Under different circumstances, Ryan Mountcastle won’t have been within the Orioles’ lineup Monday night time. But Baltimore is clinging to its playoff hopes, and that meant Mountcastle, with a sore left elbow he described as “good enough to play” however nowhere close to 100%, was hitting third because the Orioles started a sequence that represented the final cushion of their daunting closing slate.
When Detroit Tigers left-hander Tyler Alexander struck out Mountcastle to finish the primary inning, Baltimore was already down a run. When Mountcastle walked within the fourth to change into his staff’s first baserunner in opposition to Alexander, the deficit had grown to 6. When he opened the seventh with a clear single into middle that marked the Orioles’ first hit of the night time, they have been down 9. When he drew one other free go within the ninth, the margin had reached 11-0, staying there in a loss that additional doomed Baltimore’s dwindling playoff hopes.
The lopsided defeat, in opposition to a Tigers staff on the backside of the American League Central, left the Orioles (76-70) 5 video games out within the AL wild-card race with 16 video games to play.
“Just didn’t come out very aggressive and had it handed to us,” supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned.
The loss got here off maybe their win of the yr, rallying in opposition to All-Star nearer Jordan Romano to beat the Toronto Blue Jays and keep away from a sweep that absolutely would have doomed their postseason pursuit. Instead, a day later, they have been blown out as Detroit improved to 4-0 in opposition to the Orioles whereas going 52-91 in opposition to all different competitors.
“It’s tough,” Mountcastle mentioned. “Obviously, not how you want to start the homestand.”
Alexander took the mound Monday with a 5.35 ERA, Detroit having gone 1-12 in his first 13 begins. The Tigers (56-91) ensured rapidly that win whole would double, scoring early after which typically. Tyler Wells allowed a first-inning run when a two-out flyball by Miguel Cabrera fell between left fielder Austin Hays and middle fielder Cedric Mullins on what seemed to be miscommunication, permitting Javier Báez to attain from first.
A stroll adopted, then Wells retired the subsequent seven Tigers earlier than a pair every of singles and walks introduced in one other run within the fourth. He exited with the bases loaded and no outs, with DL Hall permitting all three inherited runners and one in all his personal to attain.
Wells issued three walks for under the second time this yr, whereas his 5 runs allowed matched a season excessive. After a 17-start span by which he didn’t permit greater than three runs in any of them, he has performed so in three of his previous 5 outings, with that stretch protecting an injured listing stint for a strained left indirect.
The 28-year-old is in his first season as a serious league starter, coming off a yr spent as a reliever after two campaigns misplaced to Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgical procedure and the coronavirus pandemic. Wells mentioned he “definitely felt better physically than what the results showed,” however Hyde acknowledged the difficulties a lot of his gamers are going through as they play significant late-season baseball for the primary time.
“It’s a long season for these guys and a lot of these guys haven’t been through something like this,” Hyde mentioned. “It’s not easy.”
After posting successful months in June, July and August, the Orioles received their first three video games of September however have dropped 9 of 14 since.
“We might just be putting too much pressure on ourselves,” Wells mentioned. “I feel like I let the team down tonight, and especially with what we’re trying to chase, it sucks.”
All different relievers who adopted Hall additionally allowed a run, with outfielder Ryan McKenna giving up two in his second pitching look prior to now three house video games —. The Orioles, in the meantime, didn’t handle one, struggling their tenth shutout loss. The single from Mountcastle, who missed Sunday’s sport after being hit by a pitch Saturday, preceded one other from Anthony Santander, however Baltimore wasted its first likelihood with runners in scoring place, as Jesús Aguilar struck out earlier than Gunnar Henderson hit right into a double play.
Adley Rutschman, whose grounder up the third final analysis to finish the sixth represented the closest the Orioles got here to a success earlier than Mountcastle’s single, walked with an out within the ninth, then Mountcastle did the identical. But the subsequent two batters have been retired because the membership’s September common with runners in scoring place fell to .212.
“Hopefully,” Hyde mentioned, “we play better tomorrow.”
But the tomorrows are operating out.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com