– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles hope that the bad news regarding unofficial end point of the first half of the season is just temporary when they get back together in five days’ time. After three months of inconsistency and frustration, the Orioles finally put together their best run of of the season, and done just in time to truly believe their best baseball, and possibly a posh to the postseason, is right in front of them.
Leody Taveras hit a home run in the second inning while driving home the game-winning run as part of a five-run sixth inning for the Orioles, who defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-2 to sweep the three-game series inside Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sunday afternoon. Gunnar Henderson had three hits while Blaze Alexander went 2-for-2 before leaving the game late after being hit by a pitch.
The win also gave the Orioles their first four-game winning streak of the season, coming on the heels of hitting their low watermark of the season at nine games under .500 after a Wednesday defeat earlier in the home stand against the Chicago Cubs.
Since then, the Orioles’ rode their pitching to get back on track, limiting their opponents to three runs or fewer in each of the last four games. Shane Baz allowed two runs (one earned) and seven hits in 4/23 innings, while the Baltimore bullpen closed the door as five Orioles relievers combined to allow just two hits in the remaining 4 2/3 innings.
“We did a good job of rising to the occasion in that short little window,” Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso said. “But it takes a long time to have a good season. It takes 162 games to unfold, and I think the biggest thing is just staying the course. It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.”
Going into Sunday, the Orioles were the only American League team yet to win four games in a row this season, and now the San Francisco Giants remain as the only ones yet to go on such a winning streak in 2026.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Sunday afternoon’s game, with photos taken by staff photographer Michael R. Smith. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page. Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 41 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
