Cole Irvin dominates former club, Orioles hit 3 homers in 7-0 win over Athletics

BALTIMORE — With his place in the next few turns of the Orioles’ rotation uncertain, Cole Irvin accentuated his case to remain a starter with seven scoreless innings in Baltimore’s 7-0 win over the visiting Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon.

The left-hander dominated Oakland, the team that traded him to the Orioles in 2023, needing only 89 pitches to best his previous outing for the longest start of his Orioles career. While Baltimore is preparing for the approaching returns of starters Kyle Bradish and John Means to the rotation, Irvin has posted back-to-back quality starts without a run crossing the plate. He’s on a run of 14 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest such streak of his career.

“Shoot, my job is to go out and take the ball and get outs — execute pitches and get outs,” Irvin said after the game. “I’m excited to get them back, whenever that is. This is all about executing pitches and keeping our team in the game and doing the right thing by your teammates. Obviously, it’s going to be a huge lift for us when they come back.”

Baltimore provided the 30-year-old with plenty of run support, crushing three home runs, including back-to-back blasts in the fifth inning by designated hitter Adley Rutschman and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle that each cleared the extended Camden Yards left field wall. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson hit his club-leading ninth home run in the seventh and stole his sixth stolen base, also the most on the team, to spark a three-run rally in the fourth.

“Honestly, just letting my instincts take over,” Henderson said of his approach this season as he finished the game slashing .302/.361/.642. “I’m not trying to do too much but just trying to get out there and put a good swing on the ball and swing at pitches I can do damage with.”

After Oakland left-hander JP Sears held them hitless over the first three innings, the Orioles broke through with five hits in the fourth. Henderson led off the frame with a single and got into scoring position with the steal before the Orioles followed with two-out hits by Anthony Santander (RBI double), third baseman Jordan Westburg (RBI single), center fielder Cedric Mullins (infield single) and catcher James McCann (RBI single).

The win was the Orioles’ second shutout of the season; their first was Irvin’s previous start Sunday. Since Irvin got off to a poor start to the year with nine runs allowed over his first two outings, he has turned in a 0.98 ERA with 11 strikeouts to two walks across three starts. Irvin did get a visit from the trainers during his final inning after he was struck by a comebacker on his throwing hand, but he remained on the mound to finish out the frame and underwent an X-ray after the game that came back negative. Right-handers Mike Baumann and Dillon Tate pitched scoreless innings in relief to close out the game.

“I think [he’s] pitching to both sides of the plate, a little bit better pitch mix, I think a little bit more unpredictable with what’s coming,” manager Brandon Hyde said of Irvin. “The cutter in has been more effective. He’s got for me, a better change-up his last two starts also. But working ahead of hitters and attacking the strike zone.”

With 28,364 fans on hand, the Orioles (17-9) also clinched their 100th straight regular-season series without being swept, making them the first team in American League history and fourth overall to reach the century mark. Baltimore did fall 3-0 to the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series last fall, but the club’s 187 wins during the streak, which began May 16, 2022, rank third in the majors over that span behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (208) and Atlanta Braves (207).

Around the horn

— The next start Bradish makes will “probably” be as a member of the Orioles’ rotation, Hyde said in his pregame news conference Saturday. Bradish made his third rehabilitation start Friday and threw 77 pitches (49 strikes) over five innings of one-run ball for Triple-A Norfolk.

— Fellow right-hander Tyler Wells has not yet resumed throwing despite Hyde saying Tuesday that he would do so sometime over the past few days. Wells said in the clubhouse Saturday that he hasn’t experienced any setbacks and feels better than he did when he landed on the injured list with elbow inflammation April 16.

— The Orioles officially dedicated the press box at Camden Yards to longtime former News American and Baltimore Sun reporter Jim Henneman, who at 88 years old is in his eighth decade covering Baltimore sports. The Orioles hosted a ceremony to celebrate his career before the game Saturday and Henneman threw out the ceremonial first pitch.