ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Anthony Santander made loud contact, paused to watch the ball begin its flight toward the right field seats, and heard the ovation as he rounded the bases with his 13^th home run. Orioles fans packed the area behind the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field tonight, the usual turnout that makes the road venue feel like home – except for the catwalks, of course.

They stayed patient as the Rays fought back to tie and erupted again after Ryan Mountcastle broke it with a two-run shot in the fifth. And again after Jordan Westburg joined the double-digit home run club in the eighth.

And finally, when Ramón Urías squeezed a popup to end it.

Santander hit his fourth homer in the last seven games, Mountcastle bagged his fifth in the last seven, and the Orioles defeated the Rays 6-3 before an announced crowd of 17,822.

Westburg’s two-run shot to right field after Ryan O’Hearn’s leadoff double gave him 10 and made it easier for the Orioles to post their 40^th victory. They also knocked the Rays (31-32) below .500 again.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Kyle Bradish threw a light bullpen session this afternoon and he’s starting Saturday afternoon against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Bradish is working on six days’ rest after starting last Saturday against the Rays at Camden Yards and allowing five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked his last three batters.

The rest of the rotation is also confirmed. Grayson Rodriguez starts Sunday afternoon and Corbin Burnes starts Monday night, giving them an extra day with the Orioles in the midst of a brutal stretch that includes only one break in the schedule this month.

The Orioles host the Braves next week in a three-game series at Camden Yards. Albert Suárez and Cade Povich are lined up to start Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. However, the club could choose to move Suárez to the bullpen and give Povich the ball on regular rest following yesterday’s major league debut.

X-rays on Austin Hays’ rib cage came back negative but he’s out of tonight’s lineup.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Cole Irvin is starting for the Orioles tonight on normal rest, the only certainty in the rotation for the four-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Irvin has allowed two runs in 11 1/3 innings since returning to the rotation, and he’s carrying a 2.61 ERA and 1.142 WHIP in nine starts. He faced the Rays on Sunday at Camden Yards and allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings. José Caballero led off the seventh with a homer.

Irvin has a 3.86 ERA and 1.169 WHIP in five career games (four starts) against the Rays. He’s surrendered six runs and 14 hits in 13 1/3 innings at Tropicana Field.

The starters for the next three games remain TBA.

Jordan Westburg is starting at second base and Ramón Urías is at third. Connor Norby goes to the bench.

The mailbag won’t enter Canada unless it’s the postseason, but Florida is fine.

The Orioles begin another four-game series tonight at Tropicana Field and hope to do better than a split. The bar is raised. It wasn’t that long ago that winning twice against the Blue Jays would have been cause for celebration.

Let’s get to the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original, which is always worth celebrating. You know the rules. You send ‘em and I answer ‘em, with little to no editing.

Your level of clarity won’t ruin the hilarity. Your particular style won’t get me riled.

Also, my mailbag is at home beneath the dome and yours is allergic to fake grass.

TORONTO – Lefty Cade Povich’s big league debut began in fine fashion on a sunny afternoon in downtown Toronto. He retired the first three batters he faced on just nine pitches. He fanned his first batter, left fielder Davis Schneider, swinging at an elevated 92 mph fastball.

Facing a Toronto Blue Jays lineup not as feared as it once was, Povich - ranked as the Orioles No. 8 prospect by Baseball America (and No. 99 in a new top 100) and No. 9 by MLBPipeline.com - put up a zero in the Blue Jays’ second as well.

But a pitcher who improved his walk rate this year with Triple-A Norfolk issued two free passes in the third inning. And then one pitch featuring some good hitting cost him in a game that ended in a 6-5 Toronto win.

First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got a 1-0 backdoor cutter on the outside corner and hit that ball where it was pitched. His three-run homer to right started the scoring today in front of 39,215 at Rogers Centre.

After the game Povich got props from his manager and the clubhouse for showing poise. They realized that four runs came via a 350-foot homer and a bloop, and that two more scored after he left the game.

TORONTO – Reporters' daily interest about the upcoming Orioles rotation naturally led to questions about what that rotation could look like for the upcoming Tampa Bay series. Manager Brandon Hyde today said that, as of now, the Orioles are yet to be determined for that entire series, which begins Friday night in St. Petersburg.

But he also, when asked, made an important clarification today on right-hander Kyle Bradish, whose next start is being pushed back. We don’t know when it will be. But Hyde was asked whether that move is simply more about extra rest or about physical concerns.

“Just extra rest,” said Hyde.

When asked if Bradish will skip a start, Hyde said, “We’re TBA. Any more questions on that?” he said with a laugh. But who could blame him for tiring of the constant media inquiries about who is pitching next?

Hyde also said yesterday that there may be several instances during this stretch of 30 games in 31 days when the club's upcoming rotation is to be announced at some future time.

Cade Povich makes his major league debut this afternoon in Toronto to close out the four-game series. His contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk, and the Orioles optioned reliever Nick Vespi to make room on the active roster.

The 40-man roster is full.

Povich is wearing No. 37.

Jordan Westburg is leading off, with Gunnar Henderson sliding down to fourth. Connor Norby starts at second base for the third time in four games.

Austin Hays is in left field and Colton Cowser is in center.

The next Orioles prospect to debut in the majors is a pitcher, left-hander Cade Povich, who joined the team yesterday in Toronto and hailed the taxi squad.

Manager Brandon Hyde told the media after last night's walk-off loss that Povich would start this afternoon's series finale against the Blue Jays. He can occupy the last spot on the 40-man roster, but a reliever must be removed from the active roster unless something is wrong with Kyle Bradish that we still don't know about.

The only information shared is that he's pushed back and it could be more than one day. And that TBA is gonna be a common listing among the probables.

The next position player to debut might be third baseman Coby Mayo, but he’s on Triple-A Norfolk’s injured list with a fractured rib. The good news is he’s swinging a bat.

Jackson Holliday already got his first major league hit, a single, before the Orioles optioned him. Connor Norby became the 12^th Orioles player to homer for his first hit, delivering a two-run shot to left field Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

TORONTO – The O's came into Wednesday night looking for their third straight win in Toronto, and a series-clinching win. The script was set just for that, as they took an early 2-0 lead, but the offense fell flat after the second inning and the Blue Jays walked off the O's to win 3-2 in front of 27,929 at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles fall to 39-21 with their third walkoff defeat of the year after two very early on April 6 and 7 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tonight's walk-off was aided by a miscue in the field.

Justin Turner led off the ninth against O's closer Craig Kimbrel with his third hit of the night, a single on an 0-2 pitch and was replaced by pinch-runner Cavan Biggio.  

The miscue followed shortly after. Kimbrel tried to pick off Biggio, but his throw went off his body and into right field, allowing Biggio to get into scoring position. Then he moved to third, advancing on an Alejandro Kirk fly-out. 

Runner on third, one out, and now the winning run was 90 feet away as the infield came in. Kimbrel then faced the contact-oriented Isiah Kiner-Falefa. 

TORONTO – Moments after confirming that O’s pitching prospect Cade Povich is in fact in Toronto and on the taxi squad for the Orioles, manager Brandon Hyde was unable (or perhaps unwilling) to provide the next date for a Kyle Bradish (1-0, 3.18 ERA) start.

“I don’t know yet, no,” Hyde said when asked if he has a day for Bradish’s next outing.

Bradish last pitched on Saturday at home versus the Rays. He presumably will not be on the mound tomorrow, which would have marked his spot in the rotation.

On May 26 versus the White Sox in Chicago, Bradish pitched seven no-hit innings on 103 pitches and lowered his ERA to 1.75. But pitching with an extra day of rest in that game with Tampa Bay he allowed five runs over 2 2/3 on 76 pitches.

Bradish’s season got a late start after he had a platelet-rich plasma injection in January to promote the healing of a right elbow UCL sprain.

Jordan Westburg is starting at second base tonight and Connor Norby is out of the lineup after homering last night for his first major league hit.

Norby is the 12^th player in club history whose first hit is a home run.

Ramón Urías is playing third base. Kyle Stowers is in left field, Cedric Mullins is in center and Ryan O’Hearn is in right.

Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.

Ryan Mountcastle homered twice last night and is 29-for-91 (.319) with seven doubles, eight home runs, 26 RBIs and a 1.044 OPS in 24 career games at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles haven’t confirmed their starter for Thursday afternoon’s series finale against the Blue Jays. However, one of their top prospects is in the running.

He won’t be far from them.

Left-hander Cade Povich is headed to Toronto and will be placed on the taxi squad later today, according to a source, perhaps setting up his major league debut.

Povich was scheduled to start for Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now he’s an option for the Orioles, who are undecided about Kyle Bradish’s status.

Bradish would be working on his normal turn Thursday, but manager Brandon Hyde told the assembled media yesterday that the club might push him back. If so, Bradish would open the four-game series against the Rays on Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. or pitch the following day.

The Orioles are halfway through their series in Toronto and the roster underwent a few changes since the conclusion of the last homestand.

Tweaking the bullpen was expected. The question was which reliever would be recalled and which would be optioned or designated for assignment. Something had to be done to inject a fresher arm.

A freak accident on the on-deck circle forced the other move.

Here are three questions, raised like fingerprints after Monday’s announcements.

How long will Connor Norby stay with the Orioles?

TORONTO – Ryan Mountcastle likes hitting against Toronto and in Toronto. That point was reinforced again tonight as he hit a three-run homer to left in the Orioles' four-run third and later added another homer as they were on their way to their latest victory.

Mountcastle hit Nos. 9 and 10 as the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 10-1 to improve to 39-20. They have won five of six and 10 of their past 12 games. They are now 18-8 on the road.

Since being swept three straight in St. Louis, they are 10-2, scoring 75 runs. 

The Orioles have now gone 20 straight American League East series without losing one as they will at least split this four-game set after winning the last two nights. Their outstanding record in the division is now 13-4.

This game also featured the first major league hit and homer of Connor Norby's career. Playing his second big league game and having gone 0-for-6 in the bigs to that point, he hit a two-run shot to left in the eighth off right-hander Nate Pearson for a 10-1 lead. 

TORONTO – For a team that has sent five starting pitchers to the injured list already this year and just recently lost both John Means and Tyler Wells for the season, seeing TBA listed as the Orioles' starters Wednesday and Thursday in this series presented some intrigue.

But today, O’s manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that right-hander Albert Suárez (2-0, 1.57 ERA) will start tomorrow against the Blue Jays and righty Kyle Bradish (1-0, 3.18 ERA) could go on Thursday.

“We are still TBA for Thursday. Probably announce that sometime tomorrow. But Suárez for tomorrow,” said Hyde.

Hyde was asked if there are any health concerns with Bradish.

“No, we’re considering giving him an extra day (of rest) or two," he said. "Just kind of from how he is feeling. But we are just monitoring it daily. So we are keeping that TBA right now."

Connor Norby stays at second base tonight and moves up to eighth in the order as the Orioles try to guarantee at least a split of their four-game series in Toronto.

James McCann is catching and batting ninth.

Colton Cowser remains in center field, putting Cedric Mullins on the bench. Austin Hays stays in left field.

Hays hit his first two home runs last night since Sept. 19.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter. Ryan O’Hearn moves to the bench.

Running low on starting pitching, the Orioles are bringing back a veteran who didn’t make the team out of spring training.

The club is on the verge of signing Julio Teheran to another minor league deal, according to a source. The sides are "close."

Teheran, 33, agreed to a minor league deal on Feb. 28 that would have paid $2 million if he pitched in the majors. He allowed five runs and nine hits with seven walks and 10 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings and was granted his release.

The Mets signed Teheran on April 5 and he became a free agent again six days later after making one start and allowing four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings in Atlanta.

The Cubs signed Teheran on April 18 and released him Saturday after another opt-out. He posted an 8.82 ERA and 1.806 WHIP in eight starts with Triple-A Iowa.

Anthony Santander saw the board and an opportunity.

But who would play?

Chess ranks among Santander’s favorite hobbies and the Orioles’ clubhouse is equipped to satisfy it. However, he’s more likely to find teammates gathering at the pool or bumper pool tables. They weren’t inclined to take his cue, as it were, and trade in the rack for a rook.

The next move was to choose a partner.

Jorge Mateo has the most speed on the club and he’s also a fast study. He was introduced to the game a year ago and already developed the same passion for it as Santander.

TORONTO – Once a very tough place for the Orioles to get wins, Toronto’s Rogers Centre saw the Birds go 6-1 last year, on their way to going 10-3 against the Blue Jays in 2023.

The Orioles enjoyed their first visit north of the border this year as well.

Austin Hays produced his first two homers of the season and Anthony Santander added a two-run shot – all off former Oriole Kevin Gausman – and later Ramón Urías got one as the O’s beat Toronto 7-2 in the opener to the series and road trip.

The Orioles improved to 38-20 for the season and to 17-8 in road games as they opened a four-game series here. The eight-game trip will next take the team to St. Petersburg, Fla. to face Tampa Bay.

Hays, swinging it much better in recent weeks with his stats slowly trending up, hit a two-run shot in the fourth and added a solo blast in the seventh. He had not homered all year and not since last Sept. 18 at Houston, which also was his last two-homer game. It was the sixth multi-homer game of his career.

TORONTO - Orioles prospect Connor Norby got an important phone call on Sunday. On the other end of the line was Orioles assistant general manager Eve Rosenbaum, calling to tell him he was finally headed to the major leagues.

Drafted by the club in the second round of the 2021 draft (No. 41 overall) out of East Carolina University, Norby’s first chance at this level has finally arrived.

Since the 2022 season he has played 198 games and taken 913 plate appearances at Triple-A. He has played in 344 minor league games overall.

“I started shaking,” Norby said of that phone call yesterday. “I think I shook for about an hour. I kind of settled down a little bit. Not much sleep though. But getting here and getting in the stadium, it’s what you dream of.”

Norby said when he got to the ballpark, coach Tim Cossins handed him a lineup card that had his name on it. He was in there batting ninth at second base. He will wear No. 12.