BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson stood in the locker room, his pants covered in dirt, and struggled to explain another hitless day.
“I don't even know how to describe it. It's probably one of the most frustrating things I've ever been through,” the Baltimore shortstop said last weekend. “I come in and work my butt off every day. ... It sucks. It's baseball.”
Henderson was mostly talking about his personal hitting slump, but he could just as easily have been addressing the funk the Orioles have been in as a team for over two years now.
Baltimore won the AL East in 2023, and on June 20 of the following year the Orioles were 24 games over .500 after scoring 17 runs in a game at Yankee Stadium. It's not an exaggeration to say that at that moment, the young Orioles might've been the most fun team in baseball, and with a loaded farm system, the organization seemed stocked with talent and trade chips that would keep Baltimore among the World Series contenders for a while.
And then, inexplicably and almost instantly, everything changed. The Orioles played sub-.500 baseball the rest of that season and failed to win a playoff game. Last year they finished with 75 wins. This season they're 39-47 entering Tuesday night's game against the White Sox.
“This is really tough. There’s other teams trying to win too, and it’s a zero-sum thing, and you’re going to come out on the short end of the stick,” team president Mike Elias said Saturday. “I don’t like that we’re in year two of that, and that’s not right, but I very much believe that we’re going to get back on our feet here in the second half.”
Since then, the Orioles have lost three straight.
A mediocre American League means Baltimore is very much within striking distance of a wild card, but if anything the defeats have become even more maddening of late.
On June 19, the Orioles lost 6-5 to the Dodgers. A throw home from right field failed to prevent the tying run — and got past the catcher, allowing the winning run to score too.
Last Wednesday, Baltimore was an out from victory against the Angels, but on a routine grounder to second, first baseman Pete Alonso was slow covering first, leaving the pitcher to try and receive the throw. The ball bounced away, enabling the tying run to score and the batter to go all the way to third. He then scored on an infield hit to win it.
With fan patience already thin, the Orioles were sloppy again in an 8-2 loss to the White Sox on Monday night.
“We have not been playing our best baseball, and the fans that are there, they're paying their hard-earned money to watch us play and win, and play good baseball, competitive baseball," manager Craig Albernaz said. “They have every right to boo. Our job for us is to go out there and give the city and the fans something they can stand behind and have pride in."
So how did Baltimore win 101 games in 2023, and where did that team disappear to?
One thing those Orioles had was a pitching staff that exceeded expectations. Grayson Rodriguez — the one top prospect Baltimore has produced on the mound in recent years — was impressive down the stretch. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells were dependable and Dean Kremer wasn't bad either. The bullpen was anchored by 6-foot-8 Félix Bautista.
After that season, the Orioles acquired a true ace in a trade for Corbin Burnes, who they had in 2024 before he became a free agent. Since then, despite claims that they were trying, they haven't brought in a pitcher of that status.
Rodriguez missed the whole 2025 season and was traded. Bradish made 14 starts total across 2024 and 2025 and Wells made seven. Kremer has made only two this season.
Shane Baz arrived in a trade before this season — the Orioles even signed him to a $68 million, five-year contract — but he's had a middling year so far with a 4.19 ERA.
Bautista missed all of 2024, pitched 34 2/3 innings last year and then needed surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum.
Baltimore's offense ranks 12th in the major leagues in runs per game, but the Orioles are 22nd in ERA and their defense isn't helping them much either.
That's not to say the offense is blameless. In 2023, Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman looked like they'd be MVP candidates for years to come. Then Rutschman hit .220 last year and Henderson is at .224 this season.
Top prospect Jackson Holliday, who debuted in the majors in 2024, now has nearly 1,000 plate appearances and a career average of .227. Third baseman Jordan Westburg played only 85 games last year and is going to miss the whole 2026 season because of Tommy John surgery.
Adding Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward before this season has helped, but the Orioles are not the offensive powerhouse they once showed signs of becoming.
There's enough time for Baltimore's 2026 to turn around. If more close games start going their way, the Orioles could be a factor down the stretch.
However, Rutschman can become a free agent after next season, and Henderson another year later. There was an expectation that there would be plenty of winning before Baltimore's top players hit the open market, but now Orioles fans face the possibility that this era could eventually end with a whimper.
Elias said Baltimore still hopes to be a buyer at the trade deadline, but it's hard to promise that at this point. And with Albernaz in his first season, much of the fan ire is now directed at the front office instead.
“I always feel a lot of pressure in this position,” Elias said. "You worry about your job in this business, so absolutely. But I think we have a really good chance to do what we want to do, and we're all working very hard and we're very optimistic about it."
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Baltimore Orioles' Samuel Basallo breaks his bat after striking out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Coby Mayo (16) reacts after striking out during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)
Los Angeles Angels' Nolan Schanuel, left, scores on a walk-off single by Logan O'Hoppe as Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo is unable to tag him during the 10th inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The United States national team has grown tired of hearing about its traditional shortcomings in World Cup knockout matches.
The Americans will look to change that narrative on Wednesday as they attempt to win their first World Cup elimination game in 24 years when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 in Santa Clara, California.
The Americans last, and only, knockout win came on June 17, 2002, when they defeated Mexico 2-0 in the round of 16 in South Korea.
The good news for the Americans is they should have a healthy Christian Pulisic after the star missed the second game with a calf injury and played only 33 minutes as a sub in the final group match against Turkey.
“I feel good and ready to go for tomorrow,” Pulisic said.
The U.S. will once again play a knockout round match at a home World Cup in the San Francisco Bay area. The 1994 team made it out of group stage and faced Brazil at Stanford Stadium — less than 15 miles away from the site of this year’s game in Santa Clara — only to lose 1-0 to the eventual champions.
Since that round of 16 win over Mexico in 2002, the U.S. is 0-3 at that stage but are favored to advance against Bosnia, according to oddsmakers.
“We understand what it means, you win or you go home. There definitely needs to be a lot of focus and attention detail this week,” Pulisic said. “But I think the vibe feels good. We’ve still kept it light and we still are going to be ready to battle once the whistle blows.”
The U.S. has one win in 21 games against European teams with seven draws and 13 losses since making it back to the World Cup in 1990 for the first time in 40 years.
England will face Congo and Belgium will play Senegal in the other elimination games on Wednesday.
The round of 32 continues on Thursday with Spain playing Austria, Portugal taking on Croatia and Switzerland facing Algeria, and then concludes on Friday with Australia up against Egypt, Cape Verde playing Argentina and Colombia facing Ghana.
The eound of 16 begins on Saturday.
— England vs. Congo, noon EDT in Atlanta (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— Belgium vs. Senegal, 4 p.m. EDT in Seattle (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
— United States vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 8 p.m. EDT in Santa Clara, California (Fox/Telemundo/Peacock)
Injuries are mounting for England, which is missing its first- and second-choice right backs for the round of 32 game against Congo.
Reece James is out with a hamstring injury and backup Jarrell Quansah twisted his ankle in England’s 2-0 win over Panama on Saturday.
It could see Djed Spence move over from the left to cover, but coach Thomas Tuchel is confident James and Quansah will both soon return — so long as England can advance beyond Congo.
“They’re getting closer and closer,” Tuchel said. “The race was close even to make it into my squad this time. So we need to make sure that we have more matches. That is the main focus, and then that will be very soon.”
Congo is playing in the knockout round of the World Cup for the first time. It already held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in the group stage and beat Uzbekistan to advance.
“It is true we are looking at a difficult match, but in no way insurmountable. We have proven this against teams that were supposed to be superior to us, that we could actually put in a good performance,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “So we are focusing on our strengths, we are walking our path and once you get to this point in the competition, it’s difficult for everyone.”
Bukayo Saka, who came into the tournament carrying an injury, is fit to start, Tuchel said.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino opened his news conference on Tuesday by asking the media to forgive him for his curt tone following the U.S. team’s 3-2 loss to Turkey.
The loss came after the U.S. had clinched the top spot in the group.
“I want to apologize to the guys that were in my last press conference,” Pochettino said. “I was so frustrated. I was disappointed. I thank you and am sorry. It was my problem, not your problem. I was upset after the defeat.”
Pochettino called out the media in the post-match news conference last week for not praising him and his team for having already won the group before the loss to Turkey.
“For you not say congratulations that we won the group, that is a little bit sad,” Pochettino told reporters after the game.
By advancing to the knockout round atop Group G, Belgium has already improved upon its woeful performance at the World Cup four years ago.
After a historic third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Belgium did not advance past the group stage in Qatar. With its 5-1 victory over New Zealand on Friday night, Belgium has already achieved what coach Rudi Garcia expected at the bare minimum from his team.
Ahead of Wednesday’s knockout round match against Senegal, Garcia expressed satisfaction, as well as desire for more. Belgium won one game and played to two draws in group play.
“We wanted to finish first in the group stage and we succeeded,” Garcia said in French. “Of course we wanted to win more — we know the story of our World Cup so far. Now it is time for the knockout phase. Senegal is a big team. But, you have to beat them, too, if you want to go far in a World Cup.”
— France forward Kylian Mbappé scores his 17th and 18th World Cup goals, one back of Lionel Messi
— Haaland scores deciding goal as Norway wins its 1st World Cup knockout game, beating Ivory Coast 2-1
— Netherlands coach Koeman resigns after penalty shootout loss marked team’s quickest World Cup exit
— Iran heads home after a heartbreaking World Cup knockout, but fans say players should be proud
— False hope and schadenfreude: Familiar feelings for Germany after another World Cup flop
— World Cup in photos, Day 20
— Prior to Monday's loss to Paraguay on penalty kicks, Germany had been 17 for 18 in World Cup shootouts and had converted 15 in a row. In the 1982 semifinals, Uli Stielike was blocked by France goalkeeper Jean-Luc Ettore with Germany’s third shot. But Germany made its next three and won 5-4. Germany was 4-for-4 in the 1986 quarterfinals against Mexico, 4-for-4 in the 1990 semifinals against England, and 4-for-4 in the 2006 quarterfinals against Argentina — winning all of those contests.
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
France's Kylian Mbappe (10) looks around during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
England's Harry Kane trains for the World Cup soccer tournament Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
United States' Christian Pulisic speaks with the media before a training session ahead of their World Cup Round of 32 soccer match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
