The Orioles are in Williamsport, Pa. tonight for the Little League Classic and their first appearance in ESPN’s primetime game in four years.

Outfielder Yusniel Diaz has joined the team as its 27^th man, an unexpected perk considering this isn’t a doubleheader.

Diaz struck out in his major league debut on Aug. 2 after a temporary promotion at the trade deadline.

The Orioles are 2 ½ games back for the last wild card spot. The Twins are one game ahead of the Orioles, and the White Sox are a half-game behind.

There’s a traffic jam in this race.

Unlike airline points, runs don’t carry over.

If they did, the Orioles could’ve used a few Saturday. After exploding for 15 runs in a series opening win Friday, the O’s bats went quiet in a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox in front of 34,939 on Saturday.

As has too often been the case recently, the offense waited too long to get going, failing to score off of Michael Wacha in the starter’s 5 ⅔ innings of work for Boston. A seventh-inning rally netted the Orioles just two runs, not enough to overcome what was then a 3-0 deficit.

"We had a tough time getting a rally going against (Wacha)," said manager Brandon Hyde after the game. "Good to see us make a run late like usual but just came up a run short today."

Baserunners were hard to come by for the Orioles, who collected just one walk and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

If there were any reasons for concern about the Orioles offense - and surely there were throughout Birdland after Thursday's loss - they were washed away for at least one night amid an avalanche of offense.

The O's kept scoring and kept hitting home runs in a 15-10 win over Boston Friday night in front of 33,136 at Oriole Park. The O's set a season high for runs and missed a season high for hits by one, producing 18. 

They tied a season high with five homers as Jorge Mateo, Anthony Santander, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías all connected. The last three hit by Rutschman, Mountcastle and Urías went 422, 428 and 432 feet, respectively. 

Boston pulled within 10-9 during an ugly-for-the-Orioles five-run top of the fifth. But the O's washed away that bad taste by scoring five runs in their home half.

They moved to within 1.5 games of the third American League wild card spot and won for the 16th time in their last 21 home games.

With Ryan Ripken no longer playing baseball and venturing into the sports media world, he’s finding platforms to pass along his knowledge of the game and opinions on prospects who were teammates or simply caught his eye from the sidelines.

Ripken created a Twitter account this year and used it to announce his retirement, though he hasn’t ruled out a return to the field if the right opportunity becomes available. Cal’s son will always be an Orioles fan, and he’s enjoying their resurgence this year and presence in the wild card race.

“Let’s be honest, no one expected it this year,” he said. “It’s been cool. Happy for a lot of the guys, especially that I know.”

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson could debut this summer. He turned 21 on June 29 and is battering older Triple-A pitching.

“He was one of the guys that, when you met him, you knew he was special,” Ripken said. “Obviously, his success has been tremendous. He’s so young and he’s adjusting so quickly is what I think has been so impressive.”

Jorge Mateo leaped in the air tonight as his fly ball cleared the left field wall, pumped his fist above his head and stuck the landing.  The two runners ahead of him kept circling the bases. Mateo walked back to touch first with hands still clenched.

Every at-bat seems to matter more in a pennant race, and especially for an offense that’s sputtered in the early innings. Mateo can be forgiven for hurdling the bag after wiping out a two-run deficit.

Those same hands must have tightened in frustration before opening again for high-fives in the victory line.

The Orioles built a six-run lead and almost lost it the fifth, but they tied a season high with five homers and outlasted the Red Sox 15-10 before an announced crowd of 33,136 at Camden Yards.

The Red Sox responded to Mateo’s homer by scoring twice in their next at-bat to reclaim the lead, the Orioles got it right back on Anthony Santander’s two-run shot, and then the game veered into crazy.

For Orioles outfielder Kyle Stowers this almost feels more official this time. He’s been in the big leagues earlier, but this time is added to the 40-man roster and not as a replacement player, his title for the games where he was with the team in Toronto in mid-June.

Stowers, who shared O’s Minor League Player of the Year honors with Adley Rutschman in 2021, may now be in the big leagues for good. He’s batting fifth and starting in right field tonight, and manager Brandon Hyde said he expects to play Stowers a lot.

“I’d say the little stretch was like my debut and this feels more like the call-up. So I’m excited,” Stowers said this afternoon in the Baltimore clubhouse.

“Super excited. I think it’s a really cool place this team is at, pushing for the playoffs. To get the opportunity to be a part of it and chase after something as special as that, I’m stoked for.

“Yeah, special to play at the home field of the team that drafted you. Although it’s not my debut, it’s my debut here and I’m excited.”

Kyle Stowers is starting in right field tonight and batting fifth for the Orioles, and he’s going to play regularly against right-handed pitching. This isn’t presented as another brief look at one of their prospects.

The Orioles selected Stowers' contract today from Triple-A Norfolk, his real debut on the 40-man roster after serving as a substitute player in Toronto.

“Stowers is going to see quite a bit of action in the outfield,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Every day we’ll look at matchups. It’s good to get guys off their feet, also. We’re in late August and just try to rotate those guys around as much as possible.”

Asked about the timing of Stowers’ arrival, Hyde said, “Just feel like he’s ready to contribute for us. He’s had a nice year in Triple-A and we’re excited about his future, and looking forward to watching him play up here.”

The Orioles have wanted more hitting from the left side, and the upcoming slate of games magnifies the importance.

The Orioles made a series of roster moves this afternoon, selecting outfielder Kyle Stowers’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk and recalling infielder Richie Martin and left-hander Nick Vespi.

Outfielder Brett Phillips was designated for assignment, infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra went on the paternity list, and reliever Logan Gillaspie was optioned to Norfolk.

Stowers made his major league debut in June while the Orioles were in Toronto, serving as a substitute player due to Anthony Santander’s previous vaccination status, and he went 1-for-7 with a double, RBI and four strikeouts. He’s batting .264/.357/.527 with 29 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 78 RBIs, 45 walks and 104 strikeouts in 407 plate appearances with Norfolk.

MLBPipeline.com ranks Stowers as the No. 9 prospect in the system, and Baseball America has him 11th. He leads the organization in home runs and RBIs, and is tied with infielder Jordan Westburg for first in doubles.

Phillips, acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline for cash considerations, was 2-for-17 with two doubles and nine strikeouts.

Some days in baseball you just have to tip your hat to your opponent and move on to the next. You don’t want to, but that’s the best play.

So it is for the Orioles who lost a chance at a season-ending tiebreaker edge against Tampa Bay with Sunday’s 4-1 loss. Thanks to Jorge Mateo’s double to leadoff the ninth inning, they were not on the wrong side of a perfect game and were not no-hit or shutout. But their lineup did get dominated in losing the season series 10-9.

It was still a great improvement from the 1-18 record versus Tampa Bay of a year ago, but if these teams tie for any playoff spot, Tampa Bay now holds the tiebreaking edge. The O’s had a chance for their first season series win over the Rays since 2016 and also their first series win at Tropicana Field since June 23-25, 2017.

But Drew Rasmussen buzzed through their lineup on just 28 pitches through three innings, 44 through five and 79 through eight. They were not taking many pitches but if they had they just might have found themselves down 0-1 and/or 0-2 in the count against a pitcher on a roll.

Rasmussen had pitched to an ERA of 2.16 his previous seven starts and of 2.01 in eight home starts and looked every bit that pitcher and then some on Sunday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A deep dive into the wild card chase always felt like more of a surface story about the Orioles. Here’s where they sit in the standings. Here’s the latest from the rotation, bullpen and lineup. Here’s the latest double play turned by the defense.

Here’s a team finally ready to launch after a teardown that started halfway through the 2018 season, a new set of hands completing it and beginning the rebuild.

More games have been won than lost, which is shocking, and the electricity is restored at Camden Yards. But the major league club hasn’t consumed every molecule of attention. Maybe in some other cities, but not Baltimore.

Catcher Adley Rutschman finally gets promoted on May 21, breaking up an intense media and fan stakeout – separate vehicles, of course – and the watch shifts to pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is on the verge of making his debut and goes on the injured list with a Grade 2 lat strain. He’s monitored from afar, with September now the target month to get him back into games. Whether with the Orioles or Triple-A Norfolk.

I have mentioned a few times lately that not all days at the ballpark are created equal. Some are more special. We keep getting days like that around Birdland lately, and Saturday was sure one of them.

To have Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Eddie Murray at the Yard was pretty awesome, for the fans and the Orioles team too. The ceremony for the 30th anniversary celebration of Oriole Park at Camden Yards was well done, and brought back some nice memories of some wonderful moments over the years.

Then the Orioles' winning streak continued with a 6-3 win over Pittsburgh as 41,086 cheered them on. It was awesome to see Oriole Park rocking like it was Saturday. When I headed home the fans at the Yard were still rocking at the postgame concert.

I was just excited I had recognized a few of the songs. Had set the over/under at two and I went over. Yay for me. But that just capped off a great day and night for the fans of Birdland.

The Hall of Famers, No. 33 and No. 5, spent time talking to the Orioles players before the game. And after that they talked with reporters, and Murray was asked if this current club reminds him of the 1979 team that made Oriole magic a thing.

If you could take sentiment out of it – almost impossible to do when it comes to Trey Mancini - the Orioles return in Monday's trade doesn’t look too bad.

A strong farm system got stronger, and now some at-bats opened up for other players like Terrin Vavra, Yusniel Diaz or maybe at some point later Kyle Stowers, as Mancini joins the Houston Astros.

Calling him a rental player after all he has been through and all that he means to the team and town almost seems disrespectful, but from a most technical standpoint, he is a pending free agent that Houston will have for the rest of this season. And possibly no more. It is not impossible to say he and the Orioles could have contract conversations over the winter.

And for Mancini, a beloved figure today and probably forever in Birdland, the Orioles did get two pitchers who show promise for the future. Both have touched 98 mph and were ranked highly for two clubs that have solid pitching development in Houston and Tampa Bay. And they are ranked highly in the now well-regarded O’s farm system.

The Orioles acquired right-hander Seth Johnson, 23, from Tampa Bay, and MLBPipeline.com last night, in an updated O’s top 30 list, rated him No. 8, right behind Stowers and just ahead of Heston Kjerstad. They added right-hander Chayce McDermott, 23, from Houston and ranked him No. 12. He is just behind César Prieto and ahead of Mike Baumann. So the two new guys are already keeping good company there.

The stubborn streak in me isn’t as long as the Orioles’ winning streak, which has reached eight games. However, I can't always admit when I’m wrong.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse, but that’s another subject. Let’s stick to baseball.

I didn’t think the 2022 Orioles would be one game under .500 on July 12, that I’d wake up yesterday morning and they’d be only two out of the final wild card spot.

I predicted an improved record over last season. I said they’d be more entertaining, more enjoyable for fans based on the promotions of some top prospects.

Catcher Adley Rutschman finally made it. Outfielder Kyle Stowers had a cup of Tim Hortons coffee in Toronto as a replacement player for Anthony Santander. Grayson Rodriguez would be entrenched in the rotation and attracting larger non-giveaway crowds at Camden Yards except for a strained lat.

As we watch some homegrown Orioles excel in recent days – with players like Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle and Adley Rutschman coming to mind – it might be exciting for Birdland to ponder a future with even more of the same.

A future where more homegrown and original Orioles join the current crop to produce the first legit playoff contending team in Baltimore since the 2016 American League Wild Card club. A future with players like Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Kyle Stowers, Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall all together in the major leagues. With Hays, Mountcastle, Rutschman and the rest.

Hey, that could be fun.

And that nucleus, likely with a few key additions, could produce a unit that could be playing meaningful games deep into the year and maybe even playing postseason games in October.

Where once a segment of the fanbase expressed opinions here that the Orioles are so far away they may never get there, now maybe it is within reach.

At Triple-A Norfolk, recently, Stowers' power got some help as he and the Tides had some pretty solid reinforcements. The club added and promoted infield prospects Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg up from Double-A Bowie.

Before he joined the Orioles his for his MLB debut in Toronto, Stowers was in the lineup for five Norfolk games with Henderson and Westburg. Stowers has now returned from Baltimore to rejoin Norfolk after the game on Thursday. But during his time with the big club at Rogers Centre, I asked Stowers about the additions in Norfolk of Henderson and Westburg.

“Man those guys are dynamic players,” he said before Wednesday’s game. “Super talented, great people to be around too and two of my good friends. I really enjoyed having them there and they had it going from the get. Gunnar hit a homer his first at-bat, Westy hit one his first or second game. They both looked really good.”

“There is a lot of talent up here and down in the minor leagues. Everyone is trying to do the best they can and continue to get better and hopefully put themselves in position to help this team compete for the World Series.”

Norfolk may have lost 14-5 to Syracuse last night. But it was not the fault of dynamic duo as they combined for five hits, four runs and two RBIs.

Anthony Santander is in right field tonight for the Orioles. Keegan Akin is in the bullpen. The competitive disadvantage from their absences in Toronto has been resolved.

Perhaps until the Orioles are in Toronto again. They make two more trips in 2022.

Unvaccinated players are denied entrance into Canada. Santander and Akin went on the restricted list, and the Orioles returned substitute players Kyle Stowers and Rico Garcia to Triple-A Norfolk.

“We knew going in,” Hyde said. “Gave a couple guys an opportunity because two guys couldn’t go, and if that presents itself again, we’ll take it like we just did.

“We’re not the only team that this has happened. It’s happening to most teams that go up there. I’ve talked to them and it’s their choice and I leave it up to them. They’re grown men, they’re going to make their own decisions. I can give them my opinion, but people make their own decisions. You try to persuade or give them my thoughts on it, but it’s ultimately up to them.”

TORONTO – Ramón Urías went on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strained left oblique and isn’t close to being ready to jump back in the lineup.

Urías is making progress, but at a pace that disappoints him.

“I feel a little bit better,” he said yesterday. “Obviously, I feel like it’s going slow. The good thing is, every day it’s getting a little better.”

There isn’t much for Urías to do except receive daily treatments.

“I think I would have a better idea when I start swinging and see how it feels with the swing,” he said.

TORONTO – The Orioles claimed infielder Jonathan Araúz off waivers from the Red Sox this afternoon and designated left-hander Zac Lowther for assignment. The 40-man roster remains full.

Araúz, 23, will report to Triple-A Norfolk. He went 0-for-10 in six games this season and is 30-for-147 (.204) with five doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs in 59 games with the Red Sox over parts of three seasons.

Araúz plays shortstop, second base and third base. He’s a career .240/.315/.357 hitter in 498 minor league games and provides infield depth, versatility and experience at the upper level of the farm system.

The native of Panama signed with the Phillies as a free agent in 2014 and was traded to the Astros a year later in a seven-player deal that included Ken Giles, Mark Appel and future Orioles pitcher Thomas Eshelman. The Red Sox selected him in the 2019 Rule 5 draft.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias knows Araúz from their days in the Astros organization.

TORONTO – After the Orioles had secured a 6-5 win over Toronto last night, manager Brandon Hyde had several players and their contributions he could cite.

There was Jorge López and a five-out save against that lineup. There was Jordan Lyles providing some zeroes and making progress after a tough stretch. There were big homers by Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays. There was an entire team that played without Trey Mancini and had lost by 10 a night earlier, but still beat a good Toronto team that has been playing very well.

And there was shortstop Jorge Mateo making an outstanding, charging barehanded defensive gem of a play to get a key out to start the last of the ninth.

“The play that Mateo made, which potentially was game-changing, was just an unbelievable barehand play with a fast runner," Hyde said. "We played really good defense tonight.

“Just shows you his athleticism. I mean the closing speed to get to the ball and then to be able to bare hand that and get rid of it the way he did with something on it from that angle and get (Bo) Bichette there is really tough. That was an enormous play in the game.”

TORONTO – During the long grind of a 162-game season where even after they feel they're making some progress and starting to play overall better baseball, building day-to-day momentum has been a real challenge for these 2022 Orioles.

They have one three-game win streak this year, and given a chance for a second one last night, they got hammered 11-1 by Toronto. It matches their biggest losing margin all year – 10 runs for the third time.

The up-and-down Orioles were held to 10 runs in three games versus Cleveland and then scored nine against the Cubs. They produced just six runs in two losses at Kansas City before scoring 16 and winning twice. Then the Toronto series started with a dud. 

And rookie right-hander Kyle Bradish, a young pitcher trying to find his way and make improvements in the rugged American League East, had another subpar night, allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings – his third straight outing where he failed to pitch five innings. He threw 90 pitches but his ERA increased from 6.45 to 6.86.

Bradish felt he was making some progress the second time through the Toronto lineup. Maybe it’s something to build on, but he was still missing a key pitch again.