Ryan Mountcastle’s first at-bat Tuesday was much like many from his 2022 season.
The first baseman put a wonderful swing on the ball, roping the pitch 102.3 mph to the warning observe in heart area, just for it to be caught by Texas Rangers heart fielder Adolis García. The unfortunate out — Statcast had the batted ball with an anticipated batting common of .670 — was an all-too-common prevalence for Mountcastle throughout his common 2022 marketing campaign.
That sort of at-bat didn’t outline Mountcastle’s night time, although, because the Orioles’ No. 3 batter hit a three-run dwelling run within the second inning to propel Baltimore to a 7-2 win over the Rangers. The blast got here on a fastball on the high of the strike zone from Rangers left-handed starter Andrew Heaney, which Mountcastle hit off the fitting area foul pole.
“That was really impressive by Mountcastle, showing that opposite-field power,” supervisor Brandon Hyde stated. “Great to see [Mountcastle] go the other way. Good things always happen when he does.”
Mountcastle recorded an exit velocity of 91.8 mph or quicker in every of his 5 at-bats. He additionally doubled, grounded out and lined out, ending his night time 2-for-5 on the plate a day after going 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts.
“After yesterday, I was just happy to put one in play,” Mountcastle joked when requested about his first-inning flyout.
“Yesterday happens,” he added. “But came back today and put some good swings on it and took some tough pitches, too.”
The two-out lengthy ball within the second put the Orioles (3-2) up 5-0 to present beginning pitcher Kyle Gibson a cushion that he didn’t find yourself needing. The veteran pitched seven environment friendly innings of two-run ball, permitting six hits with no walks and 5 strikeouts.
“That was a fun game,” stated Gibson, who pitched for the Rangers in 2020 and the primary half of 2021. “[Catcher] Adley [Rutschman] and I were on the same page for probably 98% of the pitches. Just didn’t shake a whole lot, and we had a lot of fun.”
The solely blemishes for Gibson had been the 2 solo dwelling runs he allowed — one to García within the second and the opposite to Nathaniel Lowe within the sixth. Otherwise, the 35-year-old regarded like somebody in his eleventh season as a giant league starter.
“That was a big-time start on the road against a good offense,” Hyde stated. “Knowing kind of where we are, what the last series took out of our pitching staff, it was a true veteran start.”
Gibson (2-0) struck out batters on his four-seam fastball, changeup and sweeper, together with placing out the aspect within the seventh. He additionally displayed improved velocity over his 91.2 mph common in his first begin of the season and his 92.0 mph common final season, sitting 93-94 mph and touching 95.1 mph on his four-seamer.
“I don’t know if I’ll be 94-95 [mph] every time out, but I guess it is nice to know that at 35 you’ve still got that in the tank every now and then,” Gibson stated, including that he believes modifications to his supply throughout his bullpen session Sunday translated to his begin. “We sat on the bench and when I can see that and when I know that, it obviously changes my game plan a little bit. Probably not throwing some of those heaters in a time when it’s 91-92 [mph], but if I know I can reach back and have a little extra hop it allows me to use that a little bit more.”
Gibson, the membership’s No. 1 starter, was initially scheduled to take the ball Wednesday after beginning opening day in opposition to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. But Kyle Bradish’s foot harm Monday night time altered Hyde’s plans.
Tyler Wells, who was slated to begin Tuesday, entered in aid Monday and pitched 5 no-hit innings to steer the Orioles to a 2-0 win. Gibson was then pushed as much as begin Tuesday on common relaxation, and his seven innings on simply 88 pitches offered precisely what the Orioles wanted after the membership’s starters amassed simply 13 2/3 innings of their first 4 contests.
“I don’t think we can say enough about what Tyler Wells did for this team last night,” stated Gibson, who used his first reply throughout his postgame interview to reward Wells fairly than discuss his personal begin.
Grayson Rodriguez, the Orioles’ high pitching prospect, is reportedly being promoted to begin Wednesday and make his main league debut in his dwelling state of Texas.
Before Mountcastle’s dwelling run, the Orioles’ first two runs within the second got here through an RBI single from Ryan McKenna and a left-on-left RBI double from Cedric Mullins. Jorge Mateo adopted Mountcastle’s lead within the third with a two-run blast of his personal for Baltimore’s fifth straight two-homer sport to open the season. Mateo, who additionally clobbered a 433-foot homer Monday, deposited a low breaking ball from Heaney 392 ft over the left area fence.
“When [Mateo] stays closed and stays on the baseball, he can do a lot of things,” Hyde stated. “He’s a real threat in so many different ways.”
Logan Gillaspie and Cionel Pérez adopted Gibson and mixed to pitch two innings of shutout aid.
Around the horn
- Infielder Gunnar Henderson had his first day without work Tuesday after taking a floor ball off his proper hand whereas enjoying third base Monday. Hyde stated his hand swelled up and was “a little sore” after the 107 mph grounder hit his throwing hand however that the 21-year-old was out there to pinch hit Tuesday. Henderson hit his first dwelling run of the season in Monday’s win.
- Bradish’s proper foot is “pretty sore,” Hyde stated, after taking a 104 mph line drive off it Monday. Hyde stated the hope is that Bradish averted a critical harm however that it’s “possible” he’s positioned on the injured listing.
- Left-handed beginning pitcher John Means, who’s with the staff this week in Arlington as he recovers from Tommy John elbow reconstruction, stated he’s throwing a number of 30-pitch bullpens every week with simply fastballs and changeups. Means, the Orioles’ opening day starter in 2021 and 2022, expects to progress to throwing breaking balls quickly. He’s anticipated to make his return in July.
Orioles at Rangers
Wednesday, 2:05 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com