Kyle Stowers threaded the needle earlier this sequence when requested for his ideas on his alternatives to face left-handed pitching — or lack thereof. He walked a diplomatic line, acknowledging how the Orioles have ample right-handed hitters who can face southpaws.
“I think it’s less about what I’ve done against lefties in the past and more to do with the guys we have here,” Stowers stated.
But even then, the rookie outfielder admitted he at all times desires to have an opportunity to show himself. He did that within the minor leagues, exhibiting he might hit left-handed pitching to the tune of a .982 OPS this season.
Until Thursday, although, supervisor Brandon Hyde has largely prevented left-on-left matchups for Stowers. Then left-hander Matt Strahm took the mound for the Boston Red Sox within the seventh inning at Fenway Park, and Stowers stayed within the sport. He walked to the plate, noticed two pitches after which blasted the third — a dangling curveball — deep over the fence.
It was solely Stowers’ second plate look in opposition to a left-hander, and it couldn’t have gone higher, tying the sport late earlier than Boston’s J.D. Martinez’s two-run homer within the eighth inning secured the Red Sox’s 5-3 victory and sequence win.
The loss, Baltimore’s fifth in six video games, lowers its magic quantity for elimination to 2 video games, with the Seattle Mariners taking part in Thursday evening. The focus, if not expressed outwardly, is shifting extra towards subsequent season, with an understanding that the Orioles’ slew of standout rookies would be the ones main the best way.
Perhaps that mentality is why Hyde allowed Stowers to face Strahm. Asked earlier this month whether or not Stowers would possibly see extra alternatives in opposition to southpaws, Hyde stated Stowers would get “plenty of opportunities,” however famous how “if we were 20 games under .500, things might be a little different.”
And even on Tuesday, Hyde opted to have Jesús Aguilar pinch hit for Stowers. It resulted in a fifth-inning flyout in opposition to Strahm.
But with six video games remaining and the Orioles on the point of lacking out on the postseason, there could possibly be extra room to experiment, to see whether or not Stowers has a future going through lefties. At Triple-A Norfolk, Stowers posted reverse splits, with a .326 batting common in opposition to lefties and a .244 common in opposition to righties.
His solely different plate look in opposition to a left-handed pitcher was in Toronto as a substitute participant; he was hit by a pitch. The drive to right-center subject in his first official at-bat will function a confidence booster, even in a loss.
Right-hander Mike Baumann allowed two runs on six hits in 4 innings, and left-hander Cionel Pérez allowed one other run within the sixth earlier than Stowers made it 3-3 within the seventh, piggybacking off Baltimore’s two-run third inning.
But after the Orioles tied it up, Martinez teed off in opposition to right-hander Dillon Tate and despatched a blast over the Green Monster, the ultimate blow in a sequence that didn’t embrace many positives for the Orioles. Now Baltimore will head to New York to face the Yankees, with its postseason hopes hanging by a thread.
Reshuffling the rotation
The rain delay Monday saved Jordan Lyles from his regular deep outing, proscribing the right-hander to solely two innings within the sequence opener in opposition to Boston. So to open the ultimate street sequence of the season — and with nonetheless a glimmer of postseason potentialities — Hyde moved Lyles up a day to face the Yankees and Aaron Judge on Friday.
The change pushes right-hander Austin Voth to Saturday, with right-hander Kyle Bradish on schedule to pitch Sunday.
The transfer didn’t have something to do with Judge, who tied Yankee nice Roger Maris’ American League file together with his 61st residence run in opposition to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, Hyde stated. With an off day Thursday, Judge may have three video games at residence in opposition to the Orioles to interrupt the file.
“I was really hoping he’d hit one more last night,” Hyde stated earlier than Thursday’s sport. “But that didn’t have anything to do with it, honestly. … It’s gonna be a little bit unusual. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. It’s going to be fun to be involved in that type of atmosphere. Let’s hope we pitch him well.”
This story will probably be up to date.
ORIOLES@YANKEES
Friday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com