​BALTIMORE — Two runs from the offense aren’t enough often enough. The Chicago Cubs, aiming to sweep the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday at Camden Yards, needed a late rally after their bullpen allowed the Orioles to erase an eighth-inning lead by one. Nico Hoerner seemed poised to level the score when he reached on an error to lead off the frame. But on reliever Andrew Kittredge’s third pitch of the following at-bat, Hoerner bolted for second and was initially ruled safe on the steal. Replay review, however, showed Hoerner came off the bag as he slid, a call that ultimately stood and could have changed the outcome in the Cubs’ 3-2 defeat.
Ian Happ followed with a single that second baseman Jackson Holliday kept from reaching the outfield, which would have moved Hoerner to third. Dansby Swanson then hit into a forceout at second, beating the throw to first on what would have been a double-play ball Hoerner could have scored on to tie the game. Instead, pinch hitter Michael Conforto lined out to left to end the threat.
Manager Craig Counsell vented about the non-call on the Orioles’ Henderson obstructing Hoerner at second, arguing that it should have been a block on the bag that forced Hoerner to slide off. He criticized the umpires for not addressing the obstruction on the field, saying the decision to review didn’t address the key issue: the blocking of the bag that caused Hoerner to come off. Counsell contended that the obstruction should have been recognized, noting that the action forced Hoerner to adjust his slide and that the obstruction was illegal. He also pointed out the discrepancy between on-field calls and the replay review, arguing that if the obstruction impacted the play, it should have been a factor regardless of whether it was initially called.
With the Cubs heading into their break, they will finish the first half with three games in Cincinnati. Here are three takeaways from their series win at Camden Yards.
First, Seiya Suzuki broke out of a longer slump as he entered Wednesday’s play 0-for-15 with six strikeouts. He didn’t just snap the skid in Baltimore; he produced in two crucial ways over the past two games. In the Cubs’ 9-7 victory, he delivered a three-run homer, providing a jolt of offense. Then, in the following game, Suzuki posted a three-hit day, accounting for both Cubs runs in the loss. His hot stretch continued with a tying home run in the sixth inning off Trevor Rogers’ changeup, a 432-foot shot to left that tied the game. He also contributed a run-scoring double in the eighth that briefly put Chicago ahead, driving in Pete Crow-Armstrong.
That homer in the sixth gave Suzuki a moment of vindication, and his quicker approach at the plate reflected a change from the prior series back home, where he admitted struggling to find his timing. He said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry that the frustration from the prior series fueled a renewed focus on turning battles into hits. Suzuki’s power and confidence at the plate have become a critical element for Chicago as they navigate a tight division race.
In this stretch, Suzuki has shown that his bat can flip the momentum of a game, providing proof that the Cubs’ offense can come alive even when a few hitters are still finding their timing. As Chicago heads into the All-Star break, they’ll need more contributions from him along with contributions from the rest of the lineup to sustain momentum, especially against strong opponents like the Orioles and later teams in the schedule.
In sum, the Cubs’ bid to complete a Camden Yards sweep was dashed by a late-inning miscue and a review that upheld it, underscoring how a single at-bat swing can determine the outcome of a tight game. Yet Suzuki’s resurgence offered optimism, showing that Chicago’s lineup has multiple paths to producing runs and that consistency in clutch moments could drive them toward a stronger finish before the break.