Kimbrel wears 10-inning loss: 'This game is really on me'

BALTIMORE -- If Orioles fans watched or listened to Craig Kimbrel’s postgame interview after his blown save in a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, they learned this much: No one will be harder on their new closer than the man himself.

“This game’s really on me,” Kimbrel said. “Everybody did everything they needed to for us to get a win except for me locking it down.”

Kimbrel allowed two hits and three walks in the ninth inning while throwing only eight of 24 pitches for strikes in the pivotal frame that set up the defeat that arrived an inning later.

And despite arguably exceeding expectations so far since signing a 1-year, $13-million deal to help fill the void left by Félix Bautista’s Tommy John surgery, the potential Hall of Famer was less forgiving than his manager or teammates.

“There are nights you don’t have your best stuff and you can work through it,” said Kimbrel, who allowed only his second earned run of a season that already includes three wins and seven saves in 12 appearances. “It doesn’t matter if I have my best stuff out there or I don’t have it, I’ve got to figure out a way to make it through.”

Kimbrel’s night might have been worse without some excellent work from Keegan Akin to escape the bases-loaded jam the 35-year-old left behind, but he also made a critical play at the plate that helped force extras.

As JJ Bleday tried to race home for the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, Adley Rutschman fetched the ball and quickly flipped it to Kimbrel, who applied the tag. Originally ruled safe, Bleday was called out following a video review.

“I’m glad I was able to make the tag,” Kimbrel said. “And it was huge for Akin to come in there and get us out of that inning and give us an opportunity.”

That only prolonged defeat until the 10th, though, when Brent Rooker doubled to deep left off Jacob Webb to score Oakland’s go-ahead run.

On came A’s flamethrower Mason Miller, whose fastball sat consistently above 100 mph in a manner reminiscent of Bautista while he fanned Colton Cowser looking and Gunnar Henderson swinging en route to his seventh save.

“I think you’ve got to give credit to their pitchers,” said O’s manager Brandon Hyde. “We just had a tough night at the plate.”

The loss was Baltimore’s first in six starts by ace Corbin Burnes, who joined Kimbrel in the trend of Orioles pitchers holding themselves to extremely high standards.

The 2021 Cy Young Award winner struck out six while allowing three hits and three walks on 97 pitches. And yet he was lukewarm over his outing, one that began with Shea Langeliers’ solo shot, two walks and a mound visit from pitching coach Scott Emerson in the first inning. He’s now 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA.

“I’m happy with how I’ve kind of grinded through it and got through a good month now to try to figure things out,” Burnes said of his first month in Baltimore. “I feel like I’ve had one game where the stuff is where I want it to be. So that’s obviously a little frustrating.”