One day ahead of the start of a showdown series with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles are wrapping up their three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Orioles (91-53, .632) lead the American League East by 2.5 games right now over the Rays, which won 5-4 this afternoon against the Twins. The Orioles beat the Cardinals 11-5 Monday night but were held to nine hits in a 5-2 loss last night where they went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Before their offense was held down last night, the Orioles had scored 48 runs in the previous five games, 74 in the last nine and 155 in the previous 22 games.

The Orioles, who have 18 regular-season games left, lost for just the second time in the last 10 games. Overall they have won 14 of 19, 17 of 23 and 20 of 28 games. They are 28-12 in the last 40 games.

The Orioles are 43-27 at home, 37-18 since the All-Star game, 8-3 in September and 24-19 versus National League clubs. They have a .558 win percentage versus the NL and .663 (67-34) against the AL.

Jordan Westburg stays in the Orioles lineup tonight and is batting fifth against left-hander Drew Rom.

James McCann is catching again, with Adley Rutschman serving as designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson is playing third base and Jorge Mateo is the shortstop.

Aaron Hicks is in center field, with Cedric Mullins on the bench.

For the Orioles
Adley Rutschman DH
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Anthony Santander RF
Austin Hays LF
Jordan Westburg 2B
Gunnar Henderson 3B
Aaron Hicks CF
James McCann C
Jorge Mateo SS

Kyle Gibson RHP

Orioles' outfielder Austin Hays is trying to make his July a real outlier this season. So far it is the only month his OPS was not .800 or better.

And it is a real outlier as his OPS in July was just .446. It was a month where Hays made the All-Star team and was a starter for the American League. But his bat was slumping.

And then he started to elevate the ball again and drive it more consistently and he got back on track. In 128 games for the year, he’s batting .287/.333/.462/.795. That is good for an OPS+ of 118, better than the 107 OPS+ he posted in 2021 and the 105 number from last year.

Hays’ current OPS+ number ranks fifth among O’s regulars, behind Ryan O’Hearn, Anthony Santander, Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman.

“I want to finish really strong,” he said yesterday in the Baltimore clubhouse, before going 2-for-4 in the loss to St. Louis. “Just stay focused. Don’t get complacent. I like where I am right now, but still a lot of at-bats sitting out there. Lot of opportunity left. I really want to finish strong. Just as hungry now as I was at the start of the year.”

Drew Rom thought he made it past the trade deadline.

The Orioles’ pitching prospect was in Charlotte with Triple-A Norfolk. Manager Buck Britton approached him. And his baseball life was about to change.

“Was not expecting it at all,” Rom said. “It was literally a minute or two before the trade deadline and Buck walks in and says, ‘Hey Rom, I need to see you in the office real fast.’ I’m like, ‘Oh Lord, here we go.’”

Rom, a Kentucky native, was going to the Cardinals organization with infielder César Prieto and pitcher Zack Showalter for veteran starter Jack Flaherty. He’s starting Wednesday night’s series finale against the Orioles.

“The ball got rolling and next thing I know, I’m in Memphis, and then two weeks later I’m up here in the big leagues with the Cardinals making my debut,” he said. “And then I get to check two things off my check list with playing in Cincinnati and debuting, and the third, playing against the Orioles in Camden.”

The Orioles found their starting pitcher less than 10 minutes before the trade deadline.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias acquired right-hander Jack Flaherty from the Cardinals in exchange for Triple-A left-hander Drew Rom and infielder César Prieto, and Single-A Delmarva pitcher Zack Showalter.

Flaherty, 27, is a pending free agent who’s 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in 20 starts, with only 10 home runs surrendered in 109 2/3 innings. He registered a 3.30 ERA in five starts last month.

Elias made it a stated goal to find more pitching to strengthen the club’s bid for a deep run in the playoffs. Starters beyond Kyle Gibson are approaching or have bypassed their career highs in innings.

The decision to option Tyler Wells to Double-A Bowie, where he reported earlier today, increased the urgency.

The Orioles begin another series tonight against another team that’s above .500. And this is where the similarities slam into a closure.

The Pirates arrive having lost nine of their last 10 games, but they remain atop the National League Central.

Try doing that in the American League East. Go ahead.

Letdown games and series aren’t permissible, and the rebuilt Orioles are in no way inclined to feel the urge.

True that they just got done with the Braves and Rays, going 3-3 against teams with the two best records in baseball and suffering a pair of late one-run losses at Truist Park, but they aren’t judging the Pirates based on a recent streak of ugliness.

Drew Rom’s major league debut remains on hold.

So close, but unable to capture it.

The Orioles announced that they optioned Rom to Triple-A Norfolk following last night’s 2-1 win over the Rays at Camden Yards. A corresponding move is coming Friday when they begin a three-game series against the Pirates that’s situated in the middle of their homestand.

Rom was summoned on Monday within a flurry of roster moves that included the return of infielder/outfielders Ryan O’Hearn and Terrin Vavra. Keegan Akin was optioned, with Rom replacing him as left-handed long relief.

Infielder Ramón Urías went on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, and catcher Luis Torrens was designated for assignment. Torrens' situation hasn't been resolved.

Left-hander Drew Rom was sitting on the balcony of his hotel room last night in Jacksonville at around 10:45 p.m., gazing at the river and relaxing, when Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton called with news that he’d need to pack his bags and board a flight to Baltimore in the morning.

The Orioles decided to option Keegan Akin and recall Rom, whose first appearance out of the bullpen will be his major league debut.

“For me, it’s just been a whirlwind of a day and a half, I guess, but I’m trying to take it all in stride at this point and try to keep doing what I’ve been doing down in Norfolk and just try to bring it up here,” Rom said this afternoon at his locker inside the clubhouse at Camden Yards.

“It’s kind of surreal. My favorite movie was ‘The Rookie’ growing up, with Dennis Quaid, so that’s kind of what I felt like coming in, honestly, was taking everything in. A little bit of shell shock. Everything today’s just been eyes wide-open, trying to bask in everything and just take everything one step at a time, one minute at a time.”

Rom posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in six games. He was supposed to start tonight for the Tides.

The Orioles shook up their roster this afternoon, and the moves weren’t tied only to Ramón Urías’ left hamstring strain.

Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list as expected, but the club also optioned reliever Keegan Akin and designated catcher Luis Torrens for assignment before he could appear in a game.

Left-hander Drew Rom, infielder/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and infielder Terrin Vavra were recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

Rom, 23, would be making his major league debut after going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in six games with Norfolk. He’s surrendered only two home runs in 31 1/3 innings and is averaging 2.9 walks and 9.2 strikeouts. He’s wearing No. 67.

The Orioles selected Rom in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of Highlands High School in Kentucky. He could switch to a relief role as Akin’s replacement, keeping a third left-hander in the bullpen and providing length.

Yennier Cano received two days off after working two innings Thursday afternoon in Kansas City. He wasn’t available last night after retiring all six batters he faced Sunday in Atlanta.

The temptation to use him anyway must be strong, simply because he’s become one of the top relievers in baseball.

Just how good?

The examples are numerous and widely publicized. Here is another, according to STATS:

Cano has faced 49 batters and allowed two hits, walked none and nailed one batter, for a .103 opponents’ OPS, second lowest through 12 appearances since 2014.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hopes to get two innings from left-hander Drew Rom in today’s exhibition opener against the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium.

The lineup is stacked with left-handed hitters, including Ryan O’Hearn at first base and Nomar Mazara in left field.

Cedric Mullins is leading off and Anthony Santander is the cleanup hitter, their starts coming early as they prepare for the World Baseball Classic.

Coby Mayo gets the start at third base. Anthony Bemboom is catching.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Adam Frazier 2B
Adley Rutschman DH
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Nomar Mazara LF
Joey Ortiz SS
Coby Mayo 3B
Anthony Bemboom C

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles' 2023 spring training schedule begins today at Ed Smith Stadium. They host the Minnesota Twins at 1:05 this afternoon to begin a Grapefruit League schedule that runs through March 27 in advance of the club’s March 30th regular-season opener at Boston.

So the battle for rotation spots and pitching staff jobs takes another step today with the start of spring games. While veterans like Cole Irvin and Kyle Gibson – barring injury – almost certainly have a starting-five spot secure, there are a host of others battling for only three other spots.

There are more strong candidates than just three for those jobs, including Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and DL Hall. And then there are Spenser Watkins, who made 20 O’s starts last year, Austin Voth, who made 17, and Bruce Zimmermann, who took the mound as a starter 13 times.

On Thursday night I hosted the "Orioles Hot Stove" radio show on WBAL and one of the guests was assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes, who is beginning his fourth season with the club and third in his current role.

Holmes said the entire pitching staff seemed to report in pretty good shape, and all did good work on their games and pitches over the winter.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles completed their final workout day before beginning exhibition games on Saturday with the Twins traveling to Ed Smith Stadium.

“I think we’re ready,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think guys are kind of itching to get out there. We’ve had a lot of guys who have been here quite a while. You’ll see a lot of those guys the first couple games. Looking forward to getting going.”

The new rules will take hold, including a pitch clock that the Orioles have used in live batting practice and bullpen sessions.

“We’re trying to simulate it as much as we possibly can,” Hyde said. “We talked about it together as a team this morning again. We reviewed some more of the new rules and talked about the shift and bigger bases. Definitely the tempo of the game, obviously, will quicken. We’re just trying to make guys as alert as possible and try to get them as educated as we possibly can.

“I’ve never seen it, so we’ll see how it goes.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are two days away from playing their first exhibition game and they’ve chosen left-hander Drew Rom to make the start.

Rom, 23, made a combined 26 appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk and posted a 4.43 ERA and 1.475 WHIP with 144 strikeouts in 120 innings. He’s ticketed for the Tides after spring training but gets the assignment against the Twins in Sarasota.

Being the first starter in camp doesn’t provide a sneak preview of the team’s plans moving forward. Manager Brandon Hyde quipped, “not (Thomas) Eshelman” while announcing his choice.

“He’s a starting candidate and a guy, just kind of how things line up, honestly,” Hyde said.

“Some of the guys that were starters here last year will be a couple days after that. Drew’s going to get an opportunity to start our first Grapefruit League game.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander and Dean Kremer will be leaving Orioles camp in a few weeks to get ready for the World Baseball Classic. They got together this morning on the Camden Yards replica field and played their own game.

Kremer threw live batting practice to Mullins and Santander, providing one of the most interesting scenes from the first three days of spring training workouts.

You can only watch so many bullpen sessions.

Mullins drove Kremer’s final pitch over the right field fence and the batting cage beyond it. Some observers gasped and hollered, but Mullins downplayed his achievement, saying Kremer told him what was coming.

An impressive blast, nonetheless.

Coby Mayo celebrated his 21^st birthday yesterday, which was a nice reminder that another Orioles prospect played at the Double-A level this summer before his legal drinking age.

Also a necessary reminder when evaluating Mayo’s season.

Back spasms forced Mayo onto the injured list and cost him about a month after he appeared in only three games with the Bowie Baysox. Reports that he was day-to-day proved inaccurate.

He was facing older and unfamiliar pitchers in a new setting who learned that challenging him with fastballs was a bad idea. That’s 100 percent true.

Drafted in the fourth round in 2020 and given an over-slot $1.75 million bonus, Mayo batted a combined .247/.326/.456 with 20 doubles, two triples, 19 home runs, 69 RBIs, 40 walks and 114 strikeouts in 439 plate appearances after beginning the season at High-A Aberdeen. MLBPipeline.com ranks him as the No. 7 prospect in the organization.

Today in this space I'm reviewing a few articles that recently were published here. Sometimes you take a look back before you move ahead.

In this article featuring some of my recent interview with MLBPipeline.com's Jim Callis, we discussed how trading prospects can be beneficial to a team. It's another way to make good use of a strong farm system, and the Orioles are ranked No. 1 right now by several outlets.

“In 2023 with the Orioles we will see more of the long-term pieces kind of fit into place in the big leagues and then be part of that lineup," Callis said. "From that point on, maybe they don’t have room for all their talent and they trade players from the farm.

“Nobody ever has too much talent. If you don’t have places for everyone to play on your big league team, you consolidate prospects and trade them for a bigger piece."

And Callis pointed out how Houston made deals for the likes of Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke and Gerrit Cole by trading prospects. The Los Angeles Dodgers traded young talent to get Mookie Betts from Boston. 

If it feels like he’s been in the Orioles organization for a while, he has. But lefty Drew Rom, added to the 40-man roster this week, for now is still just 22. He turns 23 Dec. 15 and will head to spring training next February in Sarasota, knowing it’s the season when he might make his major league debut.

During a Zoom call this week he told reporters he has a few specific goals this winter, to include trying to add velocity while honing his changeup.

"Maybe searching for some velo, but also fine tuning what I am already excelling with," he said of his winter workout plans.

The Orioles' previous front office selected Rom in the fourth round of the 2018 draft (No. 115 overall) from a high school in Fort Thomas, Ky., just south of Cincinnati. He ranks at No. 18 on the club’s top 30 list according to Baseball America and No. 19 via MLBPipeline.com.

In 2022 he pitched in 19 games with Double-A Bowie and made seven starts late in the year for Triple-A Norfolk, and he seems likely to begin the 2023 season in the Tides rotation.

A week of Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards announcements makes a stop tonight at Cy Young.

Each ballot had room for five candidates. None of the Orioles are expected to make an appearance.

The winner will come from a group consisting of Chicago’s Dylan Cease, Toronto’s Alek Manoah and Houston’s Justin Verlander.

The Orioles’ dry spell, dating back to Steve Stone in 1980, continues for at least one more year.

Yesterday brought us to an intersection of announcements – players added to the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 draft and Brandon Hyde finishing runner-up to the Guardians’ Terry Francona for American League Manager of the Year.

The Orioles added five players today to their 40-man roster. By adding these players, they now cannot be taken by another organization in the upcoming Dec. 7 Rule 5 draft. And they will all report to major league spring training in Sarasota, Fla. in February.

They added two of their three top pitching prospects in right-handers Grayson Rodriguez and Seth Johnson along with lefty Drew Rom, right-hander Noah Denoyer and shortstop Joey Ortiz.

At 34 players this morning, the Orioles' 40-man roster now holds 39 players.

Rodriguez is the Orioles No. 2 prospect behind only Gunnar Henderson and is rated as the No. 4 national prospect in top 100s by both Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com.

In 17 starts this year, he went 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA, missing time between June 1 and Sept. 1 with a Grade 2 right lat strain. He left his start early June 1 with Triple-A Norfolk and returned three months later to make three rehab starts between high-A Aberdeen and Double-A Bowie before returning to end the year with Norfolk.