Mancini homers twice, but Harvey can't finish fifth in 7-4 loss

Mancini homers twice, but Harvey can't finish fifth in 7-4 loss
Matt Harvey stood on the mound after the final out was recorded in the third inning, a frozen posture he's struck in previous starts while watching a fly ball land in the seats. Except this time he was pausing to congratulate Pat Valaika on a nice defensive play, with the infielder ranging beyond second base to make the backhand stop and long throw. The day was progressing more favorably for Harvey, but the wall that keeps leaving marks appeared in the fifth. He'd be stopped again. He'd make...

Franco on getting hit: "It shouldn't be like that"

Franco on getting hit: "It shouldn't be like that"
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said today that he hasn't spoken or reached out to Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo since yesterday's heated exchange on the field after Alek Manoah appeared to be aiming at third baseman Maikel Franco in the fourth inning and benches and bullpens emptied. Manoah nailed Franco on the shoulder with a 93.8 mph sinker after surrendering back-to-back home runs to Ryan Mountcastle and DJ Stewart in the fourth inning. The Orioles hit six home runs on the day. Franco...

Rays relief dominates again as Orioles are swept (updated)

Rays relief dominates again as Orioles are swept (updated)
The Orioles were able to get into the Rays bullpen early today, which is good news against most teams. Not this one. Michael Wacha served as the opener, Tampa Bay's relievers didn't give an inch and the Orioles lost 7-1 to complete the sweep at Tropicana Field. César Valdez inherited two runners from Travis Lakins Sr. in the seventh, and a strikeout and intentional walk were followed by Randy Arozarena's grand slam. The Orioles are 22-42 and have lost 15 consecutive road games, the streak...

Bruce Zimmermann solid, but Tampa Bay wins to sweep series

Bruce Zimmermann solid, but Tampa Bay wins to sweep series
Orioles lefty Bruce Zimmermann surely battled well today. He missed by one out giving the Orioles a quality start, something they have had just once in their last 15 games. But he pitched them deeper into the game than some O's starters recently had and kept his team in the game this afternoon at Tropicana Field. But the O's offense was not getting much going against five Tampa Bay pitchers, and they lost 7-1 to the Rays to get swept in this series. The Orioles fall to 22-42 and have now lost...

More on Harvey and the Orioles rotation

More on Harvey and the Orioles rotation
The Orioles resume their season tonight after yesterday's break and reset following a 14-1 loss to the Mets, now faced with a stretch of playing 20 days or nights in a row. Seriously, who's responsible for a schedule that keeps lumping off-days together and then withholding them as if the commissioner's office is hoarding? The latest off-day had to be savored, and it allowed the bullpen to recover after Matt Harvey worked just three innings Wednesday night. Manager Brandon Hyde said...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
One of manager Brandon Hyde's favorite descriptions for Ryan Mountcastle's at-bats is how the rookie "snorkels" the ball. Which leads to one very important question: What exactly is snorkeling a ball? Hyde couldn't provide a demonstration yesterday because an afternoon storm canceled batting practice and stuck the media on another Zoom call. Otherwise, he gladly would have grabbed a bat and swung into action. "I guess I use it as when someone throws a breaking ball or slider or...

Orioles' winning streak ends after Means exits (updated)

Orioles' winning streak ends after Means exits (updated)
The careful handling of Orioles left-hander John Means couldn't prevent him from leaving today's game after facing only five batters. Calling on the bullpen early wasn't going to improve the Orioles' chances of building on their winning streak and maintaining a more positive frame of mind. The momentum folded with an ace no longer showing. Means might be headed to the injured list with left shoulder fatigue, confirmation of the injury coming as the Indians were marching toward a 10-4...

A few leftovers from last night's streak-breaking win

A few leftovers from last night's streak-breaking win
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde exhaled last night, wrestled with the urge to be annoyed by the late-inning walks and tightrope acts and made himself enjoy the moment. He initially felt more relief than actual joy that a 14-game losing streak was over. But he made certain to soak in the reactions of his players. The laughter and high-fives, how they cranked up the music inside the clubhouse. A new month brought out emotions that had been packed away. The game was fun again. "Coming through the...

Orioles end losing streak at 14 games with 7-4 win (updated)

Orioles end losing streak at 14 games with 7-4 win (updated)
The count to 1988 can stop. No need to turn back the clock after the Orioles turned away the Twins. Local product Bruce Zimmermann played the role tonight of rookie stopper, Cedric Mullins did a little bit of everything, including twice scoring on Trey Mancini singles, and the Orioles snapped a 14-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory before an announced crowd of 5,337 at Camden Yards. Pedro Severino hit his second home run of the season and the Orioles won for the third time in 24 games. They...

Brandon Hyde on Hunter Harvey: "All reports are positive"

Brandon Hyde on Hunter Harvey: "All reports are positive"
The Orioles are expected to reinstate reliever Hunter Harvey from the 60-day injured list on the front portion of a three-team homestand that begins Memorial Day against the Twins. They could choose to give him a fourth appearance on his injury rehab assignment after Friday night's start at Triple-A Norfolk or bring him to Baltimore. Whatever they do, they're going to largely ignore his stats as they might in spring training. Harvey has been charged with three earned runs and five total with...

Holmes on Valdez's adjustments and more

Holmes on Valdez's adjustments and more
To say the least, it's been a rough stretch for the Orioles pitching staff. They've allowed 77 runs during a 10-game losing streak. In May, as the club is 5-19, the staff ERA is 6.09. The Orioles now rank 14th in the American League with an ERA of 5.00, last in rotation ERA at 5.39 and 12th in bullpen ERA at 4.52. The team ERA was 3.91 in early May. Second year O's coach Darren Holmes, in his first year as assistant pitching coach to Chris Holt, is trying to keep his pitchers together and...

O's try to deal with a losing streak that reaches double digits

O's try to deal with a losing streak that reaches double digits
Both Orioles pitcher Paul Fry and manager Brandon Hyde, in separate pregame Zoom interviews on Thursday, discussed dealing with losing for an organization that is in rebuilding mode. You knew some of it would happen, but going into last night's game, the club had just two wins in the last three weeks. Times that many figured would be rough were rough times 10. Last night, the Orioles lost to the first-place Chicago White Sox 5-1 as the losing streak reached 10 overall and nine in road...

Mancini leaves early and losing streak lengthens (updated)

Mancini leaves early and losing streak lengthens (updated)
Austin Hays is on the injured list again with a strained hamstring. Ryan Mountcastle is day-to-day with a bruised hand. And now there's Trey Mancini, drilled on the right elbow tonight and unable to stay in the game after making a couple of throws across the infield in the bottom of the first inning. Aren't the losses bringing enough pain? How much more are the Orioles supposed to endure? They didn't need to watch Mancini collapse to the ground, grimacing with forehead planted in the dirt,...

More thoughts on managing the bullpen

More thoughts on managing the bullpen
John Means didn't leave the bullpen many innings to cover Monday night in Minnesota. He worked through the seventh, trailing only because of two solo home runs and an offense that short-circuited with men in scoring position. The game never carried into the bottom of the ninth. The bullpen was responsible only for the eighth, unexpectedly given a lead and coughing up six runs in a demoralizing 8-3 loss. Manager Brandon Hyde wasn't going to use his most effective reliever, left-hander Paul...

Updating Hays' hamstring, more on bullpen and Tate rehab

Updating Hays' hamstring, more on bullpen and Tate rehab
Orioles outfielder Austin Hays is testing his sore left hamstring and performing conditioning drills this afternoon at Target Field while retaining his day-to-day status. Hays is out of the lineup for the second consecutive night. "His hamstring's feeling a little bit better," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom call. "Hopefully he'll be available off the bench tonight, but we'll see." The bullpen is a real sore spot and Hyde is keeping the closer role flexible rather than committing...

Bullpen collapse in eighth buries Orioles in 8-3 loss (updated)

Bullpen collapse in eighth buries Orioles in 8-3 loss (updated)
No matter the result tonight, the Orioles obviously knew that they had the right pitcher on the mound to start the game John Means is celebrated as if deserving of his own day. His achievements and rankings among major league and American League leaders could fill an entire page of the team's game notes. The Orioles, losers of six in a row and 13 of 15 going into Minnesota, needed Means only to be himself and then hope that the offense could unearth a few runs of support. That the bullpen,...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The return of Anthony Santander from the injured list gives manager Brandon Hyde more outfield choices. It also gives him a cleanup hitter, the early numbers dismissed with a wave of the bat. Santander was slashing .196/.230/.321 with a double, two home runs, two walks and 17 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances before spraining his left ankle in Miami. But he's a presence in the lineup, someone that the opposition must account for, a threat to produce runs from both sides of the plate. Too bad...

Early lead disappears again and Orioles are swept (updated)

Early lead disappears again and Orioles are swept (updated)
Austin Hays was plopped in the leadoff spot today and lined a single into right field to start the game. Freddy Galvis singled to right. Trey Mancini singled to right for his 23rd RBI this month. The opposite-field approach was interrupted only briefly. Manager Brandon Hyde and hitting coach Don Long had to be mentally high-fiving each other. Anthony Santander pulled a 3-0 sinker into left field for a run-scoring single and Maikel Franco doubled to right for an RBI. Four of the first six...

Bats slowed in loss as road trip begins (more on Valdez's role)

Bats slowed in loss as road trip begins (more on Valdez's role)
As the Orioles began a three-game series and 10-game road trip on Friday night, their offense had another slow night. After being held to one run and two hits on Thursday afternoon, they got two runs on four hits last night and lost 4-2 to Washington. The Orioles continue to be, as Trey Mancini put it a few days ago, "out of synch." When they get some decent pitching, they don't back that up with some runs, like last night. And when they do get some offense, as they did recently in three...

Hyde on bullpen, Valdez and baseball's unwritten rule

Hyde on bullpen, Valdez and baseball's unwritten rule
A bullpen that surrendered 25 earned runs in 34 innings on the homestand, and needed utility player Stevie Wilkerson to cover the ninth yesterday, won't undergo any changes in the series opener against the Nationals in D.C. The only roster move announced today involved outfielder Anthony Santander's reinstatement from the injured list. "We did consider it," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom call with the media. "We're pretty banged up, so would love to get some innings out of Lopie...