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Zach Eflin’s attempts at a bounce back started with a thud.
Tampa Bay leadoff hitter Josh Lowe doubled in the first inning and chugged home on Brandon Lowe’s single. The throw enabled the runner to move into scoring position, but it didn’t matter. Jonathan Aranda homered with one out, Junior Caminero and Jake Mangum singled, and a fielder’s choice gave the Rays a quick four-run lead.
The Orioles didn’t have another comeback at the ready. They didn’t have Eflin by the second inning.
Eflin threw 28 pitches and came out of the game with lower back tightness, replaced by Scott Blewett in an 11-3 loss to the Rays before an announced crowd of 30,491 at sunny Camden Yards.
Ramón Laureano hit his 10th home run in the ninth after Coby Mayo singled, but quiet bats had influenced the outcome.
The injured list already held Eflin earlier this season with a right lat strain, which cost him a month of the season. Over his last three starts, he’s allowed 17 runs and 27 hits in nine innings and elevated his ERA to 5.95.
Today marked the shortest start of Eflin’s career. He lasted 28 pitches and allowed four runs and five hits.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino said Eflin's back flared up in the bullpen. Eflin wasn't available to the media after the game.
"Wasn’t too bad, felt like he could pitch through it," Mansolino said. "He’s had some lower back stuff in previous part of his career, so was experienced with it. Went out there, you saw Frenchie (Drew French) kind of go out there in the first, we were hyper aware of it. Scotty (Barringer), everybody is kind of aware. After the first he wanted to keep going. It was our decision to pull him out.
Aranda’s ball traveled 467 feet onto Eutaw Street at 111.1 mph. A fan posted on Bluesky that it bounced off a truck parked at Boog’s Barbeque stand.
Carlos Correa hit the longest home run in Camden Yards history at 475 feet off Aaron Brooks on Aug. 10, 2019.
Chandler Simpson and his blazing speed beat out a potential double-play ball, allowing Caminero to score. Simpson broke too quickly for second base, but Eflin spun and bounced his throw into center field for an error. Taylor Walls grounded out to spare Eflin further punishment.
"It's a tough one because he's obviously trying to compete," said Chadwick Tromp, "but as a catcher, sometimes you kind of feel when something's not right. But I mean, at the end of the day it's, you know, it's his call. So this is one of those things."
Trade chip status is lessening for Eflin with an untimely slump, and interested clubs will be tracking his latest health issue.
Asked whether Eflin could go on the IL again, Mansolino said, "That’s hard to answer that right now. I’m sure the doctors will check it out. I would imagine there will be some imaging of some sort an then they’ll make the decision on that going forward."
The Orioles fought back from a 6-0 deficit last night and won 22-8. They were down 8-0 today in the fourth after Simpson’s walk and stolen base and Tromp’s error, Walls’ sacrifice fly and Yandy Díaz’s three-run homer off Blewett.
"It's my role," Blewett said. "I've got to go out and eat innings when they ask me to. I thought I did a good job out of the gate kind of doing that, trying to keep the time in it. By the time I came in, it was 4-0 and of course this offense has a chance to come back in a game like that. As it went on, they battled me, they battled me in that last inning I was out there."
Working on back-to-back days, Kade Strowd allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings before Tromp’s solo homer in the fifth off Zack Littell, his first in the majors since 2021.
Yes, the Rays led 8-0 against the Orioles in Tampa and lost 12-8. No, the Orioles weren’t turning the tables twice.
"It always feels good," Tromp said of his homer. "When you lose, it don't matter. I don't care. I just want to win. So let's go get them tomorrow."
Littell allowed one run and three hits in seven innings.
Matt Thaiss had a two-run triple off Andrew Kittredge in the seventh to give the Rays an 11-1 lead. These teams detest playing close games.
"You just go into survival mode," Mansolino said. "We're trying to add up innings and figure out how we’re going to get through this thing and not be the front page of another story, which isn’t that fun. But, you know Scotty, he goes out there and does what he does and threw the ball great. You just feel for him, Scotty Blewett, because he threw the ball good but you have to push him and extend him. So I think you just feel for the players in those situations you know. And then you have to send a couple high-leverage guys out there in the sixth and seventh that aren’t used to pitching in a touchdown-type game."
Shortstop Luis Vázquez pitched in relief for the second time this season and second of his career. He entered in the eighth and got a double play after a one-out single, returned for the ninth and got a double play after a leadoff single. The Rays weren’t busting it down the line.
Simpson singled with two outs, didn’t try to steal, and Walls bounced into a force to preserve Vázquez’s 0.00 ERA in three appearances.
The Orioles have used a position player five times – Vázquez twice, and Jorge Mateo, Gary Sánchez and Emmanuel Rivera once apiece.
"So fortunately Vázquez, I mean, it’s crazy watching him do what he did in New York," Mansolino said. "Very thankful for what he did and how they handled it."
Jackson Holliday singled to the opposite field three times but was thrown out trying for a double in the third. He flied to the center field track in the fifth.
It happened again. A team goes berserk at the plate one game and is quiet the next. The Orioles had 21 hits last night and four today before collecting three in the ninth, and their record is lowered to 35-47.
“Littell was really good," Mansolino said. "When he’s throwing the ball front door into the lefties with the sinker at 94 and he’s got the backdoor slider going, he’s tough. But we’ve talked about this, too. When you’re hitting in these games, it’s difficult. Like, what we did yesterday down six is abnormal. What they did last week to us down eight is abnormal. The pressure comes off the pitcher when they’ve got a lead like that and they’re able to execute a little easier. Just tough.
"To me, I just kind of toss this one aside and wouldn’t evaluate our offense on today.”
