Orioles Lose 6–5 in 11 Innings as Colorado Erases Two Late Leads

Luis Robert Jr. follows through on a swing in a gray Baltimore uniform.

The Orioles lose 6–5 in 11 innings at Coors Field on Wednesday, September 2, after Colorado erased a ninth-inning deficit and then a two-run Baltimore advantage in the 11th. Brett Sullivan’s two-out, two-run single off Grant Wolfram ended a game the Orioles had twice been positioned to finish.

Baltimore slipped to 69–71 and lost two of three in Denver. The result was especially costly because Trevor Rogers supplied a strong start: 6⅔ innings, six hits, two earned runs, 11 strikeouts, and no walks. He threw 94 pitches and left with Baltimore ahead.

Luis Robert Jr. gave his new club an early lift. In his first Orioles game, the outfielder followed Pete Alonso’s third-inning RBI single with a two-run double, building a 3–0 lead. Robert’s arrival had expanded Baltimore’s September options; his first hit immediately turned that possibility into runs.

Colorado chipped away, then tied the score in the ninth on Zac Veen’s RBI double against Andrew Kittredge. The Orioles escaped further damage, and neither team scored in the 10th. In the top of the 11th, RBI singles by Samuel Basallo and Blaze Alexander put Baltimore back in front, 5–3.

That second opening disappeared quickly. TJ Rumfield singled home a run in the bottom half, and Sullivan delivered the decisive hit with two outs. Wolfram took the loss; Blas Castaño earned the win. The final line showed 10 Baltimore hits and 10 runners left on base—enough opportunities to make the finish sting beyond the blown leads.

The next assignment is less forgiving. As BaltimoreBaseball reported before Wednesday’s game, the Orioles’ final 22 games are all in the Eastern time zone, with 19 against contenders and 13 against AL East opponents. The upcoming homestand includes four games against Boston and three against Cleveland.

Rogers’ outing and Robert’s first contribution gave Baltimore reasons for encouragement. The final score supplied the harder lesson: in a compressed September race, creating a winning position is only half the job. The Orioles now head home needing to turn that position into completed wins.