It took longer than fifteen minutes to settle down. After the most devastating Yankees defeat of the season, Alex Verdugo stayed with his head in his Oriole Park locker while everyone else was taking a shower, eating, or packing their things.
His bowed head was resting on his fists.
His road grays were still on.
After seizing the lead on a flyball that soared over his head with two outs in the ninth inning and scoring two runs with a walk-off hit, Verdugo was unable to forgive himself.
The game before the All-Star break delivered the Orioles a 6-5 victory and first place. Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe mishandled a two-out slow roller, which led to one run being scored, and Verdugo’s uncharacteristic defensive error resulted to two more.
Verdugo waited for over thirty minutes after the O’s victory before a member of the media approached him to ask if he was available for a post-game interview.
Taking a stand, he admitted it.
Verdugo declared, “I take great pride in my defensive work out there.” “I’m in it for this one.”
Ben Rice hit a three-run home run in the ninth to tie the game at five, and Verdugo probably rescued a run in the eighth inning with the Orioles ahead 3-2. If the Yankees had held on, that would have been a spectacular comeback victory.
The Yankees brought in All-Star closer Clay Holmes in the bottom of the inning, but he was bitten hard by Ryan Stowers’ leadoff single.
Pinch hitter Ryan O’Hearn walked to load the bases following a forceout. Adley Rutschman walked to load the bases, but Holmes got Gunner Henderson to strike out for the second out.
Then, with one out of 100 pitches, Ryan Mountcastle hit a three-hopper to Volpe, who bobbled a grounder that he had fielded cleanly, giving the Yankees the lead.
That tied the score at four points and introduced Cedric Mullins.
After taking a strike, the left-handed hitter tricked Verdugo with a gentle liner to left field.
“It was coming my way,” he remarked. “I made a small step, and that was enough to defeat me.”
Verdugo attempted to retreat after realizing in a hurry that it was a bad idea to enter. It was then that he faltered.
