Orioles couldn't muster comeback against Rangers in Game 1 of ALDS

BALTIMORE – Throughout the regular season, the Baltimore Orioles made a habit out of coming from behind to win.

Tying for the major league lead with 48 comeback wins, the Orioles seemed perfectly poised to pull out another one in their AL division series opener against the Texas Rangers.

But the magic that carried them to 101 regular-season victories never materialized in the club’s first playoff game in seven years.

“We just needed that one more hit to really get things rolling,” left fielder Auistin Hays said. “We didn’t get that today.”

WILD-CARD OPENERS:Recap to Saturday's four divisional playoff games

FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the stage was set when Hays and Adley Rutschman drew walks against erratic Rangers reliever Aroldis Chapman. But Anthony Santander, who had walked and scored the Orioles’ first run of the game and hit a solo homer for their second, grounded into a double play.

With the tying run on third, Baltimore still had perhaps its best possible matchup. But first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who had a 1.053 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season, swung through a 101 mph sinker to end the inning.

Against Rangers closer Jose Leclerc, the O’s got the tying run on base again to lead off the ninth on a sharp single by Gunnar Henderson.

The sellout crowd of 46,450 – “the loudest ballpark I’ve ever been in,” Hays would say later – rose to its feet in anticipation of another miracle comeback. But an atypical Orioles mistake dashed the collective spirit almost instantly.

On a 2-1 pitch, Henderson took off for second base. But Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was up to the task. “We know they like to run,” Heim said. “(Leclerc) gave me a good pitch to throw on and the result was good.”

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde would only say afterward that there was a “miscommunication” when asked about the play. Henderson said he saw a steal sign and that’s why he took off.

Regardless of where the blame lies, the Orioles find themselves trying to even the series in Game 2 on Sunday instead of looking to take command.

“Coming up in big moments, it can’t happen every time,” said center fielder Cedric Mullins. “Prepare for tomorrow. Lock in on opportunities when they arrive and try to execute then.”

The Orioles led the majors with a .287 average with runners in scoring position during the regular season. But in the Game 1 loss, they were 0-for-4.

“We went out there and took our at-bats, Henderson said. “The ball didn’t fall the way you want it to sometimes. It’s just baseball.”

But now it’s more than that; it’s playoff baseball. And many of these Orioles were playing in their first career postseason games. Still, these young Orioles have played in enough big games already that they don’t feel overwhelmed by the pressure.

“I think that comes with doing all the right things during the course of the year so when you get to this point, you don’t have to change anything,” Rutschman said. “I think if you’re a playoff caliber team, that’s how you have to treat the regular season so that you’re ready for these moments right now.”

The Orioles will lean on yet another rookie in Game 2, with Grayson Rodriguez, 23, taking the mound against Rangers lefty Jordan Montgomery. They’ll have to come from behind once again if they want to win the franchise’s first playoff series since 2014.

“We’ve had plenty of series where we lost the first game, the first two games, and we answered the bell the next day,” Hays said. “We’ve got one game tomorrow. Come out, we get a win and then we’re right back in the series.”