The Orioles have claimed sole possession of first place within the American League East twice up to now three days.
The first time, they scored three runs within the fourth inning, blew that lead, retook it with small ball and held on because of Félix Bautista. The second time, they scored 5 runs within the fourth inning, blew that lead, retook it with small ball and held on because of Bautista.
The Orioles on Saturday defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-5, in a battle for AL East supremacy behind Grayson Rodriguez’s strong begin, supervisor Brandon Hyde’s selections within the ninth inning and Ryan O’Hearn’s game-winning RBI single.
In his second begin again within the huge leagues, Rodriguez allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings for the second-best outing of his younger profession. Hyde tapped Adam Frazier and O’Hearn to pinch-hit within the ninth, and each got here by with base knocks. After Frazier’s leadoff single, veteran catcher James McCann, who hit a two-run double within the fourth, bunted Frazier to second. O’Hearn then drove him in to present Bautista a one-run lead that he held with a three-up, three-down ninth for his twenty seventh save.
Shortstop Jorge Mateo and left fielder Austin Hays additionally hit run-scoring doubles within the fourth as a part of a five-run inning in opposition to Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan, who entered 11-1 with a 2.56 ERA as maybe the most effective starter within the AL. The Baltimore-born McClanahan had by no means allowed greater than three runs in his eight earlier begins in opposition to the Orioles.
Baltimore (60-38) owns the most effective report within the American League, forward of Tampa Bay (61-41).
Rodriguez regroups
When Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A in late May, Hyde stated the hope was that he’d come again a greater pitcher.
Through two begins, that’s been the case.
The total numbers don’t sparkle — six runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings — however he’s pitched like a 23-year-old who bought higher throughout his stint with the Norfolk Tides. The begins have come in opposition to two of the most effective lineups within the main leagues within the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays, and Rodriguez has displayed improved fastball command and composure.
“Nobody wants to see that, but I’ve seen it so many times that it can work to a player’s benefit,” Hyde stated earlier than the sport about Rodriguez’s demotion about two months in the past. “It doesn’t really feel good on the time and no one desires to see it and you’re feeling horrible for the man due to the excessive hopes and the hype and every part, however no one’s going to keep in mind that six years from now. He’s bought big-time, top-of-the-rotation stuff, simply had it for me, an important style within the huge leagues, some success, some struggles.
“I thought he did a great job going down with a great attitude, the right work ethic, the right message to work on the things that you struggle with up here, and he did those things.”
His begin Saturday was the second better of his nascent huge league profession, behind solely his nine-strikeout, five-scoreless outing versus the Detroit Tigers in late April. In a pivotal AL East matchup, the 6-foot-5 right-hander didn’t permit a run by 5 innings and confronted the minimal thanks to 2 double performs.
In his first 10 begins earlier than his demotion, Rodriguez made 5 good begins and 5 dangerous ones. But he allowed six or extra runs in three of his May outings and was despatched all the way down to Triple-A with marching orders to enhance his fastball command and belief the pitch extra. On Saturday, he generated a career-high 17 swings and misses, together with eight on his four-seamer that he threw almost 50% of the time. He additionally bought 4 whiffs on his changeup, his important offspeed pitch.
After retiring the primary seven batters, together with three groundouts within the first, Rodriguez labored by a one-out single within the third and a one-out stroll within the fifth with double performs. The first was a traditional flyout to proper discipline with Rays heart fielder Jose Siri working on the pitch, ending with a 9-3 double play. Two innings later, third baseman Gunnar Henderson, who has made a number of highlight-reel performs over the previous week, made a diving catch on a line drive and fired the ball to first to double up second baseman Brandon Lowe, because of a slick choose from first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.
Rodriguez’s day ended within the sixth after Wander Franco hit a two-out, two-run single by the Orioles’ shifted infield to place the Rays down 5-2. The prime pitching prospect surrendered three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 with six strikeouts.
Around the horn
- The Orioles signed veteran left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland to a minor league contract Saturday, and he was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. McFarland, 34, returns to the group he spent the primary 4 years of his main league profession with. The left-hander was a Rule 5 draft choice in 2013 and served as a protracted and center reliever from 2013 to 2016, recording a 4.27 ERA in 198 1/3 innings. For the previous seven years, he’s pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. He’s spent a lot of the 2023 season in Triple-A, however he was known as up by Buck Showalter’s Mets in late June and designated for project every week in the past.
- Right-hander Austin Voth will start his minor league rehabilitation project Sunday with Double-A Bowie, the group stated. Voth has been on the injured record since mid-June with elbow discomfort that he managed for a lot of the season. The commerce for Shintaro Fujinami might complicate whether or not there’s a spot for Voth within the Orioles’ bullpen when he’s wholesome sufficient to return.
This story can be up to date.
Orioles at Rays
Sunday, 1:40 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com