CINCINNATI – The Orioles have used Cedric Mullins as a leadoff hitter this year and also Austin Hays. And today, in the series finale in Cincinnati, Trey Mancini is atop the Orioles batting order for the first time since June 29, 2018.

“He’s not your typical leadoff hitter, but we’re trying to find a little bit of a spark,” manager Brandon Hyde said during his pregame interview session. “Trey is swinging the bat better the last few days. It’s mainly about getting Mancini, (Adley) Rutschman and (Anthony) Santander as many at-bats as possible. You know hopefully, dropping some guys down a little can help get them going. But the main thing is getting those 3 guys up as many times.”

He joked he doesn’t need Mancini to try and turn on any speed batting at the top.

“I told him that even you do have an inside-the-parker, you do not have the green light,” Hyde said.

Mancini has actually batted leadoff 53 times in his career, although it’s been a while so he does have some experience there.

CINCINNATI – Orioles right-hander Jordan Lyles has personal experience with the MLB trade deadline. In 2019, in a late July deal, he was traded from Pittsburgh to Milwaukee and then helped the Brewers make a run to the NL wild card game.

That deal he said, kind of came out of the blue and he had not been among players rumored to be possibly moving at that time.

This year’s deadline is different for the Orioles.

Different in that, rather than be in full sell mode as a rebuilding team, they are a team currently in contention. There are some rumors out there but just not many involving the Orioles. Who knows what that means for next Tuesday, the day of the trade deadline.

For now Lyles believes the Orioles are doing fine with in dealing with any deadline stress, rumors and/or distractions.

The Orioles placed infielder Jonathan Araúz on the 10-day injured list with a right digit avulsion fracture, sustained last night while diving into second base, and recalled infielder Terrin Vavra from Triple-A Norfolk.

Vavra isn’t in tonight’s lineup. He’ll wait to make his major league debut as the No. 12 prospect in the system per MLBPipeline.com.

Having Vavra on the roster gives the Orioles a needed left-handed bat. He can play second base and the outfield.

The Orioles signed infielder Max Wagner, their second-round draft pick out of Clemson University and the 42^nd overall.

Wagner’s deal is for $1.9 million, according to an industry source. The slot value was $1,861,900.

Trey Mancini is playing defense on days that he’s the designated hitter or on the bench.

A mitt isn’t needed. Just fingers that can work his phone.

Mancini said he’s disabled the Twitter and Instagram apps to better shield himself from the trade rumors as the Aug. 2 deadline approaches. To resist any temptations. Give him some peace.

The Mets have serious interest in Mancini, which would reunite him with former manager Buck Showalter, and the industry buzz grew much louder last night regarding the possibility of a deal.

“I’m trying to do a much better job of not following that,” said Mancini, who didn't appear in last night's 5-1 win over the Rays. “It’s so much noise and so much uncertainty and speculation that it doesn’t really benefit you as a player. There are some good aspects of social media, but in my opinion it can be a pretty tough place, too, so I just try to drown out the noise.

The trade watch brought a different element tonight to the first game of a series. Whether news would break. Whether teammates would hug in the dugout.

Trey Mancini wasn’t in the lineup, getting a mental break, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Rumors intensified that Mancini and the Mets were nearing a partnership.

There were no goodbye hugs prior to the final out. The Orioles formed a handshake line on the field after defeating the Rays 5-1 at Camden Yards, returned to a clubhouse that remained intact and cranked up the music.

The bullpen tossed six scoreless innings, and a four-run fifth broke a 1-1 tie and pushed the Orioles back to .500 at 48-48. They remain a half-game behind the Red Sox for fourth place.

The Orioles have recorded back-to-back winning months for the first time since May-June 2016.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde called the decision by outfielder Anthony Santander and reliever Keegan Akin to get vaccinated “a personal choice by them.”

There were no meetings between the club and players. No mentions of the competitive disadvantage with Santander and Akin unable to enter Canada based on its COVID-19 regulations.

They missed the series against the Blue Jays in June, weren’t paid and didn’t receive service time.

“I didn’t talk to them about where we are standings-wise or anything like that,” Hyde said. “That was something that we had talked about in the past. I was happy to hear that. But like I said, that’s a choice by those two guys and I’m proud of our club for being fully vaccinated.”

The Orioles return to Toronto on Aug. 15-17. They called up outfielder Kyle Stowers and reliever Rico Garcia for the last visit to Rogers Centre.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has made some changes to tonight’s lineup, opening a four-game home series against the Rays with Jonathan Araúz at shortstop and Trey Mancini and Jorge Mateo on the bench.

Araúz is 4-for-24 with the Orioles and hasn’t played since July 8. His last start was July 7.

Mancini is 0-for-20 with nine strikeouts in his last five games. He’s hitless in his last 22 at-bats.

Mateo has been playing every day and is due for a breather.

Adley Rutschman has moved back up to second in the order. Anthony Santander is batting fourth as the designated hitter, with Ryan McKenna in right field.

Trey Mancini is starting in right field today, with Adley Rutschman the designated hitter for the final game of the Orioles’ series against the Yankees at Camden Yards.

Rutschman moves down from second to fifth in the order. He has 16 doubles since June 10.

Tyler Nevin is starting at third base.

Ramón Urías is batting .404/.440/.723 (19-for-47) with three doubles, four home runs, 16 RBIs and 10 runs scored since being reinstated from the 10-day injured list on July 4. He’s the second baseman today.

Dean Kremer made eight starts in the first half and posted a 2.59 ERA and 1.320 WHIP in 41 2/3 innings. He didn’t allow a run in four of his last six starts, but in the others surrendered a total of eight runs and 16 hits in 8 2/3.

Today feels like an actual break in the 2022 baseball season.

The MLB Draft is over, the All-Star Game was played last night and there’s only Trey Mancini’s inevitable – I’m calling it, anyway – ESPY tonight for Best Comeback Athlete.

WNBA player Diamond DeShields, the daughter of former Orioles infielder Delino DeShields, had a tumor removed from her spine in December 2019 that threatened to leave her paralyzed, and she later suffered tremors and spasms that led to months of rehabilitation. She didn’t share her ordeal until two months ago. In any other year, I’d say she was the runaway favorite.

The Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson has returned from a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and torn Achilles leading into the 2020-21 season. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during his rookie season and played in this year’s Super Bowl.

Impressive comebacks, but I can’t place them ahead of Mancini’s colon cancer and DeShields’ spinal tumor. Fear of death or paralysis is hard to beat, as it were.

Reasons why the 2022 version of the Orioles bears little or no resemblance to models of the recent past have been articulated inside the clubhouse and during manager Brandon Hyde’s media sessions. The confidence, the unity, and most of all, the improved pitching.

Another example played out in the 11^th inning of Saturday afternoon’s game against the Rays, on a field with fake grass and real complications for the Orioles, who had lost 10 straight under the dome.

Rougned Odor, the automatic runner, broke late for third base as Jorge Mateo missed on a bunt attempt, and he was thrown out. An absolute back-breaker on previous teams during the rebuild. A game they certainly would have lost.

Mateo tripled into left-center field, the bunt no longer in play. Cedric Mullins drew a seven-pitch walk and stole second base. Ryan Mountcastle fell behind 1-2 with two outs, fouled off a curveball to stay alive and punched a 95 mph inside fastball into right field for a two-run single.

Not your same rebuild Orioles.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde sent bullpen catcher Ben Carhart to home plate tonight for the exchange of lineup cards. As Carhart’s done during every game of the winning streak except one, on July 9, when Tyler Nevin was the sentimental choice with his father, Phil, managing the Angels.

Carhart still gets credited with the win.

Hyde keeps wearing his uniform jersey rather than the hoodie that he favors. He wasn’t changing his wardrobe until the Orioles lost.

Worse choices have been made inside a superstitious clubhouse and dugout. Hyde simply had to match his shirt and pants.

Clothes make the manager.

CHICAGO – Since the 2022 Orioles are full of surprises, reaching .500 last night with just four games remaining before the break, they can’t be contained in a single article about unexpected developments. What they’ve done that pretty much blindsided me.

Yesterday, I addressed the obvious shocker of the team being only two games out of the wild card race in the American League. How I wasn’t sold on Félix Bautista’s inclusion on the opening day roster, how Jordan Lyles’ contract seemed a bit puzzling and how I assumed that Keegan Akin would be riding the Triple-A shuttle.

What else did I get wrong?

* Jorge López is an All-Star.

I thought López should stay in the bullpen, and said as much here and on the air. I thought his stuff would play at the back end, but he’d also bring value as a multi-inning reliever if manager Brandon Hyde needed him for coverage.

CHICAGO – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde had two free nights in the city that he used to call home, including yesterday’s open date in the schedule that allowed him to visit with friends. Hyde left the Cubs organization after the 2018 season, packing his World Series ring from 2016 and jumping into another rebuild.

Hyde didn’t bring the bling Wrigley Field today. He won’t flash it at his players to provide more incentive and remind them what can be done on the other side of that rebuild.

“That is in a special place,” he said.

“I do think about that. I saw the (championship) flag when I walked in. I do think about that year, and really those three years – ’15, ’16 and ’17 were unbelievable. Even ’18 we were really good. Just, things happened at the end. We had an amazing run, and talked about it a little bit with Jed (Hoyer).

“That was a lot of fun. I’m really happy to be back.”  

The Orioles aren’t going to run the table in 2022. They have 75 games left in the season. A streaking club inevitably hits a rough patch. But it’s going to take tremendous force to slow it down.

An early deficit is treated like a pesky fly. Just swat it away.

The first 10 batters fail to reach base today, and the Orioles respond by sending nine to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring four runs and luring the Angels into a pitching change. And the good times keep rolling at Camden Yards.

Austin Voth worked five effective innings, Ramón Urías drove in three runs, and the Orioles capitalized on sloppy play by the Angels to extend their winning streak to eight games with a 9-5 victory before an announced crowd of 19,521.

The Orioles are 43-44, one game below .500 for the first time since losing on opening day. They swept a homestand of seven games for the first time since 2004.

The trade deadline seems to be bringing a higher level of angst than usual in Baltimore. The growing possibility, or maybe likelihood, that the very popular, productive and inspirational Trey Mancini is dealt. That other veterans are moved, just as the Orioles are playing winning baseball again, and in wildly entertaining style. Just as the dugout energy has returned, for the first time under Brandon Hyde’s tenure as manager.

But the deadline is Aug. 2. Today is another important date, because the rest of the All-Stars are announced beyond the starters in both leagues.

The Orioles haven’t had multiple representatives since 2016 with Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo, Matt Wieters, Zack Britton and Brad Brach, and it would be surprising if the solo streak ended today.

There are more deserving candidates this summer, but the Orioles remain a last-place club trying to shed its losing reputation, and an industry perception, at least in some corners, of irrelevance.

Pay close attention and you’ll find reasons why the industry needs to reset.

With their latest victory and walk-off win now a day behind them, the Orioles try to extend their longest win streak in two years this afternoon as they again host the Los Angeles Angels at Camden Yards. The Orioles are 5-0 on this seven-game homestand that ends Sunday.

Baltimore (41-44) has a six-game win streak for the first time since Aug. 7-13, 2020. The six wins have produced three walk-off wins, two in extra innings, four by a single run and six victories by just nine total runs. The team has not won seven in a row since Aug. 23-30, 2017.

The Orioles have put themselves into contention for the sixth and final playoff spot in the American League. That spot is now held by Toronto (45-40), which is two games ahead of Seattle, three up on Cleveland and four ahead of the Orioles for that spot.

The Orioles have won 11 of 16 and 17 of their past 26 games. They are 20-14 since June 1 and 34-30 since May 1. The Orioles improved to 23-17 at home with Friday’s win and they are 10-3 their last 13 home games.

More notes on Friday’s amazing win, which came in the last of the ninth with two outs and none on and Los Angeles leading 4-2 before the Orioles recorded four straight hits and all the batters had two strikes on them:

Mike Trout stood at home plate tonight and twisted his body as if trying to make his fly ball stay fair down the left field line. Willing it with his torso.

Tyler Wells turned his head, hoping for a different result.

Trout circled the bases with a three-run homer, receiving confirmation in the dugout after a crew chief review, and Wells had allowed his largest offensive output in five starts with just one pitch.

Then the Orioles did what they always seem to, get up off the floor while picking up their starter if he has an off night.

Four consecutive two-strike hits with two outs in the ninth. A clubhouse trying to explain how this happens. A manager just so proud that it does.

Another crazy night at the ballpark ended with another Orioles walk-off win in the last of the 10^th inning. And just like on the Fourth of July, they tied the game with two outs in the last of the ninth and won it an inning later.

Adley Rutschman’s double produced the tie Monday and Rougned Odor’s solo homer to right in the ninth produced the 9-9 tie on Tuesday night. It was his third career game-tying or go-ahead home run with two outs in the ninth or later and first since a walk-off homer in the last of the 10^th for Texas against Detroit on Aug. 3, 2019. This time he helped the Orioles beat the Rangers 10-9.

The Orioles last night became the first team in major league history to allow a game-tying or go-ahead homer in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings and still win the game.

That is crazy, but it happened.

In the seventh, Mitch Garver’s solo homer off Keegan Akin tied the game 4-4. An inning later, Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run shot off Nick Vespi tied the game at 7-7. In the ninth, Corey Seager’s two-run shot off Félix Bautista gave Texas the 9-8 lead that stood only until Odor’s homer in the bottom of the frame.

Dane Dunning’s 89 mph sinker dug into Austin Hays’ right wrist today in the second inning. Hays slammed down the bat, spiked his elbow guard and voiced his displeasure as he walked to first base.

Nothing aimed at the Rangers’ starter. Just some general venting.

Getting hit has become a major issue for the Orioles.  

The pitch wasn’t intentional. They usually aren’t. But the pain is real.

Hays has a well-documented injury history and doesn’t appreciate being hit under any circumstances.

MINNEAPOLIS – Tyler Wells has turned from experimental starter to staff ace.

There’s no disputing it. He’s reached that status. The proof is in the output.

Wells didn’t allow a baserunner in Seattle until Cal Raleigh homered with two outs in the fifth inning. He didn’t surrender a hit today until Nick Gordon doubled with one out in the fifth.

Given more room to operate in Minnesota, Wells held the Twins to one run in six innings and 90 pitches. The Orioles supported him with three home runs in the first six innings and avoided the sweep with a 3-1 victory.

The Orioles ended their four-game losing streak and a 12-game streak at Target Field, and they finished 5-5 on the road trip.