Orioles' Charlie Morton bounces back to lead 4-3 win over Guardians

Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun on Jul 24, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CLEVELAND — Coming off a seven-run outing that had shades of his disastrous start to the season, Charlie Morton pitched into the seventh inning Thursday to help the Orioles salvage their series finale against the Cleveland Guardians with a 4-3 win.

With the trade deadline just a week away, Morton is shaping up to be one of the Orioles’ top candidates to find a new home before the end of the month. Since May 10, the 41-year-old has a 3.53 ERA over 13 appearances (10 starts), including his performance Thursday.

The Orioles’ win put a stop to their three-game losing streak and ensured that they wouldn’t be swept in a four-game series for the first time since 2021.

Morton allowed three runs on five hits and four walks over 6 2/3 frames against the Guardians, throwing a season-high 107 pitches. Most of the damage against him came on a pair of home runs from All-Star outfielder Steven Kwan, who is typically more of a slap hitter. It was the first multi-homer game of Kwan’s career and improved his line to 4 for 8 with three homers against Morton.

However, interim manager Tony Mansolino pushed Morton deep enough for the veteran to get the win. Gunnar Henderson provided the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the seventh, lining a left-on-left line drive to right field off Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski to score Alex Jackson from third.

Ramón Laureano also homered for the third time in four games, with all three coming against the team that released him after he got off to a slow start last season. He moved back into a tie with Jackson Holliday for the team lead with 13 home runs on the year.

The Orioles’ offense jumped on Guardians lefty Logan Allen early by sending eight men to the plate in the top of the first. Laureano’s homer brought two runs in and Ramón Urías scored another with a line drive that center fielder Angel Martínez misjudged, allowing it to sail over his head as Tyler O’Neill scored all the way from first.

O’Neill returned to the Orioles’ lineup Thursday after missing the previous two games with “general soreness” and went 2 for 4 with a pair of singles. Coby Mayo also got the start — just his fifth this month — and finished 0 for 2 before being lifted for pinch hitter Ryan O’Hearn in the eighth.

After the Orioles placed closer Félix Bautista on the 15-day injured list with shoulder discomfort before the game, Mansolino used Corbin Martin to get through the seventh before turning to Seranthony Domínguez in the eighth and Gregory Soto for the save situation in the ninth. Domínguez put two runners on but struck out first baseman Carlos Santana to escape the jam, and Soto retired the side with a pair of strikeouts for his first save of the season.

Instant analysis

Morton’s trade value is looking pretty safe after he quelled any fears of regression with his strong performance Thursday.

The 41-year-old isn’t going to be atop any buyer’s wish list, but he should garner plenty of interest as a veteran, two-time World Series champion and capable innings eater. Every team needs pitching at the deadline, and with very few clubs expected to be full-fledged sellers this year, Morton might end up bringing back the biggest return of any player the Orioles trade.

On deck

The Orioles (45-57) return to Baltimore this weekend and turn their attention to the lowly Colorado Rockies, who own the worst record in the majors at 26-76. Dean Kremer will start the opener opposite Kyle Freeland.

Around the horn

— Left-hander Keegan Akin is scheduled to make his next rehabilitation appearance with Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday and “my guess is he’d be an option after that,” Mansolino said Thursday. Out since June 30 with shoulder inflammation, Akin has made two appearances thus far and allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings.

— The Orioles laid out their pitching plans for their upcoming series against Colorado. After Kremer on Friday, Trevor Rogers will take the ball Saturday and Tomoyuki Sugano is scheduled to pitch Sunday in what could be his final start with Baltimore if he’s moved at the trade deadline.

— Maryland men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams will throw out the first pitch for the Orioles’ series opener Friday, the team announced. Williams, who replaced Kevin Willard at the helm of the program in the spring, will be accompanied by several of his new players on the field.