Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow was dominant against the Orioles Tuesday night. Glasnow struck out 13 in seven innings, and shortstop Pat Valaika made two costly throwing errors as the Orioles began their seven-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Orioles (14-15) will play two more games against the Rays, whom they beat in three straight in Baltimore on July 31-August 2, before moving on to Buffalo, where they’ll play four against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Glasnow improved his record against the Orioles to 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in five starts. He has struck out 38 Orioles in 29 2/3 innings.
“We had a tough time with Glasnow,” manager Brandon Hyde said in a video conference call. “He was really on his game tonight. When you’re facing a starter like that that’s got a 97, 98 [fastball] working, the hammer of the breaking ball makes it tough on you offensively. We had a tough time getting any sort of rally together or making contact off Glasnow.”
Renato Núñez gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead in the first with his sixth home run, his first since August 7.
“Glasnow, to me, he threw an amazing game,” Núñez said. “He was throwing strikes, strikes, strikes, curveball strikes, fastball strikes. What can I say? We battled. We tried to have good at-bats.”
The Orioles equaled a season high for the third time by striking out 15 times.
In the bottom of the second, José Martinez reached on a throwing error by Valaika, and Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run home run, a 436-foot blast off Orioles starter Tommy Milone. Manuel Margot followed with a home run, and the Orioles were down, 3-1.
“Errors are a part of the game,” Milone said. “I just have to make better pitches when guys are on base in that instance. The home run to Renfroe was an 0-2 fastball down the middle, and he did exactly what he should do with it.”
Tampa Bay added a run in the sixth when Renfroe reached on Valaika’s second throwing error. Margot walked and Yoshi Tsutsugo singled.
“Errors happen,” Hyde said. “We’ve been playing fairly solid defensively. Pat’s done a nice job at shortstop filling in. I feel bad for him tonight. It just wasn’t his best night defensively. He’s done such a good job wherever I’ve asked him to play.”
Valaika and Andrew Velázquez have been playing shortstop in the absence of José Iglesias. Valaika had made two errors in 52 previous career games at short.
“He’s gotten big hits for us,” Hyde said. “He’s been a really nice contributor for us this year. I don’t fault Pat for the errors. Those things happen, one of the hardest workers on the team. Does everything from a preparation standpoint like a true pro. It’s just unfortunate that he made a couple of mistakes tonight.”
Valaika has played in 27 of the Orioles’ 29 games.
Hyde hopes that Iglesias, who’s been on the injured list with a sore left quadricep muscle, will return sometime during this road trip.
Milone’s night: Milone allowed four runs, two unearned, in 5 1/3 innings. He fell to 1-4 and has a 3.99 ERA.
Milone struck out six and walked one. In six starts, Milone has struck out 31 and walked just four.
“That second inning was a little bit of a battle,” Milone said. “Left some pitches over the plate, kind of falling behind. I had to put myself in check, tell myself to get ahead and throw more strikes and just keep us in the game.
“Sometimes, after an inning like that, giving up three runs, it’s easy to check out and go out there and go through the motions. I’m happy with going back out there and battling and keeping us in the game as long as I could.”
In his previous five starts, Milone had allowed just three home runs.
Santander’s streak ends: Rightfielder Anthony Santander struck out three times against Glasnow as his 18-game hitting streak came to an end. Santander’s streak was the longest by an Oriole since Nick Markakis’ 18-game run in 2014.
Eric Davis holds the Orioles’ longest hitting streak, 30 games, in 1998.
Mountcastle’s first RBI: Ryan Mountcastle was 1-for-3 as the designated hitter. His fourth-inning single scored Hanser Alberto in the fourth to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-2.
In his first four major league games, Mountcastle is 4-for-12 (.333) and has walked four times for a .500 on-base percentage.
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Down by two runs with a runner on first Hyde pinch hits for Sisco who hit two homers against lefties last week with a guy whos last homer hasn’t happened yet.
BHoff gotta agree on that one. Sisco is a capable HR hitter a d YES against lefties.
I questioned the decision to pinch hit Urias for Sisco last night. Then I checked Baseball Reference for Urias and Cisco’s split . Cisco has poor career numbers ( majors and minors), vs LH’s 2 recent HR’s notwithstanding. Urias has much better numbers vs LH’s in Mexico and the minors. So Hyde was playing the percentages. Would have preferred Severino , but he was banged up
Clay ... how many Tyler Glasnows are throwing in the Mexican league? Hey, I tore up lefties in the 1969 Baumholder Germany little league. Think I would have had a chance? Percentages? Please.
Agreed BHoff !!
A ridiculously poor move by Hyde. Decisions like that have me thinking he needs to go. What the heck is he thinking? Did he pull Sids playbook out? I'm wondering how much 'analytics' had to do with this call? I'm sure whatever numbers he used in the particular case are simple horse pucky! Managers need to have a gut feeling sometimes. This is where old school baseball instinct would trump any trends. How many stinkin' at bats has Chance had vs. lefties to begin with? This guy is a hitter ... Urias is a Mexican league Punch and Judy lifer for gosh sake! Sisco needs to hit in that situation. Period. Hyde blew that call.
Getting old with Hyde, again, he said he doesn't care about the record, maybe he should manage in Mexico, that was as poor a decision as I've seen him make, ACCOUNTABILITY, he makes excuses for his SS two errors, you don't throw him under the bus, but there is no one else to blame but him...they really need to move on from him after this season...go O's...
I had to laugh excuse me. Mexican league statistics against a guy who creamed two homers last week here.
Cisco is a lifetime.136 hitter against LH’s. Yes he has hit 2 HR’s against LH’s recently, but those are his only hits against LH’s. Last year he was 2-19 against LH’s with 9 strikeouts. Personally, I would have kept Cisco in being 2 runs down. But Hyde was playing the percentages
19 whole at bats? C'mon man. That's laughable. How about we watch how a player swings the bat? Let's talk after about 500 at bats against lefties.
Personal respect Claydal for knowing that you would have kept Sisco in, but to defend Hyde in this case is questionable.
C’mon, calling for Hyde’s head because he pinch hit for Sisco?? In his last 29 ABs, Sisco has 14 strikeouts! That’s plenty of justification to pinch hit for him.
I'm not exactly calling for his head, I'm just pointing out that his decisions are often a bit more than questionable. Last I checked, Sisco is batting .280+ with a very nice OBA and OPS. And frankly, there's a theory that striking out is one of the better was to make an out, if there is such a thing.
When the heck is Hyde going to let his better young hitters grow a bit? To replace him with a Mexican leaguer that probably doesn't belong here (MLB) in that situation is just a bad decision. And what does that kind of thing do to any young hitters confidence? This is the time to let these kids grow.
What percentages Urias has never hit a homer in the majors. Sisco is a improved hitter this year and his two homers against lefties prove it. A experienced manager never makes that move and Boog you are 100 per cent right you go with your gut not some righty lefty switch. Plus Urias has no home run power anyway.
Cisco’s minor league LH/RH splits 2016-17. 2016 hit .343 against RH’s in 344AB’s vs .207 against LH’s in 82 AB’s. 2017, hit .284 vs RH’s in 292 AB’s vs .214 vs LH’s in 70 AB’s . Urias played the last 2 years in the St Louis Cardinals system. Hit .385 against LH’s in 2018 in 65 AB’s , in 2019 hit .309 in 81 at bats. Going back over Cisco’s entire minor league and major league career, he does not hit LH’s well. Hyde was playing the percentages-based on career numbers not just 2 recent at bats.
This isn't the minor leagues, defend him all you want, it was a poor decision, one I am quite sure most capable managers would not have made...go O's..
For the record, I would have kept Cisco in and try to tie the game. However, Cisco’s career MAJOR league numbers vs LH’s-6-44 ,.136 avg , 22 strikeouts in 44 at bats. While you can question Hyde’s decision, but it was based on track record. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t
What are Sisco’s numbers bs lefties the last two weeks & compare that to Uriah’s...go O’s...
Glasgow is exactly the type of pitcher I hope the O's are developing. Where do Rays get these guys? What happened to Ruiz? I was gonna hang my hat on him. Oh well. Not gonna hold anything against Valaika. He is what he is. He's done more than we could have expected.
They got him along with Meadows from Pittsburgh for Chris Archer. Whoever made that trade should immediately resign
The Rays side of it was great, give that guy a raise...go O's...
Orial, Glasnow was acquired by Tampa Bay in the Chris Archer trade in July 2018.
Richie Martin’s loss this year is an overlooked one. Last year when Villar was here, they had a capable shortstop who allowed him to play second and Alberto to play third.
Ruiz’s slump has coincided with Iglesias’ absence, and perhaps he’ll improve when he returns.
Confused on your answer Rich. Is Alberto a string third baseman defensively. Martin was capable in the field but uncapable at the plate and in a normal year he plays at Norfolk to work on his bat
Strong I meant
Bruce, having a strong backup shortstop
who could play second allows Alberto to play third.
No, Alberto isn’t a strong defensive player, but I think Ruiz is better offensively when he doesn’t play every day.
Without Iglesias, there’s a lot of mixing and matching and few ideal options.
Got it Iglesias loss hurts. From day one in spring training his bat has been awesome and I hope he’s here next year
Rich ... Valaika has played 27 of 29 games? Wow ... that's unbelievable.
I would venture to guess, that other than Santander, and possibly Alberto, that's probably the most games played on the team? In any case, and not to disparage Valaika, but those numbers would be indicative of the current lack of depth of talent the club has. It's amazing they're as close to .500 as they are.
In retrospect, I guess those numbers might also indicate just how versatile Valaika is as well.
Santander has played in 29, Alberto
and Nunez 28 each.
Santander's streak ends. Time for Hyde to bench him because he must be tired.
Saw the game on Fox; I think it was the Tampa Bay feed. Announcers mentioned that Glasnow and Valaika went to the same high school, about a year apart. They also noted similar California hairstyles. Just a little trivia I found interesting. Better than thinking about an 85-mile fastball down the middle on an 0-2 count. Oh, and is 4 for 12 really .300?
I'm glad someone else noticed. While Valaika's skill set might say 'journeyman utility guy', his hair is first ballot Cooperstown material.
Valaika's a nice, versatile utility player to have, but the team will look a lot stronger, both offensively and defensively, with Iglesias back at short.
Trick question? ...go O’s...
To change the subject Gausman is averaging 12.2 strikeouts over 9 and is a valuable trade chip along with Bundy. If they don’t change the dimensions in Camden Yards maybe all our young power pitchers will be subject to getting hurt by the long ball .
No doubt, but that would require MAJOR construction and probably the loss a a LOT of seats. Not going to happen. Our days of all star pitching staffs went away with Memorial Stadium.
I disagree with the MAJOR construction and removing seats. Here's all they would need to do. Build a new visitors bullpen behind the current visitors bullpen with the same dimensions. Then move the Orioles bullpen to the current visitors and the visitors to the newly added. Then make the area of the bullpen now in play by changing the outfield fence. Also remove the fence in center field and have the green wall now in play for the outfield terrace bar and be the new outfield fence and level the ground where needed and maybe add a better fence to the bar area for patrons. Home runs to dead center would probably be removed because of the distance and the wall with the exception of an inside the park HR. This would make for some interesting dimensions but not too expensive.
Deep left center and center field aren't the problem at all. It's to the left of the bullpens that are way too easy to reach. AND right field...but at least it has fenway-ish wall to clear out there.
I get what you're saying yeah 364 to left center is way too easy but 309 down both lines at old Memorial Stadium was as well. Camden yards is 333 down left field line and 318 with the 21 foot wall to clear. Jim Palmer always said he pitched to have to hitters hit the ball to the biggest part of the field which is center field. My idea would be a start to help pitchers to do just that.
Agree, kind of like summer softball, gonna have to have the ability to score 5-6 runs a night...go O’s...