Rookie right-hander Kyle Bradish ended the Orioles’ stretch of poor begins, however Baltimore’s offensive struggles continued to dampen the membership’s postseason hopes.
A primary-inning run off Bradish was the one one scored in Sunday’s collection finale in opposition to the Boston Red Sox, a recreation that started after a rain delay of greater than an hour. The Orioles went hitless in seven at-bats with a runner in scoring place within the 1-0 loss, their sixth defeat in eight video games — all at residence — as they dropped the collection to Boston and moved 5 1/2 video games again within the American League wild-card race with 22 video games remaining.
“We were pretty empty offensively,” supervisor Brandon Hyde stated.
Tommy Pham started the day with a single off Bradish, stole second, went to 3rd on a groundball and scored on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly. Bradish didn’t enable one other hit till the seventh, following it with an inning-ending double play. It marked the third time in 4 begins Bradish allowed not more than two hits whereas working at the very least seven innings and gave Baltimore (73-67) its first high quality begin in 9 video games.
Bradish, who turns 26 on Monday, has a 2.86 ERA in 9 begins since getting back from an injured record stint for proper shoulder irritation. That features a 2.05 ERA in 5 outings since shifting to the first-base facet of the pitching rubber, in comparison with a 6.38 mark in his earlier main league appearances.
“Great job by him, and then the bullpen guys did an outstanding job, also,” Hyde stated. “But you can’t get three hits and expect to win.”
An Orioles lineup with out Cedric Mullins, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in opposition to left-hander Rich Hill couldn’t assist Bradish. Hyde stated a foul ball off Rutschman’s foot Saturday led to some soreness, whereas the opposite two sat to keep away from left-on-left matchups with Hill.
Ryan Mountcastle’s run of poor luck on well-struck balls continued within the first, when Pham smacked the left area wall making a leaping catch on his first-inning drive. With two on and two outs within the third, he once more flied out to left. Of the 5 balls Mountcastle put in play at 98 mph or tougher in the course of the collection, just one fell for a success.
“It’s just unfortunate that a lot of those balls are getting caught,” outfielder Austin Hays stated. “We’re just really trying to fight right now to get some runs on the board for our pitching staff. … That’s just where we’re at right now. We find a way to get some guys on and we just need that one big hit to open the gates for us. Just not getting that right now.”
The backside two hitters in Baltimore’s order, Rougned Odor and Robinson Chirinos, opened the fifth with a hit-by-pitch and stroll, respectively, however they have been stranded when Ryan McKenna popped up a bunt try earlier than Hill struck out Anthony Santander and Mountcastle. Odor was once more hit with an providing, this time from Matt Strahm, in the precise hand to start the seventh, throwing his bat and staring down Strahm on his technique to first. He reached second on a balk however was left there because the Orioles’ common with runners in scoring place in September dropped to .203, a mark that entered Sunday twenty sixth of the 30 main league groups.
Odor exited the sport within the ninth with a bruise on the plunked hand. The Orioles stated X-rays have been unfavorable for breaks.
“We have some guys that are scuffling,” Hyde stated. “For me, now we have actually huge swings, and we have to get again to staying in the midst of the sector. … Right now, we’re simply taking huge swings, getting in unhealthy counts. We gotta get out of this.
“We just have not kept the line moving very well. Gotta get better.”
After placing out as a pinch-hitter with Hill out of the sport, Henderson walked with two outs within the eighth in his second plate look however was narrowly compelled out at second on a groundball from Hays, who in any other case reached 3 times for under the third time because the All-Star break whereas recording two of the Orioles’ three hits.
Mullins changed Odor within the lineup and was the second out of the ninth, with Rutschman lining out as a pinch-hitter for Chirinos to finish the sport.
“Every loss at this point is disappointing,” Bradish stated. “I wouldn’t say we’re in a nasty stretch. But we nonetheless have fairly a couple of video games left.
“I don’t think this is going to be anything that sets us back.”
Around the horn
- Closer Félix Bautista stated by way of crew interpreter Brandon Quinones that he would have been out there if wanted in losses Saturday and Sunday after he didn’t pitch in Friday’s victory due to arm fatigue. In the underside of the eighth Sunday, he warmed to pitch in case the Orioles took the lead. Hyde stated he plans to proceed to make use of the rookie right-hander continuously however doubtless gained’t push him to 2 innings as he did in Tuesday’s outing that led to the difficulty.
- In his third begin getting back from a Grade 2 proper lat muscle pressure, high pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez recorded seven of his eight outs for Double-A Bowie by strikeout. He retired the primary six batters he confronted earlier than strolling the bases loaded within the third inning and exiting after a two-run single on his 56th pitch. Of the 21 swings taken in opposition to him, 15 resulted in whiffs.
- The Orioles introduced in the course of the recreation that they’ve claimed catcher Cam Gallgher from the San Diego Padres and designated right-hander Rico Garcia for task. Gallgher, 29, spent elements of six season enjoying for the Kansas City Royals, hitting .240 with a .656 OPS.
- Right-handers Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells will begin within the Orioles’ two-game street collection in opposition to the Washington Nationals that begins Tuesday.
ORIOLES@NATIONALS
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com