Showalter pleased with Ramirez, Yacabonis, but Orioles lose two

BALTIMORE–Besides the awful play on the field, this Orioles season may be remembered for horrible weather. Frigid weather early in the summer, and much rain.

The Orioles have been postponed by rain six times and have encountered more than 12 hours of delays caused by the weather.

Saturday’s day/night doubleheader was a result of a July 25 rainout, which washed out a rocky early performance by Dylan Bundy.

Bundy allowed three home runs, and the Boston Red Sox took a 5-0 lead. However, the game was halted and, after a delay of more than 2 1/2 hours, it was called.

Saturday’s first game was the makeup, and it was a 5-0 loss. In the regularly scheduled game, Boston beat the Orioles, 6-4.

Yefry Ramirez, who has yet to work more than five innings in any start, allowed two runs on three hits in five innings.

In the first game, Jimmy Yacabonis allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings.

“I would have taken what they gave us on the surface going in,” manager Buck Showalter said.

“Neither one of them imploded. They made some good pitches and gave us a chance to win both games. We didn’t get it done after they left the game. That was our problem. It’s really been a challenge, especially with our young pitchers.”

Showalter said he’s been impressed with Ramirez.

“I think he’s got a nice demeanor about him,” Showalter said. “He’s gotten better. I thought he was carrying the best fastball he’s had all year and gave us a good chance.

“He had to work so hard. Pitch count got up there, too. I wanted to get him out on a good note, and I wanted [Cody] Carroll to start a fresh inning instead of coming in with people on base. He hasn’t really gotten too far along with his pitch count yet, but it was a good outing by him and Yacabonis.”

Ramirez says he knows what he has to do to get deeper in games.

“I think what it’s going to take is to force the hitters to swing early on me, to swing on the first pitch, and to try to pitch more for contact rather than striking out every single one,” Ramirez said through a translator.

The Orioles have another split doubleheader to make up for inclement weather on Aug. 25 with the New York Yankees.

Gilmartin’s travel adventure

Sean Gilmartin, a left-handed pitcher the Orioles signed to a minor league contract July 13, was abruptly elevated to the major leagues before Saturday’s game.

The 28-year-old Gilmartin allowed a run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings in the Orioles’ 5-0 loss to Boston.

Gilmartin was 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA in seven games with Triple-A Norfolk. He has major league experience. In 66 games with the New York Mets in the previous three seasons, he was 3-3 with a 4.14 ERA.

He had a travel adventure getting to the ballpark on Saturday.

“I got here this morning, probably around 7,” Gilmartin said “The driver that was picking me up ended up going to the hotel first instead of the airport, so I didn’t get picked up right away and then got to the hotel, got settled in, got the phone call to come over to the ballpark.

“I got here around 11:30, got out of the Uber, went around the back of the Uber to the trunk, was tapping on the lid of the trunk, and then the Uber driver drove away with my equipment bag in the trunk. Took about a good 20-to-30 minutes to drive back and drop off my stuff. That was a little stressful. Got through it. Interesting day.”

Gilmartin was the 51^st player used by the Orioles, most since 2013 when 52 players were used.

Manfra joins the Hall

Longtime Orioles broadcaster Fred Manfra joined Brian Roberts in the team’s Hall of Fame. Manfra, who retired last season after 24 years in the booth, was the recipient of the Herb Armstrong Award for non-uniformed personnel.

“When I was a kid growing up in Baltimore, I wanted to play for the Orioles or broadcast for the Orioles,” Manfra said. “I never envisioned for one minute I would be a Hall-of-Famer.”

Manfra now lives in Florida near his grandchildren. He says he misses working with Joe Angel, but doesn’t miss the travel. Manfra avidly follows the team.

“I’m still an Orioles fan, obviously,” Manfra said. “I follow the trials, which there have been this year, tribulations, which there have been this year, and hope for the best, maybe in 2020, 2021, somewhere in there.”