Baltimore Orioles at Athletics

Whether it’s hitting, manning shortstop or scouting opposing pitchers, Gunnar Henderson has a lot to think about during a typical game day. So when Henderson took a seat for the Orioles’ series opener against the Athletics on Friday at Sutter Health Park -- just his second off-day all season -- the move let Henderson “get my legs back under me.” “It was nice to have nothing to really think about that day and just get a mental break that day,” Henderson said after Sunday’s 8-5 victory. “I felt like yesterday and today were pretty good days.” Calling Sunday a “pretty good day” for Henderson is quite the understatement. To help the Orioles complete a sweep of the A’s, the star shortstop put together one of the best games of his career: a 4-for-4, two-homer, five-RBI showing that also included a number of stellar defensive plays. “It was an outstanding all-around game for Gunnar,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. Henderson launched his first homer in his opening at-bat, then put his club in the lead for good with a three-run clout to the berm well beyond the right-field wall in the fifth. He reached on an infield single in between and capped his day with an opposite-field RBI triple in the eighth. It was a much-needed performance for a star player experiencing an offensive downturn. After following up his 2023 Rookie of the Year campaign with an All-Star 2024, finishing fourth in AL MVP voting, Henderson’s OPS dipped from .893 in 2024 to .787 in 2025. Entering Sunday, Henderson’s OPS was a career-low .690.