Henderson's game-winner spotlights Orioles' bright future, even after Deadline sale

CHICAGO -- Nine big league-caliber players were traded by the Orioles during their July fire sale, including five on Thursday’s Deadline Day. The team returned to action by going scoreless over its first 16 innings played at Wrigley Field across Friday and Saturday.

It felt like the vibes may be down a bit, and understandably so. Players inside of Baltimore’s clubhouse were surely sad about losing friends and quality teammates who expected to help the O’s contend this year and instead endured a challenging first four months of the season.

So as the Orioles entered the eighth inning on Saturday facing a three-run deficit, it appeared another loss could be coming.

And then, with one swing, Gunnar Henderson rejuvenated his club.

Henderson clubbed a go-ahead three-run home run to lift the O’s to a 4-3 victory over the Cubs. The Statcast-projected 416-foot blast to right-center field marked his 13th homer of the season -- and it was clearly one that felt better than most, as the 24-year-old gave interim third-base coach Buck Britton an emphatic high-five as he rounded the bases.

“It’s obviously tough, especially losing the guys that we did,” Henderson said of the Trade Deadline fallout. “But just got to move along, look ahead and was glad to be able to come through today.”

Many of the players Baltimore moved ahead of the Trade Deadline were on expiring contracts. The only one under contract for next season was infielder Ramón Urías, while outfielder Ramón Laureano and reliever Andrew Kittredge each had team options for 2026.

So a lot of the comments made by O’s players to the media this weekend have centered around their belief in their ability to turn things around for the future because of their strong core.

That hasn’t changed because of the Deadline deals. While some of the Orioles’ top stars have underperformed at times this year, they still have a ton of potential as the Henderson-led group also features catcher Adley Rutschman, infielders Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday and outfielder Colton Cowser.

“That’s the core group,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said, “and those are the main reasons why we were able to pull that thing out.”

Cowser made multiple nice plays in left field and initiated an eighth-inning rally with a leadoff walk. Rutschman had a double and multiple hard-hit balls. Holliday hustled down the first-base line to beat out a double-play ball in the eighth, keeping the frame at one out at the time.

Westburg’s two-out RBI single in the eighth ended Baltimore’s 18-inning scoreless streak going back to Wednesday.

“It was only 18? It felt like 45,” Mansolino said. “The boys battled. Not shocked to see that group of core players play the way they did today and help us win a big game.”

Henderson was among those who had slow starts to the season, but he’s again come on of late. The 24-year-old is 12-for-31 (.387) with three doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs over his past eight games, boosting his average to .285 and his OPS to .823 this year.

Four seasons into his MLB career, Henderson has shown the knack to deliver in big spots, and his left-on-left jolt off Cubs reliever Caleb Thielbar was well received in the O’s dugout.

“That’s one of the best teams in the National League right there, and we were able to string together that inning,” Henderson said. “It happens quick, and we’ve proven that we can do that. It’s just a matter of getting some of the new guys comfortable here, and I know that they’re going to be a big part of what we do.”

As the Orioles (51-60) try to finish strong over the next two months and build momentum toward 2026, their roster is filled with unproven players trying to make strong impressions. The group includes utility man Jeremiah Jackson (three hits over the past two games), right-hander Corbin Martin (scoreless sixth), lefty Grant Wolfram (scoreless seventh) and more.

There are also more experienced players stepping up into bigger roles. Left-hander Keegan Akin entered Saturday’s game with a 4-3 lead in the ninth and earned his first save of the season (and fourth of his MLB career) by working a scoreless frame to close it out.

All of a sudden, Akin, a six-year veteran, is the senior-most member of Baltimore’s bullpen. The 30-year-old has endured some of the team’s struggles (2020, ‘21 and ‘25) and experienced success (2022-24) -- and he’s confident the franchise remains in a good spot, especially with players like Henderson and other promising youngsters.

“We have a really, really good core here, in my opinion. A lot of really good position players,” Akin said. “It’s kind of turned into the land of opportunity, and you’re going to see some surprises. Obviously, you don’t know who with this many guys. But you’re going to see some good things from a lot of these young guys over the next couple months.”