, neither the team nor its most important player could seize the moment.
A long winter awaits.