Means leaves tonight's game with forearm tightness

Orioles left-hander John Means retired the Brewers in order tonight on 12 pitches in the first inning, nine in the third and 12 in the fourth. They scored twice in the second on 18 pitches, but he wasn’t laboring. The total body of work was solid.

Why it lasted only through the fourth was a curiosity, to say the least.

Joey Krehbiel began to warm in the bullpen and entered the game in the top of the fifth. Dillon Tate worked the sixth. Other relievers would be following him, as manager Brandon Hyde needed to cover for Means’ unexpected departure.

The club announced that Means had left forearm tightness, with more details to come, including whether this is an injured list situation. Meanwhile, the Orioles rallied to tie the game in the eighth, but a run-scoring triple by Kolton Wong and RBI double by Rowdy Tellez in the ninth off Jorge López gave Milwaukee a 4-2 win and the series.

Means is expected to undergo an MRI, and the club hopes to have more information Friday.

“He felt it in the third and after the fourth he said something, and out of precaution we took him out of the game,” Hyde said.

“I’m not going to rush to anything until we know what the results are tomorrow. Staying positive with it and optimistic, and hopefully it’s just a little bit of tightness he felt in the forearm.”

Means went on the IL on June 5 with a left shoulder strain and didn’t return until July 20, the same injury he sustained two years earlier. He began the truncated 2020 season on the IL with left shoulder fatigue, missing his opening day start. Basically the same issue.

Tonight’s explanation centered on a different area of the arm, but is going to raise similar concerns.

Hyde spoke earlier of getting Means through the fifth or sixth in the 85-pitch range, maybe a little bit higher. The game would dictate it, the amount of traffic and stressful situations.

There was very little stress.

Tellez doubled with two outs in the second to score Keston Hiura, who walked, and he ran through a stop sign from third base coach Jason Lane on Mike Brosseau’s single into center field. Ryan Mountcastle cut off the throw with his back to the plate, assuming that Tellez would hold.

Brosseau’s hit was his sixth in 12 career at-bats against Means, including four home runs. The team changes and the results stay the same. Can’t escape them.

Concerns about a total lack of production with runners in scoring position were pushed aside tonight.

The Orioles just wanted to get somebody to second base and take their chances.

The Brewers were starting 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, an anchor tossed to a drowning man. If you’re choking, you’d rather have the Heimlich Maneuver than a double cheeseburger.

Bemboom’s first hit as an Oriole also was their first of the night, a one-out single in the third inning. He moved to second base on a wild pitch, but a fly ball and strikeout continued the disturbing trend.

Rougned Odor led off the fifth with a double down the left field line. Austin Hays, Jorge Mateo and Bemboom struck out, and the Orioles were 0-for-5 with RISP and 4-for-52 on the young season.

Santander singled with two outs in the sixth and Mancini grounded out. Odor reached on a hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh and was doubled off first base on Hays’ liner to right field.

Urías struck out to end the eighth, and the Orioles were 1-for-8 with RISP and 5-for-55 overall.

Burnes shut out the Orioles on three hits and 97 pitches in seven innings, walking one batter and striking out eight.

“We’re ready for an off-day because we’ve had a couple bad breaks,” Hyde said.

Note: Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Yusniel Diaz was placed on the seven-day injured list with a strained right hamstring.