-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Orioles have taken the short ride north for their latest road game, taking on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Orioles (7-9-2) split two games on Monday, beating Detroit 11-7 at home and losing to Atlanta 6-5 in North Port in a game that was shortened to seven innings by rain.
The Orioles hit eight homers yesterday, six in Sarasota and two in North Port. They have scored 67 runs the past 10 games.
Orioles closer Félix Bautista will make his long-awaiting spring debut today and is scheduled to pitch the first inning after being held out of games to this point. He has thrown several bullpen sessions and checked all the boxes he needed to get to this point. Now the Orioles hope the final two weeks plus will be enough time for him to be ready for Opening Day and they are confident he will be. It’s a nice step for him today here in Bradenton.
Right-hander Tyler Wells (0-1, 7.71 ERA) is expected to follow Bautista to the mound this afternoon at LECOM Park. Wells has allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. He last pitched last Thursday in Clearwater against the Phillies allowing one run over 2 2/3 innings. Bruce Zimmermann is also scheduled to pitch for the Orioles.
Terrin Vavra, who is batting .474 (9-for-19) is leading off today and playing second base. Adley Rutschman hits second and will catch. Heston Kjerstad, who hit his third homer Monday against Atlanta, will bat eighth and play in right field and Colton Cowser hits ninth and plays in center.
SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles announced today the passing of Luis Andrés Ortiz Soriano, a 20-year-old minor league player from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
A team statement read: "Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the passing of minor league pitcher Luis Andrés Ortiz Soriano. Luis was an inspiration to all who knew him, especially as he courageously battled cancer. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
The young man did not have any stats for the 2022 season. In 2021 in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League he went 1-2 with a 5.52 ERA in 14 2/3 innings.
Manager Brandon Hyde passed along his thoughts to start his pregame press update.
"Want to pass on condolences to the Luis Ortiz family. Sad news last night. From all of us here - our major league staff and players - we want to give our condolences to the Ortiz family," he said.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde provided some significant health and workout updates this morning, rattling off the morning advancements from a sheet of paper.
Got to keep it straight, and there were quite a few.
Left-hander DL Hall, who’s recovered from the discomfort in his lower back, completed a bullpen session today. Hyde said it “went well,” and Hall will throw live batting practice in a few days.
Closer Félix Bautista, who’s been restricted to bullpens while receiving treatments on his left knee and working to strengthen his right shoulder, also will threw live BP in the next few days.
Left-hander Nick Vespi, who underwent hernia surgery in January, will pitch in a simulated game later this week. Vespi remains confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if the Orioles want to bring him north.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Colton Cowser is starting in center field today against the Pirates, and Adam Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter.
Cowser is 2-for-11 with one home run, seven walks, six strikeouts and six runs scored.
Adam Frazier moves up to the leadoff spot.
Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman, Ramón Urías is playing third base, Jorge Mateo is the shortstop and Austin Hays is in left field. An infield alignment that will be repeated at times in 2023, when Gunnar Henderson is on the bench.
Kyle Gibson makes his second spring start, both against the Pirates. The Orioles will extend him to three innings if his pitch count allows it.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Terrin Vavra was supposed to play left field and lead off today against the Phillies. However, he's been scratched from the lineup and replaced by Colton Cowser.
Third baseman Gunnar Henderson is leading off. Cowser is batting eighth.
No reason provided at this time.
Orioles reliever Nick Vespi had his fifth bullpen session yesterday morning, using all of his pitches and totaling 35. He advances next week to one or two live bullpen sessions and should be ready to start appearing in games.
Vespi, who underwent hernia surgery on Jan. 5, remains confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if he makes the club.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Anthony Santander said this morning that his left knee is fine, and he’s in the Orioles lineup against the Blue Jays.
Santander was hit Monday by an 85 mph pitch and limped off the field.
Cole Irvin is making his Orioles debut and James McCann is catching him.
Ramón Urías is playing third base and batting cleanup. Adam Frazier is the second baseman. Lewin Díaz is the designated hitter.
Austin Voth and Cionel Pérez will pitch today for the first time.
Gunnar Henderson is the cleanup hitter tonight in the Orioles’ penultimate game of the 2022 season.
The forecast calls for rain all day and night, but that’s the plan.
Jesús Aguilar is the first baseman, with Ryan Mountcastle on the bench. Ryan McKenna is the left fielder and Austin Hays is in right.
Terrin Vavra is starting at second base instead of Rougned Odor.
Mike Baumann is making his fourth start and 13th appearance. He’s lasted four innings in his two starts since being plugged into the rotation on Sept. 24, throwing 58 and 74 pitches.
The Orioles begin the final series of the 2022 season tonight with the Blue Jays arriving in town.
They won’t have Félix Bautista available in the bullpen. He’s been shut down with lingering soreness in his left knee. A roster move is coming.
Gunnar Henderson is the third baseman tonight and Terrin Vavra is in left field. Kyle Stowers is in right.
Dean Kremer has a 3.17 ERA and 1.257 WHIP in 21 games (20 starts). He’s surrendered only 10 home runs in 119 1/3 innings, though two came in his last start in Boston.
Kremer has allowed six earned runs and seven total in 18 innings against Toronto this season.
The Orioles have lost all four games against the Tigers this season, including last night’s 11-0 rout that left them five behind the Mariners for the last wild card. The White Sox are a half-game behind them.
Tonight’s game feels “must win.”
They all do at this point.
Manager Brandon Hyde has performed a major shakeup of his lineup, moving Gunnar Henderson to the leadoff spot for the first time. Henderson is starting again at third base.
Adley Rutschman is lowered to the cleanup spot for the sixth time. He’s batted second in 47 games, a spot occupied tonight by Ryan Mountcastle.
Ryan Mountcastle returns to the Orioles lineup as the designated hitter for tonight’s series opener against the Tigers at Camden Yards. He missed yesterday’s game in Toronto with a bruised left triceps.
Jesús Aguilar is the first baseman against Tigers left-hander Tyler Alexander.
Cedric Mullins stays in the lineup but moves down to eighth. Austin Hays is leading off.
Gunnar Henderson is batting .328/.388/.557 with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 12 RBIs and six walks in 17 games and 67 plate appearances. He’s the third baseman tonight.
Adley Rutschman had his 24th multi-hit game of the season yesterday. He’s registered a .367 on-base percentage, with 31 doubles and 56 walks, in 97 games.
WASHINGTON – The Orioles begin a two-game series tonight against the Nationals with Gunnar Henderson playing third base, Kyle Stowers in left field and Austin Hays in right.
Rougned Odor, who left Sunday’s game with a bruised right hand, is on the bench. Ramón Urías is playing second base.
Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.
Hays had his first multi-hit game Sunday since Aug. 27 in Houston.
Dean Kremer has never faced the Nationals.
The Orioles conclude their four-game series tonight with the Blue Jays by starting Kyle Stowers in left field and using Gunnar Henderson as the designated hitter.
Austin Hays is on the bench.
Tyler Wells was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and gets the start instead of Dean Kremer. This is Wells’ first game with the Orioles since straining his left oblique on July 27.
No word on what happens to Kremer.
Wells has made seven career appearance against Toronto, the first six in relief last summer, and allowed nine runs and 16 hits in 12 2/3 innings. He held the Jays to one run in six innings in a June start at Rogers Centre.
Gunnar Henderson is the Orioles’ designated hitter tonight for the third game of their series against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards.
Henderson played second base and shortstop in yesterday’s doubleheader.
The rest of the lineup should look familiar.
Ramón Urías is the third baseman and Rougned Odor is playing second.
Austin Hays is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right.
The Orioles optioned reliever Rico Garcia after yesterday’s 5-0 loss to the Athletics and recalled Beau Sulser from Triple-A Norfolk. A new arm for the bullpen in today’s makeup doubleheader with the Blue Jays at Camden Yards.
Garcia pitched yesterday and retired all four batters he faced.
Mike Baumann is on the mound for Game 1, his first major league start and 12th appearance. He faced the Blue Jays on Sept. 12, 2021 in Baltimore and allowed six runs in three innings. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run homer.
In Baumann’s last three starts with Norfolk, he held opponents to two earned runs and three total over 16 innings.
Gunnar Henderson is playing second base again in Game 1. Jesús Aguilar is the designated hitter.
Gunnar Henderson’s fourth major league game won’t put him at a fourth different position.
Henderson is starting at third base and batting fifth tonight against the Athletics at Camden Yards.
Kyle Stowers is in right field. Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.
Adley Rutschman is catching after his pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk last night that broke a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning.
Rutschman, Henderson and Stowers were the first three Orioles draft selections in 2019.
The Orioles can climb nine games above .500 tonight for the first time since May 20, 2017. They’re 1 ½ behind the Blue Jays for third place in the division and for the third spot in the wild card chase.
The latest surge is led by a rotation that posted back-to-back shutouts and registered three during a six-game road trip to Houston and Cleveland. The Orioles allowed nine runs and currently have a scoreless streak of 21 innings.
Last night marked the 13th shutout of the season. It also produced Brandon Hyde’s 200th career win, making him the ninth manager in club history to reach the milestone.
Dean Kremer has allowed four runs in his last three starts over 20 innings, with three walks and 13 strikeouts, to lower his ERA to 3.24. He’s never faced the Athletics.
Gunnar Henderson is starting at his third position in three nights, getting the assignment at second base and batting eighth. He’s the first Oriole to collect three hits in his first two major league games since Cedric Mullins in August 2018.
CLEVELAND - Gunnar Henderson is starting at shortstop tonight as the Orioles conclude their road trip and try to win their series against the Guardians.
He stays on the left side of the infield.
Henderson is batting fifth behind Ramón Urías, who moves to third base.
Jorge Mateo and Austin Hays are on the bench. Jesús Aguilar is the designated hitter in his first game with the Orioles.
Terrin Vavra is in left field and batting ninth, and Anthony Santander is in right.
The Orioles are 2 ½ games out of the last wild card spot, but they moved ahead of the Twins without playing last night and begin another important series against the White Sox at Camden Yards.
Chicago is four back in the wild card race.
No moves were made today to alter the Orioles’ active roster. All they did was reinstate infielder Jonathan Araúz from the 10-day injured list and option him to Triple-A Norfolk.
If shortstop Gunnar Henderson is making his major league debut this week, it won’t happen tonight.
Terrin Vavra is batting fifth and playing second base. Rougned Odor is at third base.
The Orioles have moved within one game of the final wild card spot as they continue their series tonight against the Blue Jays.
They’re 1 ½ behind the third-place Rays and three behind second-place Toronto.
Terrin Vavra is the designated hitter tonight, batting fifth in a lineup that also includes Adley Rutschman catching, Austin Hays in left field, and Ramón Urías at third base.
Ryan Mountcastle has a career .356 average and 1.131 OPS in 30 games against Toronto, with four doubles, 13 home runs and 25 RBIs. He’s 10-for-21 with two doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs this season.
Urías had never hit a first-inning home run until last night’s three-run shot. He was 1-for-27 in the opening frame.
The Orioles will try for back-to-back series sweeps this afternoon as they play their final game against the Pirates at Camden Yards.
They’ve won five games in a row, are five above .500 and are one back in the wild card race. They also trail the third-place Rays by one game.
Austin Hays is out of the lineup again with tightness in his side, though he’s avoided the injured list.
Terrin Vavra, who’s 7-for-15 during a five-game hitting streak, moves up to third in the order and starts at second base. Rougned Odor has moved to third base as an extra left-handed bat.
Anthony Santander extended his hitting streak to 16 games last night, batting .354/.408/.646 (23-for-65) with seven doubles, four home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 runs.
