Offense stalls after leadoff home run by Ward in Orioles’ 4-1 loss to Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida–What happened? When Taylor Ward led off the game with a home run to left field on Griffin Jax’s second pitch of the game, the Orioles might have thought they were headed for a big night offensively.

That was not the case.

Ward’s home run, his second this season, was the extent of the Orioles’ offense.

They had just four hits and although Kyle Bradish allowed only two runs, the Orioles lost for the second straight time to the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-1, before 13,956 at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.

On Monday night, the Orioles lost, 16-6, and needed utilityman Weston Wilson to pitch the eighth inning.

Bradish (2-6) threw 102 pitches in 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, walking three and striking out six.

Yandy Diaz drove in both runs against Bradish with a first-inning double that scored Jonathan Aranda and with a leadoff home run in the sixth.

“Bradish threw the ball well,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “It was a grindy first inning, like 30 pitches, and he did a great job of settling in and gave us a chance to win.

“I think if you asked him, the only pitch he wanted back was the one from the home run that he gave up to Yandy. It was just a slider that just spun middle, but other than that, he did a great job of bouncing back after the first inning and settling in and giving us a chance to win.”

Bradish has respect for the Rays.

“I mean, they’re patient,” he said. “They make you come in the zone. And unlike a lot of teams, they’re fine taking a single the other way. They’re not all trying to do damage. But when you leave a pitch in the middle of the plate like I did for Yandy, they’re on it. So, they’re just kind of a complete team.”

After Ward’s homer, the Orioles (21-28) had only three more hits — singles by Adley Rutschman in the first, Colton Cowser in the third and Gunnar Henderson in the sixth.

Jax pitched five innings. Kevin Kelly (3-1), Ian Seymour, Casey Legumina and former Oriole Bryan Baker combined to limit the Orioles to one hit in four scoreless innings. Baker earned his 13tth save.

Tampa Bay added two runs in the eighth. Yennier Cano hit Diaz with a pitch, and Diaz’s pinch-runner, Carson Williams, scored on Richie Palacios’ double against Rico Garcia. Williams nearly didn’t score, pausing at second to see if Colton Cowser caught the ball at the wall, forgetting there were two outs. But he scored anyway, and Palacios advanced to third on the throw home. He scored on Jonny DeLuca’s single.

Garcia had allowed only two hits in his first 21 games. Three of the hits were to left-handers. DeLuca’s was the first he allowed to a right-hander.

Jackson Holliday was hitless in his first two at-bats of the season before Jeremiah Jackson hit for him in the eighth. In the fifth, Holliday jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Jax, who was consistently working ahead in the count, but his drive to right came off the end of the bat and resulted in an out.

What was wrong with the Orioles’ offense? The Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Ward blamed himself for the lack of production.

Cowser singled and stole second in the third before Ward struck out. Blaze Alexander walked and stole second in he eighth before Cowser struck out and Ward flied to center.

“There were still opportunities out there,” Ward said. “Me, in particular, two different times I had runners in scoring position and didn’t come through, so I’ve got to do a better job in those situations.”

What does it mean? The Rays seem like a complete team, and the Orioles are far from being able to challenge them.

What’s the stat of the day? 3. The Orioles left three runners on base, equaling their season low. It was the seventh time they’ve left three on.

What’s the word? “I mean, this one sucks. Can’t really give up a homer right there, especially late in the game. It’s just a frustrating one because I felt like I did a lot of things well today. Battled with guys on base, got out of jams. And, I mean, they had four hits. Unfortunately, we got the loss, and that’s kind of what sticks in my mind.”-Bradish on his start.

What’s going on in the minor leagues? Christian Encarnacion-Stroud and José Barrero homered as Triple-A Norfolk lost to Jacksonville, 5-2.

Double-A Chesapeake scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat Somerset, 6-5. Ethan Anderson homered twice and Frederick Bencosme drove in two runs. Luis De Léon allowed two runs on two hits in four innings.

Colin Tuft hit his sixth home run and Victor Figueroa homered in High-A Frederick’s 9-4 loss to Greenville. The Drive scored eight runs in the eighth.

Luis Vázquez, who broke his right thumb on March 22^nd, played his first rehab game and was hitless in two at-bats for the Keys.

Esteban Mejia allowed eight runs, six earned, on three hits and six walks in an inning as Single-A Delmarva lost to Wilson, 14-8.

What’s next? The Orioles will play the final game of the series with Tampa Bay on Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. Shane Baz (1-5, 5.26) will start for the Orioles. The Rays are expected to activate Steven Matz (4-1, 3.86) from he injured list to start.

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