Brandon Hyde couldn’t consider it.
How was Kyle Tucker up once more?
When the Houston Astros’ cleanup hitter stepped to the plate within the eighth inning Thursday, the Orioles’ supervisor assumed they wouldn’t need to face him within the ninth — two days after Tucker hit a go-ahead grand slam off nearer Félix Bautista within the ninth.
It wasn’t simply Tucker who Hyde was perplexed about seeing once more. With two outs within the eighth and the Astros’ No. 6 hitter up, it appeared as if Baltimore might make it by the ninth with out dealing with every batter within the coronary heart of the Astros’ order: Nos. 2, 3, 4 hitters Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Tucker. Instead, Houston mounted a comeback, bringing the terrifying trio that bats after leadoff hitter José Altuve to the plate within the ninth for the fifth time of the afternoon.
“I think Bregman and Tucker and Alvarez hit every inning,” Hyde joked. “I was going to check to see if they were hitting out of order, because I feel like they hit eight times a game.”
Unlike Tuesday, Bautista bent towards the highest of Houston’s order however didn’t break. After permitting a run and loading the bases to carry the go-ahead run into scoring place, Bautista acquired Jon Singleton to come out with the bases loaded to seal the Orioles’ 5-4 win at Camden Yards.
“I thought we had it the whole way,” Hyde quipped.
Coming off back-to-back ugly losses to the defending World Series-champion Astros, the Orioles prevented a sweep for the 76th straight sequence — the fourth-longest streak in MLB historical past, in line with the Elias Sports Bureau. Baltimore hasn’t been swept since May 2022, the longest energetic streak within the majors.
Starting pitcher Dean Kremer continued his success towards Houston (66-50) with seven innings of two-run ball, 4 of his defenders supported him with stellar protection and Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle each homered.
At 71-44, Baltimore will start its nine-game West Coast journey Friday in Seattle no less than two video games forward of the Tampa Bay Rays for the highest spot within the American League.
“Proud of our club,” Hyde mentioned. “We do fight. They battle, they scrap. They’re pulling for each other.”
The opening batter in every half of the primary inning featured spectacular feats from Orioles gamers.
Third baseman Ramón Urías made a diving play at third base to steal an extra-base hit from Altuve to kickstart the stellar protection behind Kremer (11-4). To start the underside half, Rutschman hit a leadoff dwelling run off Astros starter Hunter Brown that narrowly cleared Camden Yards’ not often conquered left subject wall to develop into simply the second left-handed batter to take action for the reason that unusual dimensions had been put in place final 12 months.
After Urías, left fielder Ryan O’Hearn, second baseman Adam Frazier and first baseman Mountcastle all made internet gems of their very own. O’Hearn, a primary baseman taking part in in entrance of Oriole Park’s left subject wall for the primary time, made a leaping seize on the warning monitor to open the fifth inning. Frazier then ended the body by stealing an RBI hit away from Alvarez, snagging a 115.2 mph floor ball on a dive.
“Exceptional, all the way around the field,” Kremer mentioned of his protection. “Ramón, Ryan — each Ryans, O’Hearn and Mounty — and Frazier unbelievable play, Hays all over the place. They’re a particular group to have behind you.
“As a staff, we know we’ve got some of the best defense in the league. We don’t have to be perfect. You just throw the ball in the zone, and our guys will make plays.”
In the seventh, Mountcastle got here off the bag on an errant throw from Kremer and acrobatically tagged Jake Meyers. The subsequent batter, Altuve, hit a house run that put the Astros down 3-2. Houston’s first run off Kremer got here on a solo homer from Yainer Díaz within the second. Kremer has allowed 25 dwelling runs in 24 begins this season.
But Thursday marked one other profitable begin from Kremer, who scattered six hits and two walks whereas hanging out 5, towards the Astros. After dominating towards them twice final season, Kremer is 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA towards Houston, pitching no less than seven innings in all three begins. The finest begin of his profession — a four-hit shutout in September 2022 — got here towards an Astros group that went on to win the World Series.
“I try to,” Kremer mentioned of accepting the problem of dealing with the Astros. “Yeah, definitely not the easiest team to face or navigate through their lineup. Their top four, five, six guys can do damage with the flip of a switch if you make any sort of mistakes.”
With Rutschman filling the designated hitter position for the matinee, catcher James McCann began his fifth sport up to now week and remained sizzling on the plate. The veteran hit an RBI single to attain Urías, who hit a leadoff triple, after which led off the sixth with a double and scored on a single by Rutschman. In 39 plate appearances since July 16, McCann is hitting .371 with seven doubles and 10 RBIs.
Mountcastle’s dwelling run within the seventh supplied much-needed insurance coverage. It didn’t go fairly so far as his 472-foot blast Tuesday, but it surely soared simply over the 376-foot marker in left-center subject to keep away from the left subject wall. Since he returned from the injured checklist July 9 after a bout with vertigo, Mountcastle is hitting .409 with a 1.139 OPS.
In the sequence’ first two video games, the Orioles’ bullpen allowed 5 runs in every loss. With a three-run lead within the eighth, Cionel Pérez, Hyde’s lone left-handed reliever after the membership positioned Danny Coulombe on the injured checklist Thursday morning, allowed a one-out single to Tucker and made an error whereas protecting first on a floor ball, trying to catch a poor toss from Mountcastle together with his naked hand. Setup man Yennier Cano changed Pérez and allowed an RBI single to Mauricio Dubón earlier than ending the inning by hanging out Jeremy Peña.
Altuve hit a one-out double off Bautista to start out the Astros’ ninth-inning rally. Bregman walked, Alvarez popped out to McCann and Tucker walked. Díaz then hit what would have probably been a game-tying, two-run single, however Urías’ diving try saved the ball within the infield and allowed solely Altuve to attain. Bautista then bounced again from his blown save Tuesday by getting Singleton to come out on a 102.4 mph fastball.
“Honestly, it’s good for him,” McCann mentioned on the adversity Bautista has confronted this week. “That’s a playoff atmosphere. That’s a playoff team over there. So not only for him to bounce back today but also to kind of go through it again and find a way to come out on top today, he did an excellent job.”
Around the horn
- Hyde mentioned left-hander Cole Irvin will probably begin the Orioles’ sport Saturday towards the Seattle Mariners. Rather than beginning on flip Saturday, Kyle Bradish will toe the rubber Sunday. Kyle Gibson begins Friday.
- Hyde additionally mentioned the Orioles will probably transfer to a six-man rotation with Irvin rejoining the group from the bullpen. Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer have all surpassed or are nearing their single-season highs in innings, and Hyde mentioned the additional beginning pitcher is a approach to handle their workloads higher.
- Tyler Wells is beginning Saturday for Double-A Bowie as he continues his development again to Baltimore after the Orioles optioned him to the minors for a “reset,” Hyde mentioned in late July.
- Veterans Aaron Hicks and Gibson each achieved 10 years of MLB service time this week, a feat that fewer than 10% of massive leaguers accomplish. The milestone can also be vital, because the 10-year mark is when gamers’ pensions develop into absolutely vested. “It’s such an incredible accomplishment,” Hyde mentioned. “To be able to stay in this game in this league for 10 years takes an incredible amount of talent and determination and will. … It says a lot about their character, honestly, and those two guys are fantastic clubhouse guys, fantastic leaders, and they’ve had good careers.”
- Luis Almeyda, a 17-year-old shortstop the Orioles gave a franchise-record $2.3 million signing bonus to in January, underwent surgical procedure on his left shoulder Thursday and can miss the remainder of the season, the membership introduced. Almeyda, the membership’s No. 25 prospect in line with Baseball America, went 11-for-58 (.190 common) with two dwelling runs to start his profession within the Dominican Summer League. The group mentioned he’s anticipated to be prepared for the beginning of the 2024 season.
- Baseball America up to date the Orioles’ prime 30 prospects checklist to incorporate gamers chosen within the 2023 draft. First-round outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. tops the newcomers at No. 9, sandwiched between left-hander DL Hall (No. 8) and outfielder Jud Fabian (No. 10). Right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister (Competitive Balance Round B), outfielder/third baseman Mac Horvath (second spherical) and right-hander Kiefer Lord additionally made the checklist at Nos. 16, 18 and 27, respectively.
Orioles at Mariners
Friday, 10:10 p.m.
TV: MASN2, MLB Network (out of market solely)
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com