Kyle Bradish’s erratic season had taken another drastic turn for the worst again this month, with the starting pitcher already throwing twice as many innings in 2026 as the previous two seasons combined as he battled back from Tommy John surgery.

And it was fair to wonder, after the Mariners pounded him in Baltimore last week, whether his body might be showing signs of that considerable increase already, with him allowing six homers in his last five games and with his usually-impeccable command really wavering. Bradish made some of the corrections we anticipated, ramping up the curveball usage (and shelving the slider) to produce a gem at T-Mobile Park, dazzling the Mariners with his full array of pitches in a 5-3 victory.

Bradish entered the game with league slugging .560 off the slider, but getting a swing-and-miss 41% of the time with a curveball he wasn’t using enough. He struck out four through two innings – getting a called strike or whiff on five of his six curves in that stretch (including two for strikeouts) - and he stuck with that plan throughout.

“The pairing of the two breaking balls (curve and slider) with the heater was really fun to watch,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Some really good pitches on some really good hitters that he got to chase.”

It was unquestionably Bradish’s best road start of the season – the entire rotation has been brutal away from home – and he was in total command throughout. He got at least three strikeouts with three different pitches and 18 swing-and-miss; 15 off the curve and slider alone. He allowed one run (mostly due to poor fielding). His WHIP was at 1.60 coming into this game but he walked just one and scattered four hits and was the first Oriole starter to pitch into the 8th inning this season, setting a career high with 12 strikeouts.

"Whenever he has all four of them working," Henderson said of Bradish's four-pitches on the MASN post-game broadcast, "good luck."

Just Enough Support

The Orioles (35-40) continue to struggle to find ways to produce big innings, but scored in enough of them tonight.

Logan Gilbert dominated them Tuesday and George Kirby was quite good on Wednesday. Three of the usual suspects who make adjustments and tailor their swing to the situation found ways to dent him with a small-ball approach (Blaze Alexander, Samuel Basallo and Leody Taveras), and struggling shortstop Gunnar Henderson levelled the big hit

Alexander (pushing a .400 average now since April 28) had three more hits (plus a walk) and Basallo, just 21 but such a mature approach sprayed the ball around. But through five innings the only damage was Henderson’s two-run blast (he's 9-for-20 off Kirby). In the sixth, Pete Alonso singled and Taveras smoked a ball that reached the wall, allowing him to motor to third to give the Birds a 3-1 lead.

Alexander’s third single keyed the Orioles manufacturing a run in the 7th, too. Jackson Holliday's homer in the 9th capped the scoring.

The Orioles outfield defense continued to be a major issue as well. The Mariners run was as gift when Tyler O’Neill, who shouldn’t even be on this roster let alone in right field, couldn’t handle a relatively routine ball that dropped for a double for Julio Rodriguez, who came in on a single. Taveras also turned a single into a potential triple in the fifth, but he recovered when the ball got behind him and Henderson’s expert relay nailed Connor Joe at third base.

O’Neill managed to help Bradish out in the sixth, leaping to take away what may have been a homer for Cal Raleigh, the Seattle catcher who hit 60 a year ago but has struggled mightily this season. And a Seattle lineup already without thumpers Randy Arozarena and Josh Naylor lost Rodriguez late in the game as he left with an injury.

Closer Ryan Helsley, back from a long stint on the Injured List that was supposed to be short, was lit up in the 9th for back-to-back homers and other scorched balls, but ended the game on a strikeout.

"Great to see Helsley back out there," Albernaz said.

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