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BOSTON – The Orioles waited until after yesterday’s rainout to announce their Game 2 starter. They waited until after their Game 1 loss earlier today. Too many variables, including possible bullpen usage to cover innings.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino confirmed outside the visiting clubhouse that left-hander Trevor Rogers would make his 2025 debut. It proved to be a wise decision at a time when pretty much everything seems to be going against this team.
Rogers cruised into the seventh before leaving with two runners on base, one out and the game scoreless. He allowed two hits, walked none and struck out five before Andrew Kittredge replaced him, the move coming with Rogers at 87 pitches.
Kittredge stranded the runners and Ryan O’Hearn singled with two outs in the eighth to score Gunnar Henderson. Finally, a breakthrough. A reason to feel good again. Savor these moments in a season that would rather tease and torment.
Seranthony Domínguez stranded the two runners he inherited in the eighth, allowed a leadoff home run to Abraham Toro in the ninth and notched his first save in the Orioles’ 2-1 victory over the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 34,604 at Fenway Park.
BOSTON – The Orioles found a fresh arm for Game 2 of tonight’s doubleheader and parted with a former high-leverage lefty.
Reliever Cionel Pérez was designated for assignment, and the Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo from Triple-A Norfolk.
Hiraldo is wearing No. 76 and waiting to make his major league debut.
The 40-man roster has 39 players.
Pérez has been in a statistical decline since posting a 1.40 ERA in 66 appearances in 2022. His ERA rose to 3.54 with a 1.556 WHIP in 65 games in 2023 and 4.53 in 62 games last season.
BOSTON – The Orioles led 2-0 yesterday and lost 19-5. They took a 2-0 lead today in the first inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader, it began to pour again, Jarren Duran homered on Zach Eflin’s second pitch, and play was paused so the grounds crew could spread a drying compound on the field, mound and around home plate.
Players walked to the dugout and waited about six minutes. Eflin returned, retired Rafael Devers on a ground ball and surrendered a game-tying home run to Wilyer Abreu.
Teams talk about the value in getting a reset. Can an entire series be eligible for one?
Eflin tried to demolish the built-in excuse for a poor outing by carrying a lead into the sixth inning. The Orioles lost it, and eventually the game when Devers singled up the middle off Gregory Soto in the 10th to give the Red Sox a 6-5 walk-off victory at Fenway Park.
A three-run fifth inning appeared to fuel the Orioles’ second win in 11 games and fourth in 19, but the Red Sox scored twice in the sixth to tie the game, with Gunnar Henderson’s throwing error a big contributor. Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless 10th, with Jorge Mateo striking out to strand two after entering the game earlier as a pinch-runner.
BOSTON – The Orioles weren’t going to make it out of Boston without more roster moves.
Outfielder Ramón Laureano went on the 10-day injured list this afternoon, retroactive to Wednesday, with a sprained left ankle. Infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk.
Laureano got his spikes caught in the turf in Milwaukee while chasing a fly ball during Tuesday’s game. The IL move is retroactive to Wednesday and it could be a quick return.
Laureano said yesterday that he was available to play, but he did some running this morning to test the ankle. The Orioles temporarily lose a player who was 11-for-21 before the injury.
The Orioles signed Laureano to a $4 million contract in February.
BOSTON – Infielder Terrin Vavra is in Boston today on the medical taxi squad. He hasn’t appeared with the Orioles this season.
Vavra is hitting .317 with a .838 OPS in 22 games with Triple-A Norfolk.
The club didn’t specify why Vavra is here, but outfielder Ramón Laureano remains out of the lineup and did some running earlier to test his left ankle.
The tarp is on the field again and rain fell earlier, but the Orioles should be able to play their split doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Zach Eflin gets the start in Game 1, with the Game 2 starter unannounced. Left-hander Trevor Rogers is a possibility as the 27th man. Charlie Morton was expected to pitch today before last night’s rainout.
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 27th 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 26th player to pitch for them with his emergency appearance in Game 1, and Rogers could be the 27th - seven fewer than last year’s total. The group includes two infielders and a backup catcher.
BOSTON – Interim manager Tony Mansolino had a decision to make today with two runners on base and two outs in the fifth inning. The Orioles led by a run and Seranthony Domínguez was ready in the bullpen. Trevor Story stepped to the plate, Mansolino ignored the right-left matchup by sticking with Cade Povich, and a ground ball killed the rally.
Povich was pushed to 98 pitches and exited with only one run allowed. Mansolino had no choice now except to trust his bullpen. That decision was out of his hands.
The lead slipped through the Orioles fingers and shattered.
Ceddanne Rafaela delivered a game-tying single off Domínguez in the sixth, Jarren Duran followed with an RBI single off Gregory Soto and Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer. Devers finished with eight RBIs after his grand slam off infielder Emmanuel Rivera in a 13-run, 12-hit eighth that sent the Orioles to an embarrassing 19-5 loss in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Both teams used a position player to pitch, with the Red Sox giving Abraham Toro his first career experience in the ninth. The Orioles scored twice. At times, it resembled baseball.
BOSTON – The rain has stopped in Boston and the tarp is off the field. The Orioles and Red Sox will attempt to play two games in a day-night doubleheader.
Gunnar Henderson is the designated hitter today, with Jorge Mateo playing shortstop. Jackson Holliday continues to bat leadoff.
Ryan O’Hearn is in left field to handle the Green Monster, and Heston Kjerstad is in right.
Ramón Urías is playing third base.
Trevor Rogers is the 27th man. He'll probably start Game 2. Starters for Saturday and Sunday are now TBA.
BOSTON – Jim Henneman, the longtime Baltimore sportswriter and Orioles official scorer affectionately known as “Henny,” passed away last night. He was 89.
Henneman has been battling health issues but he made it down to Sarasota again for spring training and attended home Opening Day. He was moved into hospice care this week.
The Orioles renamed the press box in Henneman’s honor in January 2024, a gesture that brought him to tears.
“I can’t imagine a better honor,” he said.
The team issued a statement this morning, saying it was “heartbroken” to share the news.
BOSTON - The Red Sox flip-flopped starters for today’s doubleheader, using the rainout to move Brayan Bello ahead of Lucas Giolito. The Orioles are sticking with left-hander Cade Povich for Game 1 but haven’t committed to a starter for the nightcap.
Charlie Morton was listed for tonight before the weather forced a fourth postponement. He could get the ball anyway, or the Orioles could use an opener ahead of him, move Zach Eflin to Game 2 on normal rest rather than wait until Saturday, or choose a pitcher who’s called up as the 27th man.
It won’t be Chayce McDermott because he was optioned Wednesday.
Left-hander Trevor Rogers, also on the 40-man roster, hasn’t started for Triple-A Norfolk since May 16 and he’s listed as tonight’s starter against the St. Paul Saints. He’s allowed 12 earned runs (13 total) and 16 hits with six walks and 15 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.
The 40-man isn’t really a consideration because the Orioles have two openings.
BOSTON – With rain in the forecast throughout the day and night, the Orioles must endure their fourth postponement of the 2025 season.
Makes it harder to carry the momentum from yesterday’s 11-inning win in Milwaukee.
The Orioles and Red Sox will play a split doubleheader on Friday, with Game 1 at 1:35 p.m. and Game 2 at 7:10 p.m.
Both teams get a 27th man.
The Orioles already made up two of their first three postponed games, being swept in a doubleheader in Detroit and at home against the Twins. They have a day-night doubleheader against the Blue Jays on July 29 at Camden Yards.
The Orioles avoided a third consecutive series sweep yesterday. They didn’t fold after losing leads in the ninth and 10th innings. Félix Bautista allowed a run in his fourth consecutive appearance, but hey, at least he was cleared to pitch on back-to-back days.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino could enjoy the flight to Boston. The losing streak ended at eight. The Orioles improved to 1-27 when trailing after the seventh.
Can’t make up all the ground in one game. Yesterday was a start.
Let’s tackle a few questions this morning. This time, I’ll do the asking.
* Did the Orioles make the right choice with the rotation?
MILWAUKEE – Baltimore was right there. The losing streak was over.
The Tony Mansolino era had its first victory in the palm of its hand.
For the first time this season, Baltimore could come back to win a game after trailing entering the seventh inning. They found clutch situational hits when they needed to. Their former All-Star closer was on the mound with a chance to seal things in the ninth.
Baltimore was one strike away.
In a 2-2 count, American Family Field erupted at the sight of a Caleb Durbin RBI single to tie the game at three runs apiece.
MILWAUKEE – There haven’t been very many positives to point to in the brief Tony Mansolino era. Today, there’s one in plain sight.
Andrew Kittredge, who the O’s signed to a one-year, $10 million deal with an option for 2026 this offseason, was reinstated from the injured list today. Kittredge missed a chunk of spring training and the beginning of this season after undergoing “knee debridement” surgery. At his healthy best, he’s one of the best setup men in the game.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting to have surgery during spring training,” Kittredge said this morning with a laugh. “That was kind of out of my control. So, I just attacked the rehab and feeling good, and just excited to be back now, even though it wasn’t the beginning of the season that I hoped for. Excited to be back.”
Kittredge made 74 appearances for the Cardinals a season ago, top-10 among pitchers’ games played. He posted a 2.80 ERA, a return to form in his first full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022.
Having previously gone through a long rehab, Kittredge knew the drill this time around.
Reliever Andrew Kittredge is on the verge of finally making his Orioles debut.
The Orioles reinstated Kittredge from the 15-day injured list this morning and optioned Chayce McDermott to Triple-A Norfolk.
Kittredge made only one appearance in spring training before undergoing surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee. He signed for $10 million over the winter.
McDermott allowed three runs and walked five batters in 4 2/3 innings in his third career major league appearance and was optioned after the game.
The bullpen has an extra reliever today as the Orioles try to snap an eight-game losing streak and avoid a third consecutive sweep. They’ve fallen 17 games below .500.
The Orioles lost Game 2 of last Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Twins after former manager Brandon Hyde handed Yennier Cano the ball in the eighth inning and watched him allow three runs. This was an automatic and understandable move, using the primary and rested set-up man to protect a 6-5 lead before passing it on to closer Félix Bautista.
The critics came after Hyde again for no good reason. It was the right decision, it blew up like so many others in 2025, and Cano’s ERA was inflated from 2.70 to 4.40.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino summoned Cano in the eighth inning Monday night with the score tied in Milwaukee. Cano got the first two outs, but a full-count walk and stolen base preceded William Contreras’ ground ball single to give the Brewers a 5-4 win.
First base was open, but the Orioles pitched to Contreras, who finished with four hits.
“We have a ton of faith in Yenni,” Mansolino said. “Yenni’s one of our guys. We really like Yenni, really in any situation. So we bet on our guy, it didn’t work out. We’ll do it again next time.”
MILWAUKEE – The story of the O’s first two games in Milwaukee has felt eerily similar.
The starting pitching didn’t take them out of it but wasn’t stellar, the bullpen was adequate but not great, and some late life from the offense wasn’t enough to push Baltimore ahead.
Any way you slice it, it added up to the Orioles’ eighth consecutive loss, this time 5-2. The Orioles haven’t won a series against the Brewers since 2003.
The first turn around the order was incredibly uneventful for both teams. If you like pitching and defense, the first 18 plate appearances were right up your alley. Three walks between both teams, with the most excitement coming in a Sal Frelick fly out to the warning track.
Batter No. 18 was a Chayce McDermott three-pitch strikeout of Joey Ortiz. It was the 19th batter that presented the first sign of trouble.
MILWAUKEE – Mike Elias isn’t a stranger to addressing the media in the midst of a losing season.
Since taking the reins of the O’s front office in November 2018, Elias oversaw tough years in the win and loss columns from 2019 to 2021.
The caveat there, of course, is that Baltimore was rebuilding. Soon, players like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and more would join the fold to propel the Orioles to a 100-win season and division title, and back-to-back postseason appearances.
A stranger to this type of address? No. Just a bit unfamiliar.
His next one just came much sooner than anyone expected.
The Orioles released Kyle Gibson this afternoon after he cleared waivers. He was designated for assignment on Sunday.
The outcome was predictable with Gibson paid $5.25 million this year.
The door could remain ajar for Gibson’s return to the organization, perhaps agreeing to another deal that allows for the veteran to pitch in the minors in a second attempted ramp-up.
Gibson signed his contract on March 21 and lasted only four starts, compiling a 16.78 ERA and 2.919 WHIP. He allowed 23 runs and 29 hits in 12 1/3 innings, with seven walks and 10 strikeouts.
Ramón Laureano, who’s 11 for his last 19, remains the cleanup hitter tonight. Heston Kjerstad is in left field and batting eighth.
The Orioles are trying to get healthier after injuries hit them early again, and the news on outfielder Colton Cowser leaves them more encouraged.
Cowser is reporting to High-A Aberdeen today for pregame workouts, and his rehab assignment begins Wednesday if the weather cooperates.
Cowser fractured his left thumb in the fourth game of the season while diving into first base at Rogers Centre in Toronto. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list and can be reinstated on May 30.
The loss has been felt all season with the Orioles' offense slashing .230/.298/.388. They’re batting .198 with a .612 OPS with runners in scoring position.
A runner-up finish last season in Rookie of the Year voting in the American League raised expectations for Cowser. He began the season 2-for-16 against the Blue Jays and broke the thumb trying to beat out a ground ball.
