Athletics vs Baltimore Orioles

Henderson opened the scoring in the top of the first, taking Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs deep for a solo homer — his 21st of the season. But the lead lasted only half an inning. Lawrence Butler answered with a two-run double in the bottom half, and Jeff McNeil's RBI double in the second made it 3-1 Athletics.

The A's stretched their lead to 5-1 in the third when catcher Brian Serven crushed a two-run homer with two outs, his fifth of the year.

The decisive swing came in the fourth. With Pete Alonso and Henderson on base, Coby Mayo scorched a three-run homer at 105.2 mph off Springs — his 19th of the season and 15th against a left-handed pitcher — cutting the deficit to 5-4. The momentum shifted completely.

Henderson struck again in the fifth. In his second at-bat of the inning, he launched a three-run shot 413 feet to right field, his 22nd homer, giving the Orioles a 7-5 lead. He capped his day with an RBI triple in the eighth after Alonso was hit in the helmet by a 94.6 mph Kade Morris fastball.

Mayo's three-run homer in the fourth inning flipped the game. The Orioles trailed 5-1 and Chris Bassitt was labouring, but the blast completely swung the momentum. Bassitt retired the side in order in the bottom half and the Orioles never trailed again.

Gunnar Henderson (Orioles SS) – 4-for-4, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR, 3B. Henderson tied his career high for RBIs, matching his five-RBI performance on 6 July 2023 at Yankee Stadium. It was his second multi-homer game of the season.

Coby Mayo (Orioles 1B) – 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI. Mayo's 19th homer was his 15th against a lefty; he entered the day batting .322/.380/.746 in 129 plate appearances versus southpaws.

Brian Serven (Athletics C) – 2-for-4, 2 RBI, HR. Serven's two-run shot in the third briefly gave the A's a 5-1 cushion.

| Player | Team | Inning | Count | RBIs | Distance | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Gunnar Henderson (21) | BAL | 1st | Solo | 1 | — | | Brian Serven (5) | ATH | 3rd | 2-run | 2 | — | | Coby Mayo (19) | BAL | 4th | 3-run | 3 | 105.2 mph EV | | Gunnar Henderson (22) | BAL | 5th | 3-run | 3 | 413 ft |

Gunnar Henderson — 4-for-4, 3 runs, 5 RBI, 2 HR, 1 3B, 1.000 AVG. Henderson's five RBIs matched his career high and he became the first Oriole in 2026 with a multi-homer game that also included a triple.

The Orioles (68-69) have won seven of their last nine games and sit one game behind Cleveland (69-68) for the final AL Wild Card. They boarded a flight to Denver after the game and open a three-game series at Colorado on Monday. The Athletics (53-84) dropped to 4-14 in their last 18 games and have been eliminated from postseason contention. They host the Minnesota Twins next.

Baltimore managed only seven hits but made them count — three left the yard and Henderson's triple drove in another. The Orioles' three homers accounted for seven of their eight runs. Springs allowed three homers in 4.2 innings, pushing his ERA to 6.37. The Athletics out-hit Baltimore 9-7 but stranded 11 runners to the Orioles' 3, including leaving the bases loaded in the second inning.

Henderson's breakout game — after a season-long battle with a .223 average — couldn't have come at a better time for a team clinging to Wild Card hopes. Mayo's continued dominance against lefties gives the Orioles a legitimate power threat from the right side. For the Athletics, another early lead wasted epitomises a lost season.