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Orioles Announce Pete Alonso Decision During Crucial Rays Series

Pete Alonso's 30th home run lifted the Orioles past the Rays, and he'll serve as designated hitter in the series' second game. Baltimore remains in the wild-card hunt despite a sub-.500 record, with Alonso leading the team in several offensive categories.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 22–25, 2026 Published 1h ago

Alonso's Homer Lifts Orioles in Crucial Series Opener

Pete Alonso launched a go-ahead home run in the opening game of the Baltimore Orioles' series against the Tampa Bay Rays, marking his 30th of the season. The blast helped the Orioles secure a victory in what Heavy. described as a 'massive victory' for a team fighting to stay in playoff contention.

The home run drew praise from Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, who highlighted Alonso's preparation and character. "It's so much fun, to be honest with you," Albernaz said, according to Heavy. "Obviously, that big blow was impressive... It's impressive watching him day in and day out, just with his prep and just as the teammate and person he is."

Alonso, who signed a large contract to join Baltimore in the offseason, credited his focus on winning above all else. "I don't care, I just want to win," he said. "Whatever I can do offensively, defensively, running the bags, doing the little things right, I just want to win ballgames. That's all it is."

Lineup Decision Ahead of Game Two

For the second game of the series, the Orioles announced that Alonso would bat second as the designated hitter, according to a lineup tweet from Underdog MLB dated August 22. The full Baltimore lineup for that game was listed as: J. Holliday at second base, P. Alonso as DH, C. Mayo at first, T. O'Neill in right, G. Henderson at shortstop, C. Encarnacion-Strand at third, C. Franklin in left, L. Taveras in center, C. Narváez behind the plate, and B. Young as the starting pitcher.

Heavy. reported that the Orioles have won seven of their past eight meetings with the Rays, a stretch that could bolster confidence as the team pursues a wild-card berth. The series with Tampa Bay is followed by road trips to face the St. Louis Cardinals and the Oakland Athletics, per Heavy.

Alonso's Role and the Wild-Card Picture

Alonso has been a central figure in Baltimore's season. Entering Tuesday's games, he led the Orioles in hits (133), home runs (30), and RBIs (85), and he has been described as a clubhouse leader, according to Baltimore Sun. On the BMore Baseball Podcast, hosted by Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Bordick and sportscaster Jerry Coleman, Alonso reflected on his tenure with the team. "I'm honored to be with this team. I'm honored to be in this city. I just want to win. That's all I want to do," he said, per Baltimore Sun.

The Orioles' standing in the standings is a matter of some variance depending on the source and the date. Baltimore Sun reported that Baltimore was 63-68 entering Tuesday's games, five games under .500 and still within the AL wild-card chase. Heavy. pegged the Orioles' record at 60-63 coming into the second game of the series, noting the team was last in the AL East but still in wild-card contention. The discrepancy likely reflects games played between those two reports.

Saturday's game is scheduled for a 4:05 p.m. PT / 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch, with broadcasts on MASN, Rays.TV, and the MLB app, according to Heavy.

How each outlet told it

Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC

Framing: Headline focuses on Alonso's podcast appearance, which is a media event, and thus emphasizes his off-field role rather than a game performance. — Neutral and informative, using phrases like 'off to a great start' and 'clubhouse leader' to describe Alonso positively, but without excitement about specific games.

Facts Included:

Pete Alonso joined the BMore Baseball Podcast.
The podcast is hosted by Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Bordick and sportscaster Jerry Coleman.
Alonso discusses the Orioles' trade deadline moves and future outlook.
Alonso leads the Orioles in hits (133), home runs (30), and RBIs (85) entering Tuesday's games.
Alonso has been a clubhouse leader.
Alonso's quote: 'I'm honored to be with this team. I'm honored to be in this city. I just want to win. That's all I want to do.'
Orioles are five games under .500 (63-68) entering Tuesday's games and within the AL wild-card chase.

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Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC

Framing: Headline emphasizes the team's decision to use Alonso as DH during a crucial series, focusing on the game-to-game lineup choice rather than broader context. — Optimistic and supportive, using phrases like 'massive victory' and 'playoff dreaming' to convey excitement about the team's chances.

Facts Included:

Pete Alonso hit a go-ahead home run, his 30th of the season, in the opening game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Alonso is batting second as designated hitter in the second game of the series, per a lineup tweet from Underdog MLB dated August 22.
Orioles lineup for the August 22 game includes J. Holliday, P. Alonso, C. Mayo, T. O'Neill, G. Henderson, C. Encarnacion-Strand, C. Franklin, L. Taveras, C. Narváez, and B. Young.
Orioles have won seven of their past eight meetings with the Rays.
Orioles record is 60-63, last in AL East, in wild-card contention.
Alonso signed a large contract in the offseason.
Manager Craig Albernaz praised Alonso's home run and his preparation and character.
Next series: at St. Louis Cardinals and Athletics, both on the road.
Game time: 4:05 p.m. PT / 7:05 p.m. ET on Saturday; broadcast on MASN, Rays.TV, and MLB app.
Alonso's quotes: 'I don't care, I just want to win...' and manager's quote about the home run.

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What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimPete Alonso hit a go-ahead home run, his 30th of the season, in the opening game against the Tampa Bay Rays.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimPete Alonso was batting second as the designated hitter in the second game of the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, per a lineup tweet from Underdog MLB dated August 22.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe Orioles lineup for the August 22 game included J. Holliday, P. Alonso, C. Mayo, T. O'Neill, G. Henderson, C. Encarnacion-Strand, C. Franklin, L. Taveras, C. Narváez, and B. Young.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe Orioles have won seven of their past eight meetings with the Rays.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe Orioles' record was 60-63 coming into the second game of the series, last in the AL East but in wild-card contention.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe Orioles' record was 63-68 entering Tuesday's games, five games under .500 and within the AL wild-card chase.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
ClaimPete Alonso signed a large contract to join the Orioles over the offseason.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimOrioles manager Craig Albernaz praised Alonso's home run and his preparation and character.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimFollowing the series with the Rays, Baltimore will have series against the St. Louis Cardinals and Athletics, both on the road.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimFirst pitch for Saturday's game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. PT/7:05 p.m. ET, broadcast on MASN, Rays.TV, and the MLB app.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimPete Alonso said, 'I don't care, I just want to win. Whatever I can do offensively, defensively, running the bags, doing the little things right, I just want to win ballgames. That's all it is.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimManager Craig Albernaz said, 'It's so much fun, to be honest with you. Obviously, that big blow was impressive... It's impressive watching him day in and day out, just with his prep and just as the teammate and person he is.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 9:17 PM UTC
ClaimPete Alonso joined the BMore Baseball Podcast.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
ClaimThe BMore Baseball Podcast is hosted by Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Bordick and sportscaster Jerry Coleman.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
ClaimOn the podcast, Alonso discussed the Orioles' trade deadline moves and future outlook.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
ClaimEntering Tuesday's games, Pete Alonso led the Orioles in hits (133), home runs (30), and RBIs (85).	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
ClaimPete Alonso has been a clubhouse leader for the Orioles.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC
ClaimAlonso said on the podcast, 'I'm honored to be with this team. I'm honored to be in this city. I just want to win. That's all I want to do.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Baltimore Sun as of Aug 25, 2026, 8:17 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: Baltimore Sun, Heavy. 18 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-25