BOSTON – The Orioles had a game postponed yesterday for the fifth time this season, setting up the third of their four scheduled doubleheaders.

Life keeps getting harder for them.

They give up 13 runs in the eighth inning of Game 1, forced again to use a position player to pitch, and the tarp goes on the field less than two hours before Game 2's start time. It begins to rain, as if on cue. They’re stuck in a cramped clubhouse at “America’s most beloved ballpark,” which is a kind way of saying it’s old.

They never posted a lineup, unlike the Red Sox, who either held more confidence in the rain halting or just did it for practice. A starter wasn’t confirmed until last night, when the club announced Zach Eflin for Game 1 and TBA for Game 2. Trevor Rogers finally could get the ball as the 27^th man, but Charlie Morton also is a possibility.

The season hasn’t gotten past May and the Orioles have allowed 19-plus runs twice this season. Emmanuel Rivera became the 26^th player to pitch for them with his emergency appearance in Game 1, and Rogers could be the 27^th - seven fewer than last year’s total. The group includes two infielders and a backup catcher.

Rivera was charged with eight runs and eight hits and walked two batters in the eighth inning. He has a 72.00 ERA, 10.00 WHIP and .727 opponents’ average. Fortunately, it isn’t his main gig.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino went with an experienced hand. Rivera pitched four times for the Marlins last year and allowed four runs and seven hits in four innings.

Jorge Mateo allowed five runs and five hits in the eighth inning of a 24-2 loss to the Reds, and Gary Sánchez followed in the ninth and allowed four runs and two hits. They both surrendered a home run.

The club record for most different position players used as pitchers in a season is four in 2019 with Hanser Alberto, Chris Davis, Jesús Sucre and Stevie Wilkerson, according to STATS. Wilkerson, Pat Valaika and Austin Wynns stood on the mound in 2021, and Ryan McKenna, Josh Lester and James McCann in 2023.

The record for most total pitching appearances is seven in 2019 with Wilkerson (four times), Alberto, Davis and Sucre. Valaika was used twice in 2021 to run the collective total to four.

Can the next collective bargaining agreement implement a mercy rule? There’s no crying in baseball but quitting should be permissible with a huge deficit and no other choice except to run position players out there who make it worse.

That isn’t baseball. It isn’t OK for a team to send 18 batters to the plate and score 13 runs. And the Red Sox followed the rules by using Abraham Toro in the ninth with a 19-3 lead in order to save their bullpen for a Game 2 that didn’t happen.

“I actually thought it probably validated what we did,” Mansolino said. “The fact that you’re in a doubleheader and pitching is limited, I think they used three or four guys out of the bullpen at that point, they’re trying to win the second game as well at that point. So to see them bring in a position player, it’s a little bit of validation for our decision.”

The Orioles should be more concerned about some players who actually pitch for a living.

Cionel Pérez tossed a scoreless seventh but couldn’t get an out in the eighth and was charged with five runs to inflate his ERA to 8.31. He’s used more in mop-up and to consume bulk innings, with his higher-leverage days on hold while he struggles, and he hadn’t allowed an earned run in five straight appearances and eight of nine.

Seranthony Domínguez has a 6.06 ERA and 1.65 WHIP after being charged with three runs in one-third of an inning and taking the loss. He hadn’t allowed a run in four of his last five outings, but he’s surrendered eight this month in 6 1/3.

Gregory Soto let both inherited runners score along with two of his own to leave his ERA at 4.67 and WHIP at 1.50. He hadn’t allowed a run in six of his last seven appearances.

The staff ERA stands at 5.75, 29^th in the majors behind the Rockies. The rotation ERA of 5.84 and 1.46 WHIP also are 29^th. The bullpen ERA of 5.67 and 1.58 WHIP are 27^th in the majors and tainted by those position players.  

Andrew Kittredge made his Orioles debut Wednesday in Milwaukee and retired the side on eight pitches.

“I told Frenchy (pitching coach Drew French) standing next to me that that might have been our quickest inning all year,” Mansolino said. “He’s been through it for so long, on some good teams in some big moments, so just seeing how efficient he was, I think it definitely has a chance to settle some things down there.”

Maybe after yesterday.

Félix Bautista has been scored upon in four consecutive outings but he’s fine physically after pitching on back-to-back days for the first time.

“Nothing came across my desk on that,” Mansolino said, “so I would just make the assumption that he’s feeling good.”

The careful approach with Bautista might be lessening. More regular work could solve the fastball command issues that led to five walks in his last three appearances.

“I think you look at the point of the year that we’re in right now,” Mansolino said. “It’s a guy that missed a long time. Kind of came out of the gates a little bit slow, then he kind of got it going for a little bit. I think there’s a scenario here where you could say maybe he’s having to make a mid-season adjustment. I think it kind of comes out visually and just commanding the fastball, right?

“I think when we’ve seen Félix at this best, there’s probably a little bit more command there, but I don’t think he’s that far off. I think getting more repetitions, getting up more, we brought him in the eighth inning in that game (Tuesday) just to get him on the field. And we knew if we did it, then we’d have him available for his first back-to-back the next day. It was all part of the master plan and it kind of worked out that way.”

* Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Dylan Beavers went on the seven-day injured list with a right shoulder A/C sprain. He ran into the outfield fence yesterday during batting practice.

Beavers, the No. 6 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline, is batting .303/.397/.421 in 39 games.

Hudson Haskin moved up from Double-A Chesapeake to Norfolk.

Kyle Brnovich went 1 2/3 innings and allowed five runs and two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

* Colton Cowser started in center field at High-A Aberdeen and had a home run, single and walk.