The Orioles entered the seventh inning down by one and things unraveled fast. Their leadoff batter reached first after getting hit by a pitch. The Mets brought in Castro to take over on the mound, but he immediately lost control. A wild fastball put another man on, then a sharp single up the middle loaded the bases after a botched defensive play. Instead of holding the runner at first to set up a double play, the Orioles misfired trying to hold the runner at third. That mistake allowed the next batter, Lindor, to be intentionally walked, fully loading the bases.
Then came the rare infield chaos. A ground ball created a clear double play chance, but the Orioles botched it again. The runner on first hesitated, the throw came late, and everyone was safe. A wild pitch followed, pushing both runners into scoring position. Moments later, a double drove in two more. The inning ended with four runs scored, only two hits allowed, and a pile of mental errors. Baltimore’s defense completely fell apart, turning a close game into a mess.