Jon Gray delivers salty bulletin board material after getting smacked by Orioles

There was a lot to like about the Baltimore Orioles' demolition of the Rangers on Thursday. Not only were the Orioles able to partially avenge their playoff loss to Texas last year, but Baltimore's bats came out swinging as Heston Kjerstad, Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutschman, and Colton Cowser all homered. Combine that with yet another strong start from Corbin Burnes, and you have the recipe for good times for Orioles fans everywhere.

Dominant wins like Thursday's are especially sweet when the opposing team is both a rival and is really salty about it.

When Rangers starter Jon Gray was interviewed after the game about his recent struggles, including on Thursday, he made a very interesting choice to poke the bear.

Jon Gray may regret not putting respect on the Orioles' name

Look, Gray was obviously just really frustrated after a rough start here. In all likelihood, he was just trying to highlight how badly he pitched (and he was certainly terrible) and just venting a bit in the aftermath. However, making a point to not give the Orioles credit for their approach and execution against him may end up costing the Rangers dearly.

Giving an über-talented team like the Orioles even more motivation is almost always a bad idea, especially when you have two more games on the road against them to get through. In any competitive sport, energy and focus matter a lot, and disrespecting the first-place Orioles is a very good way to make sure the entire Baltimore roster is extra dialed in for the rest of the series.

Will it end up mattering much in this series? Maybe not. After all, the Orioles were already pretty motivated to make a statement against Texa, given how the ALDS went in 2023. That said, don't expect the Orioles to take their foot off the gas against Texas at all if they can help it after Gray's comments.

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