ARLINGTON, Texas – Gunnar Henderson had to wait his turn tonight, the last of eight hitters to walk to the plate in the All-Star Home Run Derby. He was wielding a custom-made Scooby Doo bat with the cartoon dog and the word “zoinks” painted on it, and was coaxed into doing his spot-on impression for the ESPN audience.

The mystery that couldn’t be solved was how he finished in last place.

Henderson, the starting shortstop for the American League, was eliminated after hitting 11 homers. He was shut out in the bonus round.

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. won the Derby in 1991 in Toronto and Miguel Tejada was victorious in 2004 in Houston. They remain the only two Orioles champions.

Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton pitched to Henderson and offered his perspective from the mound.

Gunnar Henderson is following a tough act in the Home Run Derby.

Adley Rutschman didn’t advance past the first round last summer, but he hit 20 homers left-handed and seven more right-handed in the 30-second bonus round. Henderson will stick with the left side. Seems almost boring by comparison, but this is no time to experiment.

Rutschman brought the added storyline of playing at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, the ballpark he attended as a kid growing up in Sherwood, Oregon. And his father, Randy, pitched to him, providing a sentimental angle.

ESPN and the rest of the media ate it up. Had to loosen their belts.

Chicago’s Luis Robert Jr. moved on to the second round by hitting 28 home runs. However, a format change this year doesn’t pit two players against each other. The strict tournament style is gone.

On Tuesday night during the All-Star game in Texas, no doubt at some point the national television audience will hear one of the broadcasters point out the two O’s starters in the game – Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson – were the first two draft picks by Mike Elias after joining the Orioles.

Rutschman was the No. 1 pick in that 2019 draft but the Orioles got Henderson at No. 42 overall. Baseball America had him at No. 30 in their pre-draft projections.

The first two picks of the new regime are now All-Stars.

“It is definitely a testament to Elias,” Henderson said in the clubhouse pregame yesterday. “I know Rutch was obviously the consensus 1/1 pick. But to take a chance on me, I can’t thank him enough for that. Just glad to be able to go out there and help the O’s win some games.”

So why was Gunnar still there at pick No. 42?

The Orioles were looking for their third four-game sweep of this season and third in their past 11 series since May 23. But lefty Cole Irvin’s struggles continued tonight as the Birds fell in an early hole and lost big on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.”

Irvin allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings as the Rangers scored two in the second and knocked him out during their three-run fourth. The Rangers denied the Orioles the sweep whipping the Birds 11-2 tonight in front of 23,439 in the series and homestand finale at Oriole Park.

The Orioles fall back into a first-place tie with the Yankees after New York’s win this afternoon. Baltimore is leading the American League East by percentage points at .631 (53-31) to New York’s .628 (54-32).

After just their second off-day tomorrow since May 31, the Orioles begin a West Coast swing Tuesday at Seattle and then head for Oakland.

The Orioles went 18-12 (.600) in their run of 30 games over the last 31 days.

Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson told a national TV audience watching tonight’s "Sunday Night Baseball" game on ESPN that he will take part in the Home Run Derby competition during All-Star week in Texas on Monday, July 13.

Henderson was mic'd up on the field at shortstop during the top of third inning and was asked about the Derby.

"I will be doing the Home Run Derby in Texas," he said during the broadcast.

Henderson seems to be a lock to play in the All-Star Game and may be the starting shortstop for the American League. He led AL shortstops with 2,664,120 votes when Phase 1 voting ended. Phase 2 voting is now underway where he will face Kansas City's Bobby Witt Jr. as voting continues to determine the starter at short. He is vying for his first career All-Star Game selection and would be the first Orioles shortstop selected to the game since Manny Machado in 2018.

Henderson began tonight batting .292/.388/.612/.1.000 with 17 doubles, four triples, 26 homers, 73 runs and 58 RBIs. He leads the major leagues in runs and FanGraph’s Wins Above Replacement (6.1) and is tied for second in home runs.

NEW YORK – Dean Kremer rejoined his Orioles teammates and made the trip to New York but currently remains on his injury rehab assignment.

Kremer pitched Sunday for Triple-A Norfolk and allowed two earned runs and five total in 3 2/3 innings, with four hits, one walk and three strikeouts. He threw 59 pitches, 37 for strikes.

Norfolk is in Lehigh Valley on Friday. Double-A Bowie is home against Altoona.

The Orioles will be in Houston.

“We’re actually still talking about that right now,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Whether he makes another start or joins us, we’re discussing.”

The Orioles have six pitchers on the injured list in various stages of their recoveries. Beginning or getting close to rehab assignments. Throwing in the bullpen or on flat ground. Shut down completely until cleared to play catch.

John Means threw a bullpen session yesterday at Camden Yards. Cionel Pérez is reporting to Double-A Bowie today. Others are in Sarasota.

And then, there’s left-hander DL Hall, who’s on a completely different program.

Hall also is at the spring training complex in Sarasota, but he’s continuing his progression to build strength and velocity. The transfer was made after the Orioles put Hall on a “de-load” with Triple-A Norfolk by limiting his innings and pitch counts.

The opposite of stretching him out to start.

Adley Rutschman homered from both sides of the plate in the same All-Star Home Run Derby.

He had it and flaunted it.

With father Randy throwing him batting practice, Rutschman launched 21 left-handed during the three-minute regulation and six more right-handed in the 30-second bonus portion.

The Orioles’ catcher was seeded eighth but may have performed a first with that switch.

Unfortunately for Rutschman and Orioles fans, No. 1 seed Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox ousted him by hitting 27 in regulation and one more in the bonus round to advance at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

It was Juan Soto’s chance for redemption. After falling to eventual repeat champion Pete Alonso in the semifinals of last year’s Home Run Derby at Coors Field, this year’s event gave the Nationals slugger the chance to be a part of a star-studded field and win it all.

It’s hard to deny Soto twice. And with the eyes of the sporting world focused on Hollywood (including super agent Scott Boras sitting in the front row behind home plate), one of the game’s biggest stars stood on top of it all in more ways than one.

Soto won the 2022 Home Run Derby tonight at Dodger Stadium, beating Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez 19-18 in the finals. Soto joins Bryce Harper, who beat Kyle Schwarber in an electric finale in 2018 at Nationals Park, as the only Nats players to win the Home Run Derby.

“It feels amazing,” Soto said on the broadcast after the win. “All of the hard work I put in and everything. It just feels amazing.”

After hitting the clinching home run, Soto launched his bat in the air in celebration and was mobbed by his father, Juan Sr., and brother, Elian, other Dominican players from across the major leagues, and Nationals manager Davey Martinez, who joined Soto this week as part of the National League coaching staff.

You know all that talk about Juan Soto having a disappointing first half, about being unworthy of the All-Star selection he received last weekend? It doesn’t really apply anymore, because the Nationals star is hitting out of his mind right now and bringing his season totals up to the kind of standard we expected all along.

With homers in both ends of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Mariners, Soto continued his July onslaught at the plate. Over his last 17 games, he’s batting .400 (20-for-50) with four doubles, five homers and 19 walks.

All of that has brought Soto’s season OPS up to .892, sixth-best in the National League.

In fact, Soto now owns a higher on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS than Josh Bell, who for the majority of the last three months has unquestionably been the Nationals’ best offensive player.

With homers in four of his last five games, Soto seems to have figured out his power stroke before heading to Los Angeles for Monday night’s Home Run Derby.