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BOSTON – The regular season is down to eight games for the Orioles, and they’re still 3 ½ behind the Mariners for the last wild card.
It’s more like 4 ½ because Seattle owns the tiebreaker.
The Orioles made a flurry of roster moves. They placed infielder Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain, which ends his season, optioned relievers Joey Krehbiel and Jake Reed to Triple-A Norfolk, and recalled infielder Tyler Nevin, left-hander Keegan Akin and right-hander Beau Sulser.
Akin is replacing Urías, which enables him to be recalled this early after the Orioles optioned him on Monday.
Nevin is starting at third base tonight.
Before rookie Kyle Stowers could step inside the famed Green Monster yesterday, he first had to stand in front of it and try to track fly balls.
He did it in batting practice Monday afternoon and later during the game, the grass soaked beneath his feet from a storm that sent the teams indoors after the second inning.
Stowers got his first experience playing left field in Boston, where legends have roamed and others have been flummoxed. The distance from home plate, the narrow strip of dirt that constitutes foul territory, and the areas on the wall that create unusual caroms.
Spring training was the closest that Stowers came to simulating the Boston experience, but he played right field at JetBlue Park, also known as “Fenway South.” Doesn't count except for what he saw.
“I never played left in any of the mock ballparks,” he said. “The closest thing I can say that I’ve done is in Durham. I don’t think it’s quite as high, but same style of wall. There’s definitely a little more strategy with how you play defensively. I was just trying to get as comfortable as I could in warmups, and felt like there were some moments I did a good job of playing left, and some moments that probably could have been a little better.”
BOSTON – Spenser Watkins saved the Orioles bullpen last night by covering 4 1/3 innings after the rain delay. Manager Brandon Hyde could avoid using some relievers for a third consecutive game. A worry he carried into the clubhouse after play was halted.
But what would he do tonight with his starter unable to get out of the third and his long relief options nonexistent?
Let his offense keep mashing. Remember that no lead is safe at Fenway Park. And no pitcher is safe with Anthony Santander standing at the plate.
It didn’t work, but that’s all he had.
Santander hit multiple homers for the third time in four games, his two-run shot in the fourth evening the score. But the Red Sox kept circling the bases, whether through their own effort or with a push from the Orioles, who lost 13-9 to further damage their wild card hopes.
BOSTON – Right-hander Mike Baumann is the confirmed starter for the Orioles in the series finale Thursday afternoon.
Baumann is on normal rest after starting Saturday against the Astros and allowing two runs in four innings. He’s in the rotation because Tyler Wells went on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.
The Red Sox are starting veteran Nathan Eovaldi.
The Orioles didn’t make any roster moves today after optioning left-hander Keegan Akin yesterday and recalling Logan Gillaspie from the taxi squad.
Akin broke camp with the team and lasted until the fourth week of September.
BOSTON – Ramón Urías has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight as the third baseman, with rookie Gunnar Henderson moving to shortstop.
Urías is receiving treatment for spasms between his neck and right shoulder.
Rookie Terrin Vavra remains on the bench, but his left hamstring is much better and he’s available to play. Vavra felt it grab Sunday while running the bases and came out of the game.
Anthony Santander is the left fielder, and Austin Hays is in right. Rookie Kyle Stowers goes from left field last night to the designated hitter role tonight.
Kyle Bradish is making the 22nd start of his rookie season. He tossed 8 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits, no walks and 10 strikeouts Thursday night against the Astros and will try to bring the same stuff to Fenway Park.
BOSTON – The Orioles had some lineup intrigue yesterday, withholding it much later than usual to ascertain the health of a couple players. They also announced an unrelated roster move less than an hour before first pitch.
Can’t rush the process.
Reliever Keegan Akin was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk one day after facing a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the 11th inning against the Astros and surrendering four runs.
The club provided some context, passing along that the Orioles needed a fresh arm and plucked Logan Gillaspie from the taxi squad, and it was a tactical maneuver based on certain matchups down the road.
Akin’s performance didn’t influence the decision, though there’s been a noticeable decline.
BOSTON – The division standings plastered on the left field wall at Fenway Park don’t offer much information beyond the basics. The records and number of games out of first place. That’s it. Nothing about the wild card chase that consumes the Orioles and often torments them.
They’re ahead of the Red Sox. They’re the better team. Play like it.
Cedric Mullins had a home run, triple and three RBIs after two innings tonight, Anthony Santander hit his 30th and 31st home runs, Gunnar Henderson homered to break an 0-for-16 spell, and the Orioles waited out a 1 hour and 40 minute rain delay to post a 14-8 victory.
The Mariners are idle, leaving the Orioles 3 1/3 games behind the last wild card. They need one more win to guarantee a .500 season.
"Those are two tough losses we had against Houston, but we fought hard the entire time and we feel good about our chances," Santander said. "If we maintain that energy, I think we'll be fine."
Austin Hays hit the Orioles’ fifth home run of the night in the eighth inning, his solo shot to left coming against Eduard Bazardo.
BOSTON – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde waited until less than an hour before first pitch to post tonight’s lineup because he needed to check the availability of some players.
“We have a few things going on,” he said earlier today. “Waiting to kind of see how a few guys feel.”
Ramón Urías and Terrin Vavra are on the bench tonight.
Urías is trying to finish out the season despite the occasional spasms between his neck and right shoulder. He took ground balls this afternoon during batting practice.
“He is feeling better today than he did yesterday,” Hyde said.
BOSTON – The Orioles begin their final road trip of the season with four games at Fenway Park. They remain four behind the Mariners for the final wild card.
They could be contemplating a roster move. Pitchers Beau Sulser and Logan Gillaspie are in the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park, and the lineup card hasn’t been posted.
Infielder Ramón Urías said he should be available tonight and able to avoid shutting down over the last 10 games.
Urías has been receiving treatments for spasms between his neck and shoulder, which forced him out of the lineup and a recent game. He’s prepared to play through them.
“It’s feeling better,” he said. “Still have a little tenderness right now but feeling better and I think I’m available tonight off the bench.”
Félix Bautista might not have hit the proverbial wall this month, but the energy to go around or scale it is running low.
He isn’t alone, of course. The grind of a full season is harshest on the ones who haven’t experienced it, and he’s got some company inside the Orioles’ clubhouse.
Bautista is a rookie. Don’t let his age and size fool you. And he admitted after Saturday night’s loss, when he was charged with four runs in 1 1/3 innings and blew his first save since the Jorge López trade, that he felt “a little bit tired.”
“But I have no doubt,” he added, “I can finish the season off strong.”
Who really knows? It’s the proper mindset with nothing to fall back on that ensures it.
How would the Orioles respond to last night’s crushing defeat?
By reliving it in a different form this afternoon.
By getting a solid start from Austin Voth and practically no offense for seven innings. By carrying the game past regulation with some late dramatics.
And it rained.
The game was halted after the bottom of the sixth inning with Astros starter Cristian Javier facing the minimum number of batters and permitting just one baserunner. Javier, at 76 pitches, didn’t return after a 46-minute delay.
Tyler Wells is coming to grips with the idea that his first season as a starting pitcher is over, that he can’t offer more support for a final playoff push beyond encouraging teammates.
It isn’t easy.
The Orioles placed Wells on the 15-day injured list last week with right shoulder inflammation. He’s eligible to return on Oct. 5 for the final game of the season, but he won’t pitch again until spring training.
“It was a little sore after my last start, and then throwing in the bullpen it was still sore, so that’s when I mentioned it to the pitching coaches and all them,” he said.
“Obviously, it’s extremely disappointing. Honestly, I’m kind of heartbroken about it, given the fact that we’re chasing a wild card spot and I want to be able to contribute and continue to help the team. But obviously it just wasn’t in the books this year.”
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has seen his club bounce back from hard losses to keep its season moving forward. The next challenge comes this afternoon.
It won’t be easy following last night’s 11-10 loss to the Astros, who are trying to salvage a split of the four-game series.
The defeat pushed the Orioles four games behind the Mariners for the last wild card. The tie-breaker belongs to Seattle, which scored in the ninth inning last night to beat the Royals.
Eleven games remain and the Orioles still need two wins to assure a no-losing season.
The left-handed lineup turns with Gunnar Henderson, Kyle Stowers and Terrin Vavra. Adley Rutschman is catching.
Mike Baumann was a surprise starter last night. No one expected him to be the next link in the chain.
The past three starters worked a minimum of 8 2/3 innings, with Dean Kremer tossing his first career complete-game shutout Friday night. Twenty-seven years passed since the Orioles put together a streak of that length. Forty years since they did it in four consecutive games.
Baumann was making his second career start only because Tyler Wells went on the injured list Friday with right shoulder inflammation. Otherwise, Baumann would have sat in the bullpen and waited for his 15th appearance.
The Orioles used him to start Game 1 of a Sept. 5 doubleheader because Jordan Lyles had the stomach flu. Baumann lasted a career-high five innings. He went six innings with Triple-A Norfolk on Aug. 31, a mark that manager Brandon Hyde would have celebrated last night with a fresh set of relievers.
“There’s going to have to be a lot of first-pitch swinging,” he quipped.
The sight was odd but not unexpected. A reliever warming by the fourth inning. Runs on the board for the visiting team.
Mike Baumann wasn’t called upon as a starter tonight to give the Orioles the same length as his predecessors. He was subbing for injured right-hander Tyler Wells, and the Oriole needed to keep evaluating him. That’s why he was chosen.
They got four innings out of him. He left with a lead. The game was placed in the hands of a fresh bullpen. Pretty much as designed.
The rest of it imploded. No where in the plan was Félix Bautista throwing a career-high 33 pitches in 1 1/3 innings, charged with four runs and his first blown save since the Jorge López trade in a stunning 11-10 loss to the Astros before an announced crowd of 22,546 at Camden Yards.
Anthony Santander homered twice, the second a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth that gave the Orioles a 9-7 lead. But the Astros loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, a run scored on Alex Bregman’s fielder’s choice grounder, Kyle Tucker doubled to tie the game.
The Orioles can run their win total to 80 games tonight, leaving them two away from finishing on the right side of .500.
It hasn’t happened since 2016, three years before Brandon Hyde’s first season as manager.
“Definitely think you want to finish with a winning record,” Hyde said. “That is important. I’m hoping we don’t stop at 82. I want to win as many games as we can toward the end of the year and see where we are at the end of the year.”
Mike Baumann won’t be expected to extend the streak of starters recording at least 8 2/3 innings. He isn’t stretched out to the point where he can join Jordan Lyles, Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer.
“There’s going to have to be a lot of first-pitch swinging,” Hyde said. “Let’s hope they come out aggressive and we get a lot of rollovers, popups.”
The last three Orioles’ starters have completed 8 2/3 innings or more, a first for the franchise since Mike Mussina, Scott Erickson and Kevin Brown on Sept. 26-29, 1995. The club has recorded three shutouts among four wins over the Astros this season.
Now it’s Mike Baumann’s turn on the mound as the replacement for injured right-hander Tyler Wells. The bar is raised high above his head.
Baumann is making his second major league start and his 15th appearance. He’s allowed 10 earned runs and 11 total this season in 21 innings.
Baumann has never faced the Astros, who are stuck on 99 wins.
Ramón Urías returns to the lineup at third base after being scratched last night with spasms between his neck and right shoulder.
The Orioles are down to a dozen games. Two more against the Astros at home, four in Boston, three in New York, and three against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards.
Distance to the Jays might need to be reduced if they’re going to matter beyond the final record and pride.
The math says that the Orioles remain in contention for the last wild card, moving within three games of Seattle. They need two more wins to guarantee the first non-losing season since 2016.
Reflections of 2022 will come later, except for those of us who can’t wait.
I’ve already noted how Matt Harvey never had his contract selected (he’s on the Triple-A injured list now with a sore knee), Gunnar Henderson earned a promotion despite his age, Yusniel Diaz stayed only for a cup of coffee, Rougned Odor lasted into September, we never saw Robert Neustrom, and DJ Stewart didn’t make it back to the Orioles after three games to begin the season.
The Orioles don’t know exactly how their rotation will set up through the last 12 games of the season. Tyler Wells left it today with a shoulder injury. Mike Baumann makes the start Saturday night. Grayson Rodriguez remains a possibility after being stretched to 83 pitches Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk.
The uncertainty can’t interrupt the sense of calm that comes from a succession of outstanding performances.
What an interesting time of the year to get on a roll.
Jordan Lyles registered his second career complete game to close out the Tigers series. Kyle Bradish opened the Astros series with 8 2/3 scoreless innings. And Dean Kremer maintained his stride tonight while following in their footsteps.
Kremer tossed a complete-game shutout on a career-high 106 pitches and Adley Rutschman hit his 12th home run and reached base four times, enabling the Orioles to extend their winning streak to three games with a 6-0 victory over the Astros before an announced crowd of 22,833 at Camden Yards.
Ramón Urías was scratched from tonight’s Orioles lineup with spasms between his neck and right shoulder. Terrin Vavra starts at second base and bats eighth, with left fielder Austin Hays moving up to seventh.
“He’s day-to-day,” said manager Brandon Hyde.
Here’s the new lineup:
Cedric Mullins CF
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Anthony Santander RF
Gunnar Henderson 3B
Jesús Aguilar DH
Austin Hays LF
Terrin Vavra 2B
Jorge Mateo SS
Tyler Wells is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list on Oct. 5, the final day of the regular season, but he’s shut down with inflammation in his right shoulder.
