Blaze Alexander began a new month with another multi-hit game, finishing Wednesday afternoon with a single and run-scoring triple. He was batting .382 with a 1.003 OPS since May 3 after reaching third base, turning to the dugout and flipping the bird – both hands, with thumbs locked.

Alexander also had two hits on Tuesday night, leaving him with a .359 average and .964 OPS in 73 plate appearances in June. He batted .365 with a .911 OPS in 68 plate appearances in May.

How is this the same guy who slashed .177/.250/.210 in his first 25 games, and .237/.322/.366 in two seasons with the Diamondbacks?

It goes back again to the adjustment that Alexander made after talking to assistant hitting coach Brady North, which I wrote about while the team was in D.C. North suggested that Alexander put pressure on his front leg and eliminate the timing lift.

Alexander hit an opposite-field double in his first at-bat after their conversation.

“We just wanted to get him some forward pressure, just to kind of delay some timing and not give him so much time to try to do too much, because he swings the bat really fast,” North explained last weekend. “So we’re basically trying to control that speed that he’s able to create in a much shorter time.”

*The Reds are starting one left-hander in the weekend series, Nick Lodolo, the seventh-overall pick in the 2019 draft who’s posted a 5.05 ERA in 10 starts. Lodolo didn’t make his season debut until May 8 due to a blister on his index finger.

Left-handed hitters are slashing .358/.435/.491 against him, compared to the .252/.347/.453 line by right-handers.

It probably won’t matter to Coby Mayo.

Mayo went into the series hitting .286 with a 1.056 OPS in 70 plate appearances against lefties and .147 with a .447 OPS in 164 plate appearances against right-handers. This is the kind of game that gets him in the lineup.

Asked what can be done about the discrepancy in splits, North replied, “Keep working, right? Just keep exposing himself. He’s doing really good work in the cage. His process has really, really grown over the last three months, doing a lot of the right things in the cage, and just exposing himself to same size shapes.

“He’s put in the right work, and I think as time continues, you’ll see a really, really good version of Coby Mayo.”

*Dylan Beavers missed six weeks with an oblique strain that kept him away from the team, but he’s had enough exposure to Craig Albernaz to get a good read on the first-year manager.

“He’s awesome,” Beavers said. “Everyone in here loves him. We talked to him the other day and he just told us he believes that we’re capable of great things, and I think we’re all on the same page there. I think we just need to be a little better.”

Tromp already knew Albernaz, hitting coach Dustin Lind and bench coach Donnie Ecker from their days together in San Francisco, and pitching coach Drew French from the Braves and last season with the Orioles. Coming back to the team last month was a soft landing spot.

Perhaps he’ll get another chance after his DFA yesterday.

“There’s a lot of people that, they kind of know what I do, and not just on the field, but also off the field trying to help these guys and trying to be there for them in the clubhouse,” Tromp said recently. “And any advice that I have for these guys is always a plus.”

Albernaz was the bullpen coach and catching instructor in San Francisco, and Tromp knew that he’d eventually get a chance to manage.

“He’s always been one of the smartest people that I’ve been around in baseball,” Tromp said. “Obviously when I had him he was a catching coach, but I think his insight in the game, he was always ahead. So I’m very happy that he got the opportunity.

“I know he’s doing a great job. I’ve been here for a couple weeks and I love what I’m seeing from him. And he cares, you know? It’s hard to find people that want to win and I think he’s one of them. I’m very grateful to be playing for him, and I think this team should be, also.”

*Baseball America updated its top 30 prospects lists for each team. Ike Irish is No. 1 for the Orioles, though the outlet lists him as an outfielder/catcher and he hasn’t moved behind the plate this season.

Outfield/first base is more accurate.

Here’s the complete list:

Ike Irish, OF/1B
Joseph Dziewa, LHP
Trey Gibson, RHP
Nate George, OF
Luis De León, LHP
Wehiwa Aloy, SS
J.T. Quinn, RHP
Nestor German, RHP
Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF
Boston Bateman, LHP
Esteban Mejia, RHP
Levi Wells, RHP
Braxton Bragg, RHP
Ethan Anderson, C
Sebastian Gongora, LHP
Aron Estrada, 2B/OF
Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP
Creed Willems, C/1B
Micah Ashman, LHP
Caden Hunter, LHP
Yeiber Cartaya, RHP
Andri Hidalgo, LHP
Jose Luis Acevedo, SS
Brandon Butterworth, SS/2B
DJ Layton, SS/3B
Jaiden Lo Re, SS/2B
Wilfri De La Cruz, SS
Victor Figueroa, 1B
Cameron Weston, RHP
Braylon Whitaker, OF

It wasn’t that long ago when a criticism of the Orioles’ farm system was the imbalance between position players and pitchers. Not anymore. Six of the top 10 and 15 of the first 22 are pitchers.

*Infielder Joshua Liranzo was placed on Class A Delmarva’s seven-day injured list with left groin discomfort.

Liranzo, 19, was batting .181/.321/.261 with five doubles, a triple, three homers, 29 RBIs, 38 walks, 72 strikeouts and 21 stolen bases in 24 attempts over 57 games.

*Umpires are an easy target for media and fans, and I’m guilty of it, which is why I enjoy passing along the latest from the UMPS CARE Charities organization.

The non-profit was formed in 2006 to provide comfort and support to seriously ill children in hospitals and their families. Umpire crews routinely visit Johns Hopkins Children’s Center to distribute gifts during the season and in the offseason.

The umpires and Oriole Bird will deliver 100 Build-A-Bears to children undergoing treatment at the hospital Wednesday morning.

Since its inception, UMPS CARE Charities have impacted more than 25,000 children in pediatric hospitals nationwide and in Canada.