Some recapping as Orioles finally leave the road

A series that began with Kyle Bradish limping to the training room in the second inning, his right foot introduced to a 104 mph line drive from the Rangers’ Jonah Heim, concluded with some promising developments.

Also a loss, but the Orioles won the series.

These are some reminders that strong reactions less than a week into a season often tend to become overreactions.

* Tyler Wells got the deserved glory in Monday's opener by throwing five scoreless and hitless innings in emergency relief, pitching when he was supposed to be readying for his start the following night.

Manager Brandon Hyde could have pushed Wells into the ninth with the right-hander dominating and at 47 pitches, including 33 for strikes. Seemed like the safest move with the bullpen still trying to recover from excessive use in Boston. But Hyde called upon Félix Bautista, who allowed runs in the first two games of the Red Sox series, including Adam Duvall’s walk-off homer.

“Think the factor was, you know it wasn’t like a normal low pitch count,” Hyde told the media. “For me, (Wells) came out of the eighth inning and there was a look on his face. Probably could have come back out, not saying he could not have, but he absolutely did his job. Did it incredibly well. And Tyler not knowing he would pitch today, to kind of extend him past five innings, that would be rolling the dice when I have a rested Bautista and a rested Cionel (Pérez).”

A blown 2-0 lead and save would have left Hyde exposed to some brutal second-guessing and again subjected him to questions about Bautista’s health, ineffectiveness, etc. Though the walk-off homer happened after Ryan McKenna dropped a fly ball with two outs.

Bautista threw seven pitches, all of them strikes, while retiring the Rangers in order. Corey Seager and Nathaniel Lowe struck out and Adolis García grounded out.

The first pitch to Seager was a 99.6 mph fastball, followed by swinging strikes on 88.8 mph splitters. Bautista also needed only three pitches to get rid of Lowe, beginning with 99.7 mph and 100.2 mph fastballs and ending with a 90.3 mph splitter.

García saw a 100.7 mph fastball, grounded to second baseman Adam Frazier and headed inside the home clubhouse.

Bautista didn’t have a normal spring training because of his right shoulder and left knee. He had some bad luck in Boston, where only one of the four runs against him was earned.

He’s healthy and armed with the same nasty stuff as 2022.

* McKenna didn't drop another fly ball while playing left field Tuesday night.

He had an RBI single and scored a run in a 7-2 win.

He's still going to get occasional starts against left-handers, pinch-run and serve as a defensive replacement. And Hyde is still going to trust him in any situation.

The drop was brutal, mostly the timing of it and what happened next, but it should not stay on him like a bad odor.

* Rookie Gunnar Henderson drew six walks at Fenway Park, tying him with Cal Ripken Jr. in 1985 for the most in the first three games in Orioles history. But he also was hitless in 14 plate appearances to leave him with an odd .000/.429/.000 slash line.

No big deal.

Henderson was 2-for-4 Monday with a home run. He drove the ball to left-center field, 408 feet with an exit velocity of 106.6 mph.

The road will get bumpy at times for Henderson despite his tools. Also, no big deal.

Worrying about Henderson is wasted energy. He’s going to hit.

Not so much yesterday, with three of the club’s 15 strikeouts, and he committed two more errors, but he’s gonna hit and field. The calendar says it's April 6. Don't rush to judgement.

* Ryan Mountcastle’s bat wasn’t just a spring fling.

Mountcastle slashed .396/.396/.708 in 17 exhibition games, his 19 hits including seven doubles, a triple and two home runs. He didn’t walk, but that’s just nit-picking.

Heading into yesterday’s series finale, Mountcastle was 6-for-22 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and two walks. Rangers starter Jacob deGrom was in a deGroove, tossing four perfect innings. Mountcastle barreled a 98.9 mph fastball and drove it into left-center field, at 102.2 mph off the bat.

Mountcastle worked the count to 3-1 before his hit, and he scored on Marcus Semien’s fielding error.

Consistency has been missing in Mountcastle’s offensive game, but the Orioles expect him to stretch the hot streaks and reduce the cold spells. He’s been hot since he arrived in camp.

* Adam Frazier swung the bat better as he got deeper into spring training but still had only eight hits in 43 at-bats. Lots of fans called for Jordan Westburg or Terrin Vavra to be the regular second baseman.

Many are still doing it, but that’s more about Westburg and Vavra.

Frazier was 5-for-8 with three doubles and a home run in Boston. He was 0-for-6 with a walk in the first two games in Arlington but lined a 98.2 mph fastball into left field yesterday to deliver the tying run in the fifth inning.

The Orioles didn’t get another hit. They were stuck on two for the day.

I’ll say it again: Frazier is an upgrade as a left-handed hitting second baseman. And he’s veteran insurance at the position, with the Orioles unsure how much of a load Vavra was ready to handle and wanting Westburg to spend a little more time in Triple-A.

* Bryan Baker retired the side in order yesterday, though only eight of 16 pitches were strikes.

Take the outs and don’t quibble.

Baker was charged with three runs in two-thirds of an inning on Opening Day, but he tossed two scoreless innings in the series finale, with two inherited runners from Cole Irvin scoring after he entered in the fifth.

Yesterday brought another zero in his run column.

Austin Voth wasn’t as fortunate. After posting a 6.75 ERA and surrendering four home runs in 10 2/3 spring innings, Voth allowed a Kiké Hernández solo homer Saturday and Josh Jung’s two-run shot yesterday.

Three runs scored against Voth in 1 1/3 innings to leave his ERA at 15.43.

* Grayson Rodriguez made it to the majors, just one game later than expected.

He was supposed to be the No. 5 starter but took the ball in the sixth game after Kyle Bradish went on the injured list. A nervous 30-pitch, two-run first inning didn’t define his outing.

Rodriguez completed the fifth, farther than any start in spring training or his first game with Triple-A Norfolk. He retired 13 of the last 15 batters, finished at 83 pitches and left with the score tied 2-2.

The fastball maxed at 98.2 mph and induced eight whiffs. The slider was much better than the version we saw in Florida. And his parents and friends could uncross their fingers and exhale.

They also could open their arms and embrace him tightly, some tears shed, after the game.

These aren’t the rebuilding Orioles. They intend to contend – man, that’s catchy – and really wanted the sweep yesterday against a club that could be a nuisance in the wild card race. They didn’t seem real keen on a bullpen game.

As I said, this wasn’t intended to be one-and-done. Rodriguez just made it easier to carry through with the plan, which brings him to Camden Yards the next time that Bradish’s spot comes up.

Sure, it was a bit confusing. Sending him down because he didn’t look like himself in camp and then recalling him after one shaky outing with the Tides. But Bradish was hurt, Rodriguez was available, and he was next in line.

Bradish stays healthy, and Rodriguez stays in the minors.

Maybe not so confusing after all.

What happens if Rodriguez stays on this roll in his next outing and Bradish is ready to come off the injured list? How do six starters fit into five spots?

I’m as curious about it as anyone else. Get the popcorn ready.

DL Hall eventually will give the Orioles seven starters.

Make it a large tub.

Hyde told the media in Texas that the club will stay on turn with the rotation after today’s postponement. Dean Kremer starts Friday’s home opener, with Cole Irvin going Saturday night. The last spot is TBA and would seem to fit Wells.

Kyle Gibson could get an extra day of rest Monday, and the same with Rodriguez on Tuesday.