Austin Hays’ 2023 season was starting to reflect his 2022 one.
Last season, the outfielder was maybe the group’s finest participant by June with an .810 OPS. But he struggled all through the second half as he battled by a number of accidents, together with a wrist damage he suffered in late June. He hit simply .219 after the damage.
This yr, Hays was even higher within the first half. He wasn’t simply the Orioles’ offensive chief, he was the most effective outfielders within the main leagues. His .314 batting common and .853 OPS earned him an All-Star Game nomination. Although, once more, he stumbled to start the second half as his numbers plummeted.
But his monster efficiency Wednesday in Baltimore’s 10-3 win over the the Los Angeles Angels — 4-for-4 with a house run and 4 RBIs — was the newest instance that Hays has damaged out of his stoop and is again to the hitter he was within the first half.
The 28-year-old accounted for six of the Orioles’ 10 runs and one-third of their 12 hits. After roping a double down the left subject line within the second, he scored on Ramón Urías’ RBI single that put Baltimore on the board. An inning later, Hays drove in two with a line-drive single to left subject and got here round on a two-run single from Aaron Hicks. In the seventh, he drove in one other run with a sacrifice fly, and he capped off his evening in fashion with a solo house run within the eighth.
In his first 100 at-bats after beginning in middle subject within the All-Star Game, he hit .180 with a measly .467 OPS. But in his previous 18 video games he’s slashing .338/.413/.646 — good for a 1.059 OPS — to re-establish himself as one of many Orioles’ finest hitters. After catering to a .279 common and .754 OPS in mid-August, Hays is again as much as hitting .288 with a .799 OPS.
The solely run-scoring performs Wednesday that didn’t contain Hays got here off the bat of Anthony Santander, who drove in a run within the sixth on a floor ball single and two extra within the eighth on his twenty seventh homer of the season.
The beneficiary of Hays’ massive day was beginning pitcher Kyle Gibson, who tossed six innings of three-run ball for his team-best and career-high 14th win of the season.
Baltimore (88-51) stays 3 1/2 video games forward of the Tampa Bay Rays for the very best file within the American League. The Orioles have gained 5 straight video games, 11 of their previous 15 and 6 consecutive collection. The sweep is their ninth of the season whereas not being swept since final May.
Around the horn
- Gibson’s first strikeout set the franchise file for many by an Orioles pitching employees with 1,249. They are on tempo to shatter the earlier file, set in 2016 and matched in 2019, by greater than 200.
- Ryan Mountcastle hit a 114.6 mph single within the sixth inning for the hardest-hit ball by an Oriole this season. The rope matched Mountcastle’s profession excessive.
- The Orioles are shifting round their rotation for the collection in opposition to the Boston Red Sox this weekend. Cole Irvin, who would’ve began Friday had they remained on flip, is being put within the bullpen, evidenced by his inning of aid to shut out Wednesday’s win. Kyle Bradish, Jack Flaherty and Grayson Rodriguez are all being bumped up a day to start out in opposition to the Red Sox. The six-man rotation the Orioles had been using and the time without work Thursday makes it so these right-handers nonetheless have loads of relaxation. Hyde stated the membership will resolve after the Boston collection how the rotation will shake out for the seven-game homestand versus the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays.
- John Means on Wednesday began his remaining minor league rehab task recreation for Triple-A Norfolk, permitting six hits and three runs in 5 innings. The left-hander threw 67 pitches and obtained 13 whiffs on 37 swings, together with eight misses on his changeup. He averaged 91.3 mph and topped out at 93 mph — figures barely beneath what he was throwing earlier than he had Tommy John elbow reconstruction final yr. Means’ rehab task can’t lengthen previous Friday, however the group has but to say what position he will probably be in when he returns.
- Triple-A infielder Joey Ortiz was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup with left indirect tightness. The membership’s No. 6 prospect, in line with Baseball America, didn’t play Wednesday.
- Wednesday was the twenty eighth anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive video games performed streak, as the longer term Hall of Famer performed in his 2,131st straight recreation on Sept. 6, 1995.
This story will probably be up to date.
Orioles at Red Sox
Friday, 7:10 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com