As a lot because the Orioles’ fanbase begged for him to affix the membership’s main league roster and has since pleaded to look at him each day, Adley Rutschman received’t catch each recreation. Baltimore’s roster development will possible preserve the face of the franchise from the designated hitter spot most instances, as nicely.
But these days imply Rutschman generally is a weapon off supervisor Brandon Hyde’s bench, as he proved Saturday in rocketing a pinch-hit dwelling run within the eighth inning to tie a recreation the Orioles went on to win, 6-4, over the Tampa Bay Rays. Rutschman additionally lofted a go-ahead sacrifice fly within the prime of the tenth earlier than Ryan Mountcastle hit a game-winning two-run single within the eleventh.
The victory ensures the Orioles (46-45), contemporary off a 10-game successful streak, will end the primary half of the season with a document of .500 or higher. It additionally snapped Baltimore’s streak of 10 straight losses at Tropicana Field.
Friday’s series-opening defeat marked the primary time Rutschman performed on the Rays’ dwelling discipline, and with a recreation the subsequent afternoon, he was held out of Saturday’s lineup. The Orioles had days off Monday and Thursday, however the 24-year-old rookie had in any other case caught each defensive inning of 5 video games via a seven-day stretch.
With Baltimore trailing 3-2 coming into the eighth and the Rays bringing in right-handed reliever Jason Adam for a platoon benefit in opposition to the underside of the Orioles’ order, Hyde known as on the switch-hitting Rutschman. In smacking a 2-0 fastball out to proper discipline, Rutschman supplied the Orioles’ first pinch-hit dwelling run in additional than a yr. He then stayed within the recreation behind the plate, serving to reliever Dillon Tate out of a jam by throwing out Randy Arozarena trying to steal third.
Two innings later, his fly ball to middle did simply sufficient to attain Austin Hays from third base, however Ji-Man Choi’s single up the center evened the sport within the backside half. The Orioles began the highest of the eleventh with Rougned Odor robotically at second, just for him to be caught too far off the bag on Jorge Mateo’s empty bunt try. Mateo made up for it with a triple, however he waited there for 3 batters earlier than Mountcastle scored him and Cedric Mullins with a bloop into proper. Mountcastle did the Orioles’ signature hand binoculars earlier than energetically throwing his arms within the air.
Joey Krehbiel recorded the final out to strand two runners he inherited from Cionel Pérez, ending the bullpen’s seventh inning with out permitting an earned run. It was Krehbiel’s first profession save, coming in opposition to the group the Orioles claimed him off waivers from final yr.
Pitching plan
All of the Rays’ runs in regulation got here within the first three innings in opposition to right-hander Dean Kremer, who was making his first main league look at Tropicana Field. He was set to pitch on the ballpark within the first sequence of the yr, solely to undergo a left indirect pressure whereas warming up.
He bought via his pregame bullpen with out challenge, however not the primary inning. Maryland product Brandon Lowe, again within the Rays’ lineup for the primary time in two months after struggling a again damage, dropped a bunt single, went to 3rd on Harold Ramírez’s single and scored on a wild pitch from Kremer, certainly one of his 32 choices within the opening body.
An inning after the Orioles evened the rating with doubles from Anthony Santander and Ramón Urías, Lowe opened the third with a single. He superior to second when Kremer hit Ramírez with a pitch, prompting the pitcher to yell into his glove. He bounced again with a double-play grounder, however Lowe once more scored from third when Kremer threw an 0-2 cutter within the dust to Arozarena, who hammered the subsequent pitch to left for his twelfth dwelling run in 29 profession video games in opposition to Baltimore.
Kremer eventually labored a clear inning within the fourth, after which Tyler Nevin’s RBI single bought the Orioles inside a run. Austin Voth, moved to the bullpen because the Orioles capitalized on days off earlier than the All-Star break to get veteran Jordan Lyles one other begin, mixed with Keegan Akin, Tate and Jorge López to document the subsequent 15 outs and ship the sport to extras.
Choi’s game-tying single within the tenth got here off López, however the Orioles’ All-Star nearer allowed no additional harm to arrange the decisive inning.
Around the horn
>> Gunnar Henderson, the Orioles’ No. 2 prospect and No. 7 within the sport per Baseball America, hit leadoff and performed third base for the American League staff within the All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles on Saturday. In his first plate look, he drew a stroll, one thing he has regularly executed this yr with Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, then went from first to 3rd on a pitch within the dust and scored on a single for the sport’s first run.
>> Infielder Anthony Servideo, Baltimore’s third-round choose in 2020, was positioned on Delmarva’s injured record. He’s performed 15 video games between the Florida Complex League and Low-A since coming back from a core muscle surgical procedure.
>> Right-hander Travis Lakins Sr., on the 60-day injured record with proper elbow irritation, suffered a setback whereas rehabbing in Florida.
This story might be up to date.
ORIOLES@RAYS
Sunday, 1:40 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com