Jul 10, 2025; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg (11) greeted by catcher Alex Jackson (70) following his two run home run during the second inning against the New York Mets at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
BALTIMORE — For the second time in a day, the Mets surrendered a lead.
Leading 2-0 after a first inning in which Brandon Waddell navigated unscathed out of a bases-loaded jam during his first career start, Baltimore catcher Alex Jackson notched an RBI double in his first at-bat of the season, and 2024 All-Star Jordan Westburg crushed a slider 413 feet to give Baltimore a one-run edge in the second inning, which it would not relinquish.
The Orioles added four runs off the Mets’ bullpen, beating New York, 7-3, at Camden Yards to sweep a doubleheader on Thursday and take the team’s only series of the season. The Mets are now 1-5 in doubleheaders and sit below .500 in interleague play in 2025.
Westburg’s longball was the second go-ahead home run of the day for the Orioles after Gunnar Henderson delivered a pinch-hit round-tripper in the eighth inning of the first game.
New York (53-41) entered Thursday with the fewest home runs allowed for the season. But that strength has deteriorated in July — the Mets came in with 17 longballs given up, fewer than only the Yankees.
Starting pitcher injuries have started to catch up with New York. Sean Manaea, who went 12-6 last season with a 3.47 ERA, hasn’t seen the mound due to a strained oblique. Kodai Senga started his campaign 7-3 with a 1.47 ERA, but hasn’t pitched since Jun. 12 due to a hamstring issue.
The Mets were a league-best 45-24 when Senga went down and are just 8-16 since. The 32-year-old and Manaea are both expected to pitch this weekend in Kansas City, though, giving New York a mostly healthy rotation ahead of the All-Star break.
Tylor Megill, who dazzled in April before a challenging few months, was recently transferred to the 60-day injured list with elbow inflammation. Paul Blackburn has been out with a right shoulder impingement since late June after posting a 7.71 ERA over six appearances.
There’s a high likelihood neither would start with a fully healthy staff.
Waddell finished with three runs conceded across three innings. After a collapse in the opening game following newly-named All-Star David Peterson’s dominant performance, the Mets’ bullpen struggled again.
New York allowed a pair of scores in the fifth inning, with the latter on a Brett Baty error at third base. The Orioles struck for two more runs in the sixth inning. Justin Hagenman, Richard Lovelady, and Rico Garcia — none of whom have thrown over 13 innings with the Mets — pitched in relief of Waddell.
Meanwhile, New York’s offensive woes continued against a squad that entered with the worst ERA and most home runs allowed in the American League. Starter Tomoyuki Sugano recorded a 6.20 ERA in June and conceded six runs in his first start of July. The righty navigated four hits and three walks en route to six strong innings against the Mets.
New York, which came into the clash with the second-most runs in the NL during July, ended with just four across two contests on Thursday. The Mets haven’t won a series on the road since Jun. 6-8 against the Colorado Rockies — a team that sits over 50 games below .500.
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