Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 33-31 loss to the visiting Cleveland Browns in Sunday’s Week 10 game at M&T Bank Stadium.

Brian Wacker: The Ravens were on the verge of another blowout. Then their self-inflicted wounds set in, much the way they did against the Colts and Steelers earlier this season.

First there was Lamar Jackson’s interception at the Browns’ 37-yard line with under a minute to play in the first half. Jackson didn’t put enough on the throw, he said, and that halted any chance of the Ravens adding to their 17-3 lead. But the real dagger was his tipped pass to fullback Patrick Ricard in the fourth quarter that was returned for a touchdown by cornerback Greg Newsome II. Despite trailing by one, 31-30, after the missed extra point attempt, the Browns looked poised to climb all the way back.

Another special teams snafu also proved costly, with Justin Tucker’s 55-yard field goal try with 2:27 left in the second quarter blocked. That gave the ball back to the Browns, who turned it into what turned out to be a critical three points.

There were other curious decisions, notably running back Keaton Mitchell getting just one touch in the second half after a 39-yard touchdown run and a 32-yard catch-and-run in the first half. Coach John Harbaugh said that’s just the way the game went and Mitchell said he’s not complaining about the lack of touches, but it was odd to go away from a player who has emerged as a significant weapon over the past two weeks.

Lastly, the Ravens have to find a way to close out games. Blowing leads of 24-9 and 31-17 in the second half is unacceptable, no matter what.

Mike Preston: This loss proved the Ravens can’t be trusted, not yet anyway. It’s way too early to conclude this team has reached its peak and it showed Sunday. The offense couldn’t find its rhythm and the defense couldn’t get off the field in the fourth quarter when the outcome was still in doubt. There is a lot of room for improvement and two months for this team to get better before the postseason.

Jacob Calvin Meyer: Nothing like a fourth-quarter collapse to really ruin a Sunday afternoon, eh? It appeared as if the Ravens were going to win their fifth straight game and improve to 8-2. Instead, it was another late collapse. For the third time this season, the Ravens have let what seemed like a sure win slip through their fingers. However, the last time Baltimore had a loss like this, it ripped off four straight wins. The Ravens have the opportunity to start another streak Thursday night against the Bengals.

C.J. Doon: A game that started out with so much promise thanks to Kyle Hamilton’s stunning pick-six ended with so much frustration. The injuries to cornerback Marlon Humphrey and left tackle Ronnie Stanley loom large, not just for a short week of preparation for the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals on “Thursday Night Football,” but the rest of the season. This Ravens team is aiming for the top seed in the conference and a trip to the Super Bowl, after all.

But Baltimore sure didn’t look like a title contender Sunday. How does this Ravens defense allow this Browns offense to score 24 of the game’s final 31 points? Deshaun Watson looked hobbled all game after suffering what appeared to be an ankle injury in the first quarter, and yet he might have outplayed Lamar Jackson. Watson even broke away from what looked like a sure tackle to help move the chains on the Browns’ final drive.

The Ravens have been so successful grinding down opponents with their running game to seal wins this season, which makes that pick-six on a batted ball with 8:16 to go so frustrating. Rookie sensation Keaton Mitchell also got just three carries — and just one touch in the second half — despite averaging 11.3 yards per attempt.

But what’s really shocking is the performance of a Ravens defense that couldn’t get off the field in the second half, allowing back-to-back 75-yard touchdown drives and a methodical 12-play, 58-yard march that set up Dustin Hopkins’ game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired. If not for a muffed punt by former Ravens wideout James Proche early in the fourth quarter, it could have been even worse.

Tim Schwartz: Ah, the AFC North. It doesn’t seem to matter what the records are, these games are always a dogfight. A pick-six for each of the NFL’s best defenses? Check. Fumbles caused by massive defenders clamping down on quarterbacks? Check. Wild swings that nobody expected? Check. The Ravens letting another opponent back in the game in the second half? Check.

This was the Ravens of old (at least earlier this season, before they seemingly turned a corner and stopped playing down to opponents), and they will lament giving away a home game they seemed to have won in the first quarter. All they can do is move on quickly to prepare for Thursday night’s prime-time battle against a Bengals team that was stunned by the Texans on Sunday.

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Kyle Bradish opened the 2023 season as the No. 4 starter in the Orioles’ five-man rotation. He ended it viewed as the No. 4 starter in the entire American League.

In his second major league season, Bradish placed fourth in voting for the AL Cy Young Award, which annually recognizes the circuit’s top pitcher. New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, the AL’s only qualified starter who allowed a lower batting average than Bradish, received all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to win his first career Cy Young Award, the BBWAA announced Wednesday, with San Diego Padres left-hander Blake Snell winning in the National League.

Bradish, a 27-year-old right-hander, is the first Orioles starter to appear on multiple BBWAA ballots since Hall of Famer Mike Mussina finished second in 1999. With a single third-place vote in 2007, Erik Bedard tied for fifth, while closer Zack Britton also came in fourth in 2016. An Oriole hasn’t won the award since Steve Stone in 1980.

The voting results validated Bradish’s status as not only the Orioles’ top starter, but also one of the best in the AL. With a 2.83 ERA, Bradish became Baltimore’s first qualified starter to post a mark under 3.00 since Mussina in 1992. That figure also ranked third in the AL behind Cole and Minnesota Twins right-hander Sonny Gray, who finished second in voting as former Orioles starter Kevin Gausman, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, placed third. Bradish’s 17 outings of at least six innings with fewer than three runs allowed trailed only Cole.

Bradish appeared on 19 ballots with six third-place votes, eight for fourth place and five for fifth. He finished well behind Gausman for third place in voting, preventing the Orioles from having three finalists for BBWAA awards; Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson was named the AL Rookie of the Year on Monday, with Brandon Hyde winning AL Manager of the Year a day later. The final BBWAA honor, the Most Valuable Player in each league, will be announced Thursday.

One of four minor league right-handers the Orioles acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for starter Dylan Bundy in December 2019, Bradish made his major league debut for Baltimore in May 2022. In 10 starts before going on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, Bradish had a 7.38 ERA. But the recovery period allowed him to mentally and physically reset. After his return, he posted a 3.28 ERA over 13 starts, a stretch during which he also began pitching from the other side of the rubber and added a sinker to his repertoire.

The success of those changes, as well as the improved command he showcased, carried into 2023. Starting Baltimore’s fourth game of the season, he exited seven batters in when a comebacker struck his right foot, prompting a brief stint on the injured list. He returned with six scoreless innings, but his next nine outings were mixed, leaving him with a 4.25 ERA entering mid-June. From then on, he had a 2.18 ERA in 19 starts; his 2.34 mark after the All-Star break narrowly topped Cole for the best second-half ERA of any major league starter.

The performance made Bradish the obvious choice to be the Orioles’ Game 1 starter in their AL Division Series matchup with the Texas Rangers. Although the Rangers won the game, 3-2, en route to sweeping Baltimore and eventually winning the World Series, Bradish impressed in his 4 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts, the first Orioles pitcher to reach that tally in a postseason game since Mussina in 1997.

Orioles closer Félix Bautista, who at points in the season was viewed as a dark-horse Cy Young candidate, received three fifth-place votes as the only reliever to land on multiple ballots. Before undergoing season-ending Tommy John elbow reconstruction that will also force him to miss 2024, Bautista had a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves with a 46.4% strikeout rate that was the sixth highest for any qualified reliever in major league history.

Replacing Bautista at the back of the bullpen and fortifying the rotation are among the Orioles’ offseason priorities with Gray and Snell, now free agents, among the starting upgrades available. But for now, Bradish is positioned to become Baltimore’s youngest opening day starter since Bundy in 2018, which would be a worthy honor for a pitcher who established himself among the AL’s best.

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The Timberwolves have been on the good end of rest advantages this season, facing a number of opponents who were on the second night of back to backs.

Such was the case in wins over Miami and Golden State (Atlanta was on the second half of one, as well, but that didn’t go so well for the Wolves).

But Minnesota found itself on the flip side of the equation Wednesday, playing in Phoenix one night after playing in San Francisco. And it did not go well.

The Timberwolves looked lifeless en route to being trounced 133-115 by the Suns, a loss that snapped Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak.

“We didn’t answer the bell very well. Just a little flat,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters. “And when we did find moments here and there, we couldn’t sustain it.”

Minnesota sports the NBA’s top defense, which suffocates opponents on a nightly basis. But it lacked any vigor Wednesday. Phoenix (5-6) got open looks seemingly every possession. Devin Booker — playing in his first game in two weeks after recovering from an ankle injury — tallied 31 points and five assists, getting downhill at will. Booker scored the 31 points in just 26 minutes.

Kevin Durant added 31 points on 11-for-15 shooting. Phoenix shot 60% from the field, including going 17 for 31 from deep. The Suns scored 76 points in the first half.

“Certainly one of those nights. All credit to them. They played outstanding,” Finch said. “We could never get them in containment and they did make a lot of shots, but they had a lot of comfort in that. I don’t think we were ever really able to establish ourselves defensively, which is what we’ve been doing.”

Karl-Anthony Towns — who turned 28 years old Wednesday — continued his recent strong play by providing another offensive jolt. Towns scored 13 of his 25 points in the first quarter.

“He had a matchup,” Finch said. “They had a hard time with his size and ability to get to the rim.”

But Finch lamented Minnesota’s lack of ball movement, citing the team’s paltry 18 assists. No one outside of Towns got going. Towns got little help. Anthony Edwards scored 13 points on just 4-for-16 shooting. The Wolves went 5 for 27 from deep.

Wednesday rivaled Minnesota’s loss in Atlanta for the distinction of the team’s worst performance of the year. Nothing Minnesota (8-3) did in Phoenix resembled what it had put forth for much of the campaign.

So it’s easy to write the game off to tired legs. But back to backs are a constant in the NBA. And teams chasing top seeds, as Minnesota appears ready to do this season, must find ways to compete on consecutive nights.

Unlike many other teams, the Timberwolves almost certainly won’t rest players on the second half of back to backs — that’s not part of Finch’s philosophy — but the key cogs in the rotation must demonstrate an ability to bring it, particularly defensively, one night after the next.

Because when they don’t, games like Wednesday can easily pop up.

Minnesota wraps up its five-game road trip Saturday in New Orleans.

Briefly

Bradley Beal was originally slated to play Wednesday, which would’ve marked the first time Beal, Durant and Booker shared the floor for Phoenix, but the guard was a late scratch due to a back injury. … Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert were both fined $25,000 for their roles in the scuffle Tuesday between the Warriors and Wolves, the NBA announced. Klay Thompson was also fined $25,000, while Draymond Green, who placed Gobert in a lengthy choke hold, was suspended for five games. “It’s not really my department,” Finch said when asked to comment on the disciplinary decisions. “Seems appropriate to me.”

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