BALTIMORE — Are the Orioles back?

Not in the optimistic sense that surrounded them only days ago. They’re back to making enough progress to look like a team capable of becoming a factor down the stretch, only to fall flat once again. It’s a pattern that has followed them throughout the season.

Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Yankees added another chapter. The Orioles (61-65) opened a six-game homestand against American League East opponents with a defeat despite Shane Baz returning to form after a sloppy start last week in Minnesota. Baz allowed three earned runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out 10, recording his 11th quality start of the season. Baltimore is just 2-9 in those games.

The stumble began Monday against the Rays. The Orioles carried a 6-4 lead into the seventh inning with an opportunity to complete their first four-game sweep of the season, only for a bullpen collapse to produce a 7-6 loss and drop them into a tie for the American League’s final wild-card spot — one they had held alone entering the day.

There is still plenty of time remaining — 36 games, to be exact. But a team that climbed within two games of .500 is now four games under just two days later. That two-game barrier has proved remarkably stubborn: The Orioles have reached it six times since May 1 without getting any closer.

The Yankees (70-55) and Orioles traded home runs in the third inning. Trent Grisham launched a 403-foot shot to right field — New York’s first hit off Baz — to open the scoring. Coby Mayo promptly answered with a 407-foot blast to left, his 17th homer of the season.

It was Mayo’s 13th home run against a left-handed pitcher. He has hit 10 of his homers since the beginning of June.

Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón, making his first start since June 28 after recovering from elbow inflammation, allowed one run on two hits and two walks while striking out four over four innings.

Baz, who conceded nine hits and five earned runs over three innings against the Twins last Wednesday, did not surrender another hit until the fifth. After his four-seam fastball velocity dipped during that outing, it returned to his season average of 96 mph against the Yankees. Baz said he was not dealing with an injury and had no explanation for the decline, though manager Craig Albernaz noted that the right-hander appeared to be moving slowly on the mound.

George Lombard Jr. added another hit to Baz’s start with a one-out single in the fifth, but Baz stranded two runners after walking Ryan McMahon in the next at-bat.

After retiring the Yankees in order in the sixth, Baz walked Spencer Jones and surrendered a one-out single to Lombard in the seventh before being replaced by Josh Walker. The left-hander issued a walk to Paul Goldschmidt but rallied to strike out Amed Rosario and jumped ahead of Trent Grisham 0-2. The center fielder evened the count and sliced a single into center to score Jones and Lombard.

It appeared the Yankees might add more as “Let’s go Yankees” chants began to fill the ballpark. Walker hit Ben Rice with a 3-1 pitch, then he fell behind Heliot Ramos 3-0. But he responded with three consecutive strikes, getting Ramos to swing through a 91.9-mph fastball to end the inning and limit the damage to two runs, both charged to Baz. With the loss, Baltimore is now 6-19 in games started by the right-hander, who holds a 4.02 ERA.

The Orioles failed to capitalize in the bottom of the seventh with two runners on and no outs, recording three consecutive outs, and wouldn’t take advantage again when Mayo walked with one out in the eighth. Nobody got on in the ninth.

Before Tuesday’s game, Albernaz said the Orioles’ performance at Tampa Bay reinforced what they can be when they play to their capabilities.

“Our guys know the brand of baseball they’re capable of playing,” he said. “They know that they have a variety of different ways to compete with other teams.”

That version of the Orioles surfaced only intermittently Tuesday. Now, with five games remaining on the homestand and the postseason race growing more unforgiving, knowing what they can be matters far less than proving they can sustain it.

Around the horn

— Catcher Samuel Basallo’s rehabilitation assignment was transferred to Double-A Chesapeake, where he started at first base Tuesday. He played for Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, going 1 for 4 with three RBIs behind the plate. The 22-year-old has not played for Baltimore since July 19 because of right shoulder inflammation. Albernaz said before Tuesday’s game that it is “absolutely” possible Basallo returns to the major league club later this week.

— Pete Alonso started at designated hitter for the third straight game after suffering a right calf cramp in Saturday’s 4-3 win at Tampa Bay.

— Right-handers Collin McKinney and Braden Smith, both selected by the Orioles in the 2026 MLB draft, have joined Single-A Delmarva to begin their professional careers, a source told the Baltimore Sun.

— The Orioles could soon receive two significant reinforcements, with utility player Blaze Alexander and right-hander Félix Bautista expected to begin minor league rehabilitation assignments within the next week. Alexander has been sidelined since suffering a nondisplaced fracture in his left hand on July 12 after batting .312 with four home runs, 29 RBIs and an .807 OPS in 82 games. Bautista, meanwhile, has progressed to live batting-practice sessions after undergoing surgery in August 2025 to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum. “That would be a huge boost,” Albernaz said.

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