​BALTIMORE — If the Orioles can keep getting this version of Kyle Bradish, they’ll have their ace back. The right-hander entered Saturday with a 2.30 ERA over his last four starts and had worked into the eighth inning in three of those outings. Facing a Kansas City Royals club that rankled near the bottom of the league in road runs, Bradish had a clear chance to extend his hot stretch. And he delivered. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning as Baltimore defeated Kansas City 6-1 on Saturday, giving the Orioles their first home-series win since late May. With a win on Sunday, Baltimore would sweep and post four straight victories for the first time this season as they head into the All-Star break.
The Orioles’ power help came in support of Bradish, as four home runs left an impression in a game that pushed them toward another series victory. Bradish himself worked 6 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run and fanning five. The possibility of a no-hitter vanished when Jac Caglianone lined a single to end the bid. It wasn’t the first time Bradish had flirted with a no-no; he carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning in his previous start against the Reds and later threw seven no-hit innings against the White Sox in 2024 before departing after 103 pitches. Baltimore’s bullpen could not preserve the no-hitter then, and on this occasion Saturday, Bradish also fell short of a complete seven, but he remains on track to resemble the form that made him the standout on a 101-win Orioles club in 2023.
Bradish’s 2023 season featured standout numbers: he led Baltimore’s rotation with 4.8 Wins Above Replacement and posted a 2.83 ERA, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting while emerging as the team’s best starter on a historic, high-win squad. Then came the injuries that interrupted his ascent. After the 2023 season, he endured a partial tear in his right UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery later that summer. He returned late in 2024, making eight starts and delivering a 2.75 ERA with a 2-0 mark, but again experienced elbow discomfort, prompting further rehab and a late-season return.
Bradish took until midseason to settle back in this year; he didn’t reach six frames in six of his first seven starts. Yet over the past month, he’s looked very much like his 2023 self, culminating in Saturday’s strong outing. The Orioles leaned on the long ball to back him up. Baltimore grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second when Samuel Basallo delivered an RBI single, and the offense would add to it: Pete Alonso launched a team-leading 21st homer in the fourth, driving in Taylor Ward after the left fielder’s run, and Coby Mayo belted a 440-foot shot in the following frame. Gunnar Henderson added a solo shot in the eighth, his 17th of the season, to cap the scoring.
Bradish’s performance reaffirmed the optimism surrounding him as he works back toward the form that once made him a frontline starter for a club on pace for another strong finish. The Orioles will look for another win on Sunday to complete the sweep and extend their win streak to four, a milestone they haven’t reached this season, as they head into the All-Star break. The club’s success with the long ball continued to be a crucial ingredient, pairing with Bradish’s steady, efficient pulse on the mound to keep Baltimore’s postseason hopes alive as the season progresses.