Easter Sunday brought one of the most lopsided games in recent MLB memory, as the Cincinnati Reds annihilated the Baltimore Orioles 24-2 at Camden Yards. The win capped a series victory for Cincinnati and highlighted the mounting concerns in Baltimore’s rotation — especially surrounding veteran Charlie Morton.
Morton, signed this offseason to a one-year, $15 million deal, failed to make it out of the third inning. The 41-year-old allowed seven runs on seven hits and four walks across just 2 1/3 innings, raising his season ERA to an alarming 10.89. The right-hander, who is now 0-5, admitted to his ongoing struggles postgame.
“It’s letting your teammates down, it’s letting your coaches down, your fans down,” Morton said. “That’s something that you really kind of never get over. For me, that’s the most frustrating part.”
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn’t sugarcoat it either: “It’s embarrassing. It’s not what you want to do on Easter Sunday in front of your home crowd,” he said. “You just want it to be over as fast as possible.”
Reds, Thunder, and Cavs make MLB and NBA history for an eventful Easter Sunday
Unfortunately for Hyde, the nightmare lasted nine innings. The Reds racked up 25 hits — their most since 1999 — and scored in six different frames, including a seven-run third and an eight-run eighth. Noelvi Marte had a career day, going 5-for-7 with a grand slam, seven RBI and three runs scored. Austin Wynns, hitting from the No. 9 spot, matched Marte’s production with six RBI on a 6-for-7 day, including a ninth-inning homer off catcher Gary Sánchez.
Related Cincinnati Reds NewsArticle continues below
According to OpaSTATS, it was the first day in sports history that saw both MLB and NBA games decided by 20+ points — the Reds won by 22, while the Cavaliers and Thunder notched 21- and 51-point victories, respectively.
The Orioles, meanwhile, used position players Jorge Mateo and Sánchez on the mound to finish out the final two innings, surrendering the final nine runs. Mateo was tagged for Marte’s grand slam, while Sánchez gave up the final four tallies in the ninth.
With their rotation in shambles, Baltimore’s pitching woes are becoming critical. The club has now posted an AL-worst 6.11 ERA among starters, with Morton’s continued struggles compounding the absences of Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, and Albert Suarez — all currently sidelined.
Hyde didn’t mince words when addressing the bigger issue: “You’re just not going to be able to win games that way. You’re going to win them once in a while because you outslug somebody, but that’s not how you win major league baseball games.”
Despite the blowout, Baltimore remains within striking distance of .500 at 9-12, though their pitching must rebound if they hope to stay competitive. The Reds improved to 11-11 and will look to keep the momentum going as they head to Miami to face the Marlins.
