TORONTO – In their first matchup against former Oriole right-hander Kevin Gausman today, the O's scored a third-round knockout. Well, a third-inning departure anyway. They treated their 2012 top draft pick (No. 4 overall) rudely today as they beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-2 to split the four-game series.

The Orioles went 4-4 on this road trip and return home at 28-37 to host the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. This was the first series of three or more games where the O’s won or split versus Toronto since Aug. 1-4, 2019.

The Orioles will head home with some momentum, having won four of the last six games and they are 6-5 over the last 11. They are 14-13 the past 27 games and 9-7 in their past 16 AL East games. They are 7-7 this month.  

Gausman began the outing at 5-5 and his 2.67 ERA ranked ninth-best in the American League. Signed by the Blue Jays in December to a five-year deal worth $110 million, he allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his 12 starts this season. Gausman also recorded seven quality starts.

But it was quality at-bats that did him in during the top of the third inning. They scored six runs on seven hits to open a 7-0 lead at Rogers Centre. The O’s scored six runs in an inning three times at Camden Yards in early May. But they had never done it on the road until today.

TORONTO – The Orioles and Blue Jays have played 22 innings since the seventh inning on Monday night at Rogers Centre and the cumulative score is Orioles 13, Blue Jays 13.

After splitting consecutive one-run decisions, these teams play the fourth and final game of the series this afternoon. On Monday, before the seventh inning, Toronto built a big lead on its way to an 11-1 win. Tuesday night saw Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays homer in Baltimore’s 6-5 win. Last night, that same duo combined to drive in three runs in the eighth to forge a 6-6 tie before Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s walk-off hit in the tenth provided Toronto the 7-6 win.

The Orioles (27-37) have now played 64 games with 98 still to play. With a .422 win percentage they are on a pace for a final record of 68-94.

Even with Wednesday’s loss, the Orioles have won three of their past five games and are 5-5 over the last 10 and 13-13 in the past 26 games. They are 12-22 in road games, but 3-4 on this trip.

The O’s continue to mash home runs. Adley Rutschman’s first major league homer was a two-run shot in the fourth last night that went 411 feet to right-center off Toronto starter José Berríos. Ryan Mountcastle homered twice – a solo shot in the seventh that cut the O’s deficit to 6-3 and a game-tying, two-run homer to center in the eighth. Mountcastle’s 11^th and 12^th homers of the year traveled 424 and 413 feet, respectively, and gave him the team lead by one over Anthony Santander, who is on the restricted list for this series.

He is still looking for his first big league homer and RBI. But Adley Rutschman now has his first three-hit game, and it came during Saturday’s 6-4 win over Kansas City. It helped to give the Orioles a much-needed victory and a chance to split the four-game series with a win this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Rutschman began the game batting .153/.231/.220/.451. Despite that, the Orioles were simply not worried yet about baseball’s top-rated prospect. They knew how common it has always been for big-name prospects to struggle at the outset of their big league careers. Some O’s fans can remember how Earl Weaver once stuck with Cal Ripken Jr. when he was batting .117 in early May of 1982. Ripken ended that year as the American League Rookie of the Year and ended the next catching the final out of a World Series win.

But more than that, the Orioles knew the player and his makeup. It is off-the-charts good, always has been, and they simply knew Rutschman could handle some struggles. It would not beat him or overwhelm him. When Rutschman smoked a double at 100 mph in the eighth inning on Friday night, maybe that well-struck ball would be a turning point for him, some in the clubhouse and dugout might have thought.

That could prove to be exactly right.

On Saturday, Rutschman lined out in the second inning, and that ball was struck at 106.2 mph. His double in the fourth was hit at 95.3 mph, a sixth-inning single at 110.0 and a double in the eighth at 108.0. Not a bloop or flare among them.

KANSAS CITY - Anthony Santander appeared almost reluctant to don the Orioles’ home run chain Friday night.

After sneaking a meaningless solo home run inside Kauffman Stadium’s right field foul pole in the ninth inning of an 8-1 loss, Santander accepted the plastic chain with all the gravitas of a weathered monarch.

Tyler Nevin showed no such hesitancy Saturday. In fact, he welcomed it, beckoning Austin Hays to bestow the chain upon him after crushing a three-run, go-ahead homer to dead center field in the sixth inning of a 6-4 win over the Royals.

The honor was richly deserved.

Nevin’s 425-foot longball gave the Orioles their first lead since the third inning of Thursday’s series opener. Before the homer, the O’s had been outscored 18-7 in the first two-and-a-half games of their four-game series in Kansas City. 

The Orioles have lost the first two games of this road trip and now will need to win the next two just to split this series with the Royals before they head to Toronto.

The Orioles (24-35) have fallen a season-high 11 games under the .500 mark with 7-5 and 8-1 losses at Kauffman Stadium. Their starting pitchers gave up 13 runs and 18 hits in 9 2/3 combined innings the past two nights. O’s starting pitchers have gone nine straight games without a quality start with an ERA of 7.78 in that span. And Baltimore starters have just four quality starts in the past 29 games.

For the year, the O’s team ERA is now up to 4.20 to rank 13^th in the American League and their rotation ERA is up to 5.27 to rank 14^th. But the bullpen continues to thrive, posting an ERA of 3.07 for the year which is fifth-best in the league. In this series, the O’s bullpen has allowed just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings. And the Baltimore bullpen has an ERA of 1.64 over the last eight games.

The Orioles have lost three of their last four and five of their last seven games. The O’s current .407 win percentage projects to a final record of 66-96. The Orioles are 15-15 at home but just 9-20 in road games.

Kansas City (20-37) has won three straight for just the second time this season and the first time since April 16-20, going 12-32 in 44 games in-between. The Royals recorded eight extra-base hits Friday, which is their most in a single game since collecting eight on April 3, 2021 versus the Rangers. They have recorded 19 extra-base hits in their last three games (11 doubles, three triples and five home runs) after recording none in their previous two games.

KANSAS CITY – One infielder to the injured list, another recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. 

Too many times in his young career, Richie Martin has been on the wrong end of these sort of transactions. 

Martin has missed significant time with injury since he was selected by the Orioles with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 Rule 5 draft, including a fractured right wrist, a broken hamate bone in his left hand and a non-displaced left wrist fracture.

But in 2022, the 27-year-old has been both healthy and productive for Norfolk and has earned a call-up to the bigs as Ramón Urías heads to the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain, retroactive to Friday.

Martin will start at second base for the first time in his big league career Saturday afternoon against the Royals.

Infielder Ramón Urías was scratched from last night’s lineup with discomfort in his left side and is going on the 10-day injured list today with an oblique strain. The move is retroactive to yesterday.

Richie Martin had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and is in Kansas City, where he’s starting at second base and batting ninth. He was slashing .295/.382/.442 with 13 doubles, four triples, one home run, 14 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts over 41 games.

Martin was on the taxi squad for the trip to St. Louis. He hasn’t played for the Orioles since Oct. 3 in Toronto.

The Orioles selected Martin’s contract today, and he fills the open spot on the 40-man roster.

Urías appeared in 49 games and batted .225/.273/.387 with 10 doubles and six home runs in 188 plate appearances. He played 38 games at third base, seven at second base and four at shortstop.

Tyler Wells was hours away from the postgame meal today and he already had lots to digest.

A first inning with the first two batters retired and José Ramírez hitting an opposite-field home run.

A second inning with the first two batters retired and Andrés Giménez hitting a ball onto Eutaw Street.

Wells struck out Luke Maile, walked back to the dugout and replayed the mistakes in his mind. Having his fill of them.

The Guardians ran out of power, the Orioles supplied more in support of the Wells and the bullpen, and they evened the series with a 5-4 victory at Camden Yards.

Cionel Pérez has been so successful and dependable for the Orioles this season that any stumble feels like a hard fall.

Manager Brandon Hyde replaced starter Jordan Lyles with Pérez Thursday night after the veteran let the first three Mariners reach base in the sixth and allowed a run-scoring single to Eugenio Suarez. Hyde wanted Pérez to face the left-handed hitting Adam Frazier, and the inning never really matters.

It's all about the matchup.

Frazier lifted a sacrifice fly, Pérez walked the next two batters – including left-handed hitting Taylor Trammell - and Joey Krehbiel surrendered a two-run single to Luis Torrens.

Only the second earned run charged to Pérez this season in 20 games, his first since May 12 in St. Louis. His ERA skyrocketed to 1.08.

Zac Lowther and his family made plans for Memorial Day. Just relax on the beach, enjoy the break that minor league players receive on Mondays.

Then came the phone call at 11 a.m. from Triple-A Norfolk pitching coach Justin Ramsey.

“Normally,” Lowther said, “he’s not the one to call me.”

Lowther was told to get on a flight to Baltimore. The beach would have to wait for another morning.

Bags were packed for Lowther, his wife Brianna and 18-month-old daughter Isabelle. Not the stuff they’d take to the shore.

When the Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 10-0 it was an impressive way to end a five-game series and an eight-game American League East road trip in which they went 4-4 at New York and Boston.

The Orioles are playing better within their division this year, producing this stunning stat: They have already won more series against the AL East in 2022 then they did in all of the 2021 season.

Last year the Orioles went 3-19-2 in series play within the division, and this season they are 4-4, with their win last night providing a series victory over Boston. They are 1-3 in series against the Yankees, 1-1 versus the Rays and 2-0 against the Red Sox. They are 4-9 in games against New York, 2-4 against Tampa Bay and 5-3 versus Boston.

That is a record of 11-16 (.407) versus the AL East after going 20-56 (.263) last season. Winning through the year at their current percentage against the division would produce a final mark this season of 31-45 against AL East teams. Better. Progress.

Right-hander Tyler Wells was so good Monday night, throwing six scoreless innings on two hits and 88 pitches as Boston batters went 2-for-20 against him. Keep in mind the Red Sox came into this game averaging 7.3 runs per game over their previous 19 games and had scored six runs or more in eight of their previous 11 games. They had 10 extra-base hits Sunday and just four hits on Monday night.

BOSTON – The Orioles got loud in the first inning tonight against a soft-tossing left-hander who gave up nothing against them in an earlier game.

Rich Hill was down a couple runs just three batters into his start. The outs also made noise. There was no hangover for the Orioles after the previous day’s lopsided defeat.

Hangovers and loud noises don’t mix anyway.

Ryan Mountcastle hopped out of the batter’s box after crushing a full-count curveball, hoping to land on the other side of his slump. Ramón Urías got into the act in the third with a two-run shot to dead center field measured at 422 feet.

Tyler Wells grabbed lots of attention by shutting out the Red Sox over six innings, the longest scoreless outing of his career, Mountcastle had four hits, and the Orioles defeated the Red Sox 10-0 at Fenway Park.

The Orioles wrap up a two-city, eight-game road trip tonight at Boston, playing the fifth and final game of their series at Fenway Park. The winner of tonight’s game wins the series, which is tied at two wins each.

O’s pitching allowed five doubles and five homers Sunday as the Red Sox rolled to a 12-2 win – the Orioles' most lopsided loss of the season. Boston led 7-1 after five innings and then added five runs and four hits in the last of the eighth.

Lefty Bruce Zimmermann allowed six runs over four innings to fall to 2-3 with a 4.53 ERA. He has allowed nine homers his past two starts and 12 in the last four after giving up just one home run over his first six starts of 2022.

O’s starting pitchers began this year with an ERA of 2.97 through their first 15 games. But the rotation ERA is 6.99 and has produced just three quality starts over the past 19 games since May 11.

Right-hander Tyler Wells (1-4, 4.30 ERA) gets tonight’s start. For the year, Wells has thrown 37 2/3 innings, allowing 38 hits with six walks to 25 strikeouts. He has recorded a 1.168 WHIP with a 1.4 walk rate and 6.0 strikeout rate.

BOSTON – The Orioles still can claim the five-game series against the Red Sox with a victory tonight that concludes their homestand.

The teams have split the first four games, with the Red Sox cruising yesterday to a 12-2 win.

“We just need to let this one go,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’ve been playing good baseball, we’ve played competitively this entire trip.”

Cedric Mullins begins tonight’s game on the bench, with Ryan McKenna in center field.

Austin Hays is leading off and playing right field. Anthony Santander is in left field and batting cleanup.

NEW YORK – Tyler Wells had two strikes on Aaron Judge tonight leading off the fourth inning, and his ninth pitch turned into a double on a ball that hopped the left field fence. Gleyber Torres fell behind 0-2 and singled. The count was 2-2 to Miguel Andújar when he lined a run-scoring single into left-center to break a scoreless tie.

The four solo home runs surrendered last night by Bruce Zimmermann were hit after he got within a strike of facing a new batter. Jose Trevino’s walk-off single in the 11th inning came on a 1-2 offering from Bryan Baker, after Isiah Kiner-Falefa was down 0-2 and battled back to deliver a game-tying single.

An inability to put away certain Yankee hitters diminished the Orioles’ chances of winning the series.

Running out of rallies tonight, the Orioles were blanked in the Bronx, 2-0, to conclude the first half of their road trip. The offense went cold, with Yankees pitching retiring 14 of 15 batters before Trey Mancini walked in the eighth.

Adley Rutschman singled twice for two of the Orioles' five hits.

Left-hander Logan Allen has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles made the announcement this afternoon.

Allen was claimed on waivers from the Guardians and made three relief appearances before the Orioles designated him for assignment. He allowed two runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings, with two walks and one strikeout.

Tyler Nevin is starting at first base tonight for the series opener against the Rays. Nevin is 5-for-10 with two RBIs in his last three games.

Ramón Urías is the third baseman and Chris Owings is starting at second in another right-handed lineup.

Tyler Wells is making his eighth major league start. He’s registered a 4.18 ERA and 1.250 WHIP in 28 innings, with only four walks and four home runs allowed.

Offense, offense, wherefore art thou, offense? Baltimore’s bats once again faltered in Detroit, this time in a 5-1 loss to the Tigers. The Orioles scored just three runs in this three-game sweep, striking out 16 times today alone. 

On Friday, the O’s couldn’t cash in on offensive opportunities, stranding 14 runners on base. Yesterday, Baltimore hit the ball hard, but just right at defenders. Eight balls were hit over 100 mph, with four of them having an expected batting average over .500, but no runs came of it. 

Today? The Orioles didn’t fail to cash in, nor did they simply get unlucky. The lineup just didn’t hit. 

Tarik Skubal was dominant, striking out five O’s hitters the first time through the lineup. It was the third-career double-digit strikeout game for Skubal, who struck out 11 Orioles in the game, matching a career high. The lefty was able to go deep into this one, allowing just three hits and not surrendering a run over six innings of work. 

“I thought Skubal was really good,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We had a tough time making contact against him, and give him credit, he threw a really good game.”

In November, the Orioles hired co-hitting coaches, a pair of 31-year-olds in Matt Borgschulte and Ryan Fuller. 

Borgschulte had spent the previous four seasons in the Twins organization, making his way to their Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul before landing in Baltimore. Fuller, on the other hand, was an internal promotion. 

Fuller joined the O’s in 2019, brought on as the hitting coach for the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds. From there, he was promoted to Bowie in 2021 before earning a trip to Baltimore this year. 

Coming up through Baltimore’s farm system, Fuller understands the importance of keeping hitting philosophies consistent, no matter what level of the organization you may be at. 

Ryan McKenna, recently promoted from Triple-A Norfolk, says that its been helping his development this season. 

On Saturday afternoon, the Orioles got another quality start from a starting pitcher and they also got another scoreless outing from their bullpen. But their offense produced just four hits and was held scoreless for the second time this season in a 3-0 loss to the Tigers.

The Tigers have won the first two games of this series with the Orioles offense producing just two runs and 12 hits with a couple of solo homers in losing the first two games at Comerica Park.

The Orioles have been swept in three straight games twice this season – both on the road at American League East rivals. In the opening series, they were swept in St. Petersburg, Fla., by the Rays and outscored 15-4. In late April, they lost three in a row at Yankee Stadium by a combined 27-15 score.

When this series began, the Orioles were coming off a series win at St. Louis and had won four of five, six of eight and eight of the previous 12 games. Detroit was 9-23 and had lost three in a row and nine of its previous 10 games. But the fortunes turned for both this weekend and Detroit, which had lost 16 of 19 as play began Friday night, now looks for a third consecutive victory today.

Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells (1-2, 3.75 ERA), coming off back-to-back strong outings, will try to keep that roll going today in the series finale. It’s his seventh start. For the season, he’s yielded 23 hits in 24 innings with four walks to 17 strikeouts. He has a WHIP of 1.125 with a 1.5 walk rate and 6.4 strikeout rate.

Austin Hays remains out of the Orioles lineup today as they conclude their road trip in Detroit.

Hays hasn’t played since Cardinals reliever Genesis Cabrera stepped on the back of his left hand in the seventh inning of Thursday’s game. He told the media this morning that he threw yesterday and is hoping to increase his baseball activity on Monday.

Ramón Urías moves up from fourth to second in the order today, and Jorge Mateo is batting fifth for the third time in his career and the first in 2022.

Tyler Nevin is the third baseman, Ryan McKenna the left fielder and Rylan Bannon the designated hitter.

Since May 3, the Orioles have two of the top four batting averages in the American League with Trey Mancini, first at .405, and Cedric Mullins, fourth at .354.