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Coby Mayo started at third base Sunday afternoon in Denver after rejoining the Orioles on their expanded roster and he lined a single the opposite way for his second major league hit. He also scored his third run. He seemed comfortable in the box and in the field.
The Rockies started left-hander Ty Blach. The Orioles placed Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle. Mayo was pretty much a lock to be in the lineup.
Yesterday’s series opener against the White Sox offered a different story. Mayo sat while right-handed hitter Emmanuel Rivera played third base against right-hander Chris Flexen. Mayo didn't make an appearance in the blowout win.
I saw theories floated that Mayo could work in a platoon with left-handed hitting Nick Maton, who had his contract selected yesterday from Triple-A Norfolk, but they shared bench space yesterday. First base presents an option for Mayo with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list due to a sprained left wrist, and he’s made 21 starts with the Tides.
The Orioles might be hesitant to transfer that experiment to the majors, but it isn’t clear what they plan to do with him.
The start to the Orioles' latest homestand, which began with them playing easily the worst team in the majors, could have gone better.
Right-hander Corbin Burnes, who began today with an 8.59 ERA over his last three starts and 7.36 over his past five, gave up a couple of soft hits and both runners scored in the top of the first to give the Chicago White Sox a 2-0 lead.
One of those two runs was unearned, thanks to an error by first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, and the O’s gave up 90 feet on the bases overthrowing the cutoff man. Not a sharp start to the series.
They were playing a White Sox team that fell to 31-107 with Sunday's defeat to set a franchise record for losses. They had lost 10 in a row and 14 of 15, and were 4-40 the last 44 games.
They came to Baltimore with the second-worst major league record after 138 games since the Philadelphia A’s (30-107-1) of 1916.
The Orioles' roster churn continued today in advance of the homestand opener against the Chicago White Sox.
The club selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Nick Maton from Triple-A Norfolk and designated catcher David Bañuelos for assignment.
The Orioles acquired Maton, 27, from the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 7 for cash considerations. He has spent most of this season with Triple-A Norfolk but got into one O's game on June 20 at Yankee Stadium without an at-bat.
His wild ride this year saw the club designate him for assignment on March 26 and outright him to the minors five days later. On June 19 he was called up from the farm, but was DFAd on June 24 and outrighted back to Norfolk two days later. Now he is back on the Baltimore active roster.
He has played 180 career big league games between Philadelphia and Detroit and the one game with the Orioles this year. He was with the Phillies for parts of 2021 and 2022 and played in 93 games with Detroit last year.
DENVER - The reaction is about what you’d expect. Players watch a teammate sustain an injury and struggle to comprehend the reasoning or keep count.
Zach Eflin is reinstated from the injured list and starts yesterday’s series finale in Colorado, less than 24 hours after a 103.1 mile line drive slams into Dean Kremer’s right arm, creating a Rocky Mountain high welt above his wrist. The Orioles were dumped again into their gain-one, lose-one way of life.
Kremer has avoided the injured list and perhaps the off-day Thursday works in his favor. But he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and manager Brandon Hyde used six relievers in a 7-5 loss. Hyde said yesterday that he’d be surprised if Kremer started in the next four or five days.
Ramón Urías is hit on the nose by a 93.8 mph sinker, stays in the game and rolls his ankle covering third base. He’s on crutches and the 10-day IL, putting the Orioles’ hottest hitter on ice for an indefinite period.
If it wasn’t for bad luck …
DENVER – The Orioles recorded a hit with a runner in scoring position to take a quick lead, and Zach Eflin retired the side in order on 10 pitches in his return from the injured list. Maybe, just maybe, the Orioles would make it through the afternoon in good health and with a series win. Leaving the drama at the entrance to Coors Field. Starting a new month with a new attitude and better vibes.
They couldn’t possibly know what else Eflin would deliver.
Eflin retired the first 15 batters on only 49 pitches to flirt with the first perfect game in franchise history. He’d settle for seven innings of one-run ball in a 6-1 victory over the Rockies before an announced crowd of 32,961 on another gorgeous Denver day.
Eflin was barreling toward the first Orioles complete game since Dean Kremer on Sept. 23, 2022 against the Astros at Camden Yards. Kremer left last night’s start in the fourth after taking a line drive off his right forearm area. An odd connection was brewing.
Chad Kuhl tossed the last complete game at Coors Field on June 27, 2022.
DENVER – Coby Mayo was on a flight to Denver last night when third baseman Ramón Urías sprained his right ankle. Mayo was joining the Orioles’ expanded roster, unaware that he’d do more than fill out the bench.
“Obviously, I saw what happened after the fact,” Mayo said.
He also heard plenty about it. His phone was blowing up with text messages about Urías and the opportunity that arrived as he checked into the team hotel.
Urías rolled his ankle while covering third base on Ezequiel Tover’s stolen base in the seventh inning. Urías laid on the ground, writhing in pain, and remains on crutches today.
An offense that’s scuffled for prolonged periods lost a player batting .357 with a 1.178 OPS over his last 14 games before last night. Just another unfortunate injury that tests this team’s depth and resolve.
DENVER – Zach Eflin is reinstated from the injured list and starting this afternoon against the Rockies. Coby Mayo is recalled from Triple-A Norfolk as the 14th position player on an expanded roster.
And that’s just the beginning.
Infielder Ramón Urías is on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle. He’s on crutches again today after rolling the ankle last night on a tag play at third base.
The Orioles selected catcher David Bañuelos’ contract from Norfolk. He was on the taxi squad and likely will return to it by Monday afternoon.
Outfielder Forrest Wall was designated for assignment to make room for Bañuelos. He was 4-for-11 with a home run for Norfolk after the Orioles claimed him on waivers last week from the Marlins.
DENVER – Seranthony Domínguez has converted his seven save opportunities with the Orioles following the trade that unfolded near the deadline that sent outfielder Austin Hays to the Phillies.
The ride can’t be described as smooth, but he usually gets the team where it wants to finish.
The occasional bumps have resulted in all of the scoring against Domínguez. He’s allowed five runs in 15 innings on solo homers by José Ramírez on Aug. 3, Rob Refsnyder on the 18th, Francisco Alvarez on the 19th, Jesse Winker on the 21st and Brendan Rodgers Friday night.
Alvarez and Winker had walk-off homers for the Mets at Citi Field to stick Domínguez with both losses. Four of the home runs were hit in a span of seven appearances.
In 16 games, Domínguez has registered a 3.00 ERA and 0.933 WHIP with 10 hits, four walks and 19 strikeouts.
DENVER – The Orioles lost one game and two more players tonight.
Infielder Ramón Urías has a sprained right ankle. He was on crutches in the clubhouse following the Rockies’ 7-5 win at Coors Field.
Urías and Dean Kremer, who was hit by a line drive on the lower right forearm, will be re-evaluated Sunday.
Kremer has a contusion after X-rays came back negative for a fracture, but the length of his potential absence is unknown tonight.
Urías took a beating. Ryan Feltner hit him on the nose with a 93.8 mph sinker in the fifth inning, but Urías turned away in time to avoid flush contact and stayed in the game.
DENVER – The Orioles anticipate having Zach Eflin return from the injured list Sunday to make his fifth start. A breath of fresh air for a team that's gasping.
The rotation's gain might be nullified by losing Dean Kremer, which would be another massive blow.
Jordan Beck’s 103.1 mph line drive tonight nailed Kremer on the lower right forearm in the fourth inning, forcing him out of the game. A huge welt developed almost instantly above the wrist.
Kremer paced behind the mound in obvious pain as head athletic trainer Brian Ebel and manager Brandon Hyde raced out of the dugout. Keegan Akin replaced Kremer with the Orioles down 3-2.
The ball ricocheted to shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who threw to Jackson Holiday for the force.
DENVER – Adley Rutschman is catching tonight and batting second as the Orioles try to secure a series win at Coors field. He was on the field for early hitting.
Gunnar Henderson is leading off and Colton Cowser moves down to fifth. Eloy Jiménez is the designated hitter.
Anthony Santander is in the cleanup spot.
Ramón Urías stays at third base. Jackson Holliday stays in the ninth spot in the order.
The Yankees lost today and lead the Orioles by only one game in the division race.
DENVER – Expanded roster plans in September took a clearer shape earlier today.
The Orioles are bringing corner infielder Coby Mayo to Colorado, according to multiple sources. He can become the 14th position player beginning Sunday, a move that was anticipated.
Mayo went 1-for-17 with 10 strikeouts in his first major league experience but kept abusing Triple-A pitching, batting .293 with a .943 OPS, 23 doubles, three triples, 22 home runs and 67 RBIs in 87 games with the Norfolk Tides. Two of his home runs were hit after the Orioles optioned him.
Mayo started at first base again last night, where he could be used by the Orioles with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list.
Ramón Urías is red-hot at the plate, slashing .357/.440/.738 with a 1.178 OPS over his last 14 games since Aug. 16, and seems to have third base locked up with Jordan Westburg also on the injured list.
DENVER – Playing in the majors at age 20 already presents a litany of challenges for Jackson Holliday. Now that he’s in Colorado with the Orioles, he’s tested to remember incidents that happened when he was a young boy. The heartwarming family moments. The silly stuff. Keep ‘em coming.
Matt Holliday spent his first five seasons with the Rockies and returned in 2018 for his final 25 games before retirement. He held Jackson in his arms after his team won the 2007 National League Championship Series, an iconic photo that was shown, among so many others, during last night’s broadcast.
Jackson would celebrate his fourth birthday in December. Things that happened back then aren’t crystal clear in his mind, but media at his locker tried to pry it out of him.
“I remember vaguely just moments here and there, the playoffs, and certain things like, playing yesterday (at Dodger Stadium) they did the MVP chants for (Shohei) Ohtani and I kind of remember that whenever my dad was here,” he said. “And obviously, whenever he came back with St. Louis. To come here and just be a part of everything.”
What about playing Wiffle Ball? Surely, he’s got some tales to share.
DENVER – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde broke out the right-handed lineup tonight, having learned a while ago to write with his fingers crossed.
Emmanuel Rivera would play first base and bat seventh, getting another start with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list. Rivera responded with his first hits, home run and RBIs with the Orioles to prove that he can do more than draw walks.
They’ll take anything from their offense, of course. This isn’t a team that can afford to be picky.
Albert Suárez navigated some early trouble to complete a career-high seven innings, Jackson Holliday had an RBI triple and run scored in the ninth, and the Orioles defeated the Rockies 5-3 before an announced crowd of 30,444 at Coors Field.
The Orioles went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position but improved their record to 78-58. The Yankees defeated the Cardinals earlier today to maintain their 1 ½-game lead in the division.
DENVER – The Orioles can feel a lot better about their rotation.
Zach Eflin had a bullpen session this afternoon at Coors Field and is ready to hop back onto the active roster. He’s eligible to be reinstated Sunday and the Orioles kept that spot TBA.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Eflin is “probable” to close out the series against the Rockies which also concludes the latest road trip.
“Probably see how he recovers tomorrow and then we’ll see how it goes,” Hyde said.
Eflin has registered four quality starts in his four appearances with the Orioles. He went on the injured list retroactive to Aug. 17 with inflammation in his right shoulder, another harsh blow to a club that’s already missing Grayson Rodriguez until mid-to-late September and Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells for the rest of 2024.
DENVER – The Orioles have totaled four hits or fewer in five of their last 11 games. They’ve scored three runs or fewer in eight of their last 12.
Manager Bandon Hyde has only so many lineup combinations to play. He’s got Austin Slater leading off tonight and Emmanuel Rivera playing first base against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber at Coors Field. James McCann is catching.
Slater is 9-for-19 with three doubles and two triples against Gomber. Rivera and McCann are 1-for-6 with a home run.
Adley Rutschman is on the bench. He went 2-for-12 against the Dodgers and is batting .211/.285/.325 in 33 games since the All-Star break.
Eloy Jiménez is the cleanup hitter. Ramón Urías is batting fifth.
DENVER - The Orioles are in Colorado for three games against the last-place Rockies, who are a bottom-three team in the majors. They are polar opposites of the Dodgers. It’s like drinking San Pellegrino or straight from the garden hose.
The clubs met at Camden Yards last summer and the Orioles won two of three, with each game decided by a single run. The Rockies won two of three in 2019 at Coors Field during the infant stages of the Orioles’ rebuild.
Known as “infant” because it made you cry every hour.
In the Orioles’ lone victory, Keon Broxton played center field and Stevie Wilkerson was in left. Hanser Alberto batted leadoff. Josh Lucas tossed three scoreless innings for his only major league save.
My only memory of that series isn’t Josh Lucas. It’s Broxton swinging at the first pitch thrown to him as an Oriole, by former prospect Jeff Hoffman, and hitting it 474 feet onto the left field concourse. Jaws dropped in the press box simultaneously, creating a sound louder than the home run.
LOS ANGELES – In the early innings tonight, Orioles lefty Cade Povich was getting into and out of trouble. But he could not keep escaping damage.
The Dodgers scored four off him in the last of the fourth to open a 5-0 lead. They beat the Orioles 6-3 to take two of three in this series pitting two of baseball’s best clubs against each other.
Los Angeles (80-54) becomes the first team in the majors to hit the 80-win mark and has won eight of 10, 14 of 19 and 17 of its last 24.
The Dodgers are 5-0 this year in series versus American League East teams, going 11-4 over 15 games.
At 77-58, the Orioles have lost three of four and eight of 13 games. They end a two-series stretch versus the first-place Astros and Dodgers going 3-4. And they are now 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees, who had tonight off.
LOS ANGELES – With 28 games left in the regular season, the chase is on for the Orioles. They are chasing a playoff berth and an American League East title, but also chasing the calendar in terms of getting their injured players back with enough time both to perform at their previous levels and also impact the playoff race.
In that regard, Sunday could be a big day for the team in their series finale at Colorado. Right-hander Zach Eflin can return from the injured list that day. He is 4-0 with an ERA of 2.13 in four O’s starts. The last one was Aug. 15 and he went on the IL with right shoulder inflammation after that game.
But now, without a rehab assignment or even having faced any hitters in a simulated game, he is on the verge of rejoining the rotation.
“He is a possibility for Sunday, yeah,” manager Brandon Hyde confirmed today. “I know he was going to throw today, but yeah, there is a chance he can pitch Sunday.”
Meanwhile right-hander Grayson Rodriguez threw off flat ground pregame twice during this series with the Dodgers on Tuesday and again today. Rodriguez, 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA, last pitched July 31 and is on the IL with right lat/teres discomfort.
LOS ANGELES – The Orioles and Dodgers have split the first two games of this three-game series and tonight's winner will take the series at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles (79-54, .594) has the best record in the major leagues and has won seven of nine, 13 of 18 and 16 of its last 23 games. In the 23 games, the Dodgers are scoring 5.1 runs per game with a team ERA of 3.19.
The Dodgers are 44-24 at home and 26-14 versus American League teams.
The O's lineup tonight is a look we've seen a lot versus right-handers with Colton Cowser leading off, Adley Rutschman catching and Gunnar Henderson at shortstop. Eloy Jiménez is the designated hitter and Cedric Mullins is back in center field and batting seventh.
The Orioles (77-57) begin play today one game behind the Yankees, who are off, for the AL East lead with 28 games remaining. The two games this series have been decided by three total runs. The O's have played a lot of close games lately, with seven of their past 10 decided by one or two runs. They are 4-3 in those contests.
