BALTIMORE—The Orioles entered the seventh inning with a two-run lead over the New York Yankees. With a rested bullpen, they thought they had a good chance to hold the advantage.
Instead, the bullpen faltered. Gio Urshela’s three-run, pinch-hit home run lifted New York to a 5-4 win over the Orioles before 10,809 at Oriole Park on Friday night.
Cole Sulser began the top of the seventh for the Orioles (16-22) and allowed a one-out single to Miguel Andújar and walked Kyle Higashioka. Manager Brandon Hyde replaced Sulser with Travis Lakins (1-4), who gave up the home run to Urshela on the ninth pitch he saw, a belt-high fastball.
Aaron Judge hit a home run with two outs against Dean Kremer in the first. Austin Hays answered with his fifth homer off Corey Kluber in the bottom of the first after Cedric Mullins had dropped a single into left field but was thrown out attempting to steal second.
Judge hit his 10th home run of the season, and fifth against the Orioles, in the fourth. He has 22 in 58 games against them.
“I made a couple of mistakes to the wrong guy, and he’s got enough power to do some damage,” Kremer said.
The Orioles took a 4-2 lead in the fifth. DJ Stewart led off with a double. He took third on an infield out and scored on Pedro Severino’s double down the left-field line. It was Severino’s third RBI of the season. The Orioles’ catchers, Severino and Sisco, have combined for just six RBIs. Neither had an RBI last September.
Pat Valaika’s single scored Severino. Valaika stole second, his first career stolen base in his 301st game. With two outs, Hays walked, and Trey Mancini doubled to right to score Valaika, but Hays was out at the plate to end the inning.
Adam Plutko replaced Kremer for the sixth. Kremer, who has made five of his 11 career starts against New York (21-17), allowed two runs — the solo home runs by Judge — on five hits in five innings, striking out four.
Hyde has been careful about limiting Kremer’s innings but said that wasn’t why he didn’t send him out for the sixth.
“That wasn’t the case tonight,” Hyde said. “The case tonight was trying to win the game.”
With Judge due to lead off the sixth, Hyde went to Plutko.
“He [Kremer] gave us five innings, left with the lead,” Hyde said. “We just didn’t hold it.”
Kremer won’t have to face the Yankees again until early August, when the teams play in New York.
“It’s not a lineup [that] you can really take for granted,” Kremer said. “You’ve got to be at your best pretty much every time you face them. If you’re not, they do a lot of damage.
“The more you see somebody, on both ends, the easier it gets, I guess, both on the hitting and the pitching side.”
Kluber (3-2) allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings. He’s 5-1 in nine career starts against the Orioles.
Chad Green, Wandy Peralta and Jonathan Loaisiga combined for three scoreless innings.
Stewart had his first three-hit game of the season.
“It’s just nice to see some stuff fall for me,” Stewart said. “I didn’t hit everything super hard … There’s been games where I’ve hit them right at them or someone makes a really good play. I’m not going to get too high or too low. Tomorrow’s a fresh start, and we’ll go at it again.”
Notes: John Means had been scheduled to start on Sunday but his start has been put on hold. The Orioles didn’t comment on the change or announce a starter to replace him. … Freddy Galvis batted fourth for the first time in his career. He went 0-for-4. … Maikel Franco was 0-for-4 and is in a 4-for-52 slump that’s sent his average to .196. “We need Frankie and, hopefully, we can get him going pretty soon,” Hyde said. … Jorge López (1-3, 5.63 ERA) will face Domingo Germán (2-2, 4.02) on Saturday night. …The crowd was the largest of the season and the third sellout.
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Was gonna try to ignore this series and just follow it via boxscores on my phone--a Yankees series in Baltimore is never a pretty thing. Then I saw the 4-2 lead in the 7th,thought well maybe I'll give a chance and turn the TV on. Well the rest is history. They really fooled me. Good teams find a way to hit that 3 run homer,bad teams find a way to give up that 3 run homer. Well back to boxscores on my phone I guess. Is Mountcastle teetering on a Norfolk demotion? Has Stewart earned the right to stay when Santander comes back(assuming McKenna already goes down)? This team REALLY needs a cleanup hitter. Seem the O's are so close in these games,just need that one big hit/hitter. Now Franco turns into an all glove/no hit 3rd baseman. Can't wait for that hopefull remake come August 1st(or so)--the dead wood us piling up.
Minors watch:
Baumann scheduled to start for Aberdeen tonight.
Patrick Dorrian hits 5th HR in his 8th game...may be ready for promotion to Norfolk
Cumberland goes 1 for 3 with a double and a BB, batting 0.300
Means last two starts bumped, I know everyone will say the first was because he threw so many pitches in his no-hitter, not too many in his last game, missing Sunday, against the Yankees smells funny, almost like a manager picking slugs for his fighter to have an impressive record without fighting any real fighters, day off Monday then TB, hope they’re not working the trade wires, hope he’s healthy, concerned...go O’s...
Ray, Means threw in the bullpen before the game, so he’s healthy.
Then leaves the other options...go O’s...
Demote Mountcastle did you drink your morning coffee yet Orial. Sulser has been the better pitcher all year over Larkin so why replace him. After last night and the loss to Boston in the ninth I just feel Mr nice guy Hyde might not be the person to lead this team out of the doldrums. Also you don’t bat Severino , Galvis fourth. If there is no proper clean up hitter on this team then you tell your general manager and owner we cannot compete in this league until you get me one. It’s sounds stupid but it’s true.
Agree, think you need to stick with Mountcastle just to show him & OTHERS you believe in him/them, leave Galvis where he was, maybe some one would be interested in him, Franco, not so much...go O’s...
You keep Mountcastle in cleanup. Ride him. He'll hit.
I am starting to agree with you about Hyde
Kelenic and Vaughn both hit bombs last night but our older and higher draft pic is not ready because boy genius has to much to lose by being bold and having him play over two dismal catchers
Kelenic went 3 for 4, hr & 2 doubles, at this point in the season they should jettison a few players & go with some youngens, lettem learn as they go, if they need too...go O’s...
Seattle is further in there rebuild and the white Sox had injuries to key contributors and are in win now mode.
It’s of course tempting to promote the youngsters. That would bring some excitement, until they start choking against higher caliber pitching. Of course then we could bash O’s management for bringing them up too early, bouncing up and down on the taxi squad and ruining their “psyche”.
Either way it will be second guessed ad nauseum.
I like our guys
News flash ... your guys suck.
Jeeesh. You hurt my feeling, Boog, and ruined my day.
Sniffle sniffle.
I like our guys even more now
I didn't say you suck. I said your guys did. Really...take a close look. They really do.
Now I see you're copying another poster's style in your response.
Boog, I know you didn’t say I suck, and I wouldn’t care if you did. I get it, man.
And I am my own style, so don’t pigeon hole me. It’s all in fun.
I realize the team collectively is woeful, but I am optimistic toward the rebuild change, as I’ve said many times here before.
Since I can’t control what Mgt does, I’m going with it.
Oh woops......I like our guys
:)
It's all good Icty.
Drink Pepsi
Anyone else notice our rookies are 24, 25 yrs old, other teams 21, 22....go O’s...
If you’re thinking about Seattle, Ray, the average age of the players used this season is 27.5 while the Orioles’ average age is 27.1, one of the youngest teams in the majors.
Rich, all due respect, but the key word in Ray's statement was "rookie". I believe he was trying to bring attention to what appears to be a trend of other franchise's willingness to bring players up to the big club at a younger age than the Orioles are.
There's no doubt that the O's really don't have any older players (Caesar Valdez not withstanding), most likely due to salary concerns.
Nope, talking ROOKIES....
Go O’s...
Rich, do you know the average age of ROOKIES across MLB?
I like our guys
Seattle has used four players under 25 this year, two brought up this week. Jarred Kalencic, who is 21, and Logan Gilbert, who is 24. Taylor Trammell is 23, and sent down this week, and Ljay Newsome, who’s 24 and on the 60-day IL.
Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan McKenna are both 24, the youngest players used by the Orioles this season. Other than Kalencic, who was drafted out of high school by the Mets, not sure where you get your stats, Ray.
Not a stat guy, just looked at MLB’s hottest rookies, quite a few players under 25, I’d hardly count McKenna as he doesn’t play all the time, not really much at all, especially if Santander were healthy...do what you do Rich, just making a statement...go O’s...
Hyde with another quick hook. Kremer was pitching good despite the two homers to judge. The first one was not that bad of a pitch. Judge brought his hands in and hit it. Hyde has to let them go deeper. I understand protecting the pitchers after last year sixty game season but unless they tell you they can’t go you have to let them go.
I am thinking Hyde did not want Kremer facing Judge again, more for him than Judge. Didn’t agree at the time still don’t; the bullpen has been a bright spot although we have a couple of weak links.
Two observations. Freddy Galvis batted clean up last night. Freddy Galvis??
Bullpen falters. Big surprise. Turn off the game after the sixth inning if it’s close.
Lol...go O’s...
The Galvis batting cleanup thing WAS weird, but he’s second on the club at .270.
So pitiful, isn’t it?
I like our guys
Quick hook Hyde strikes again. 77 pitches come on get him to at least 95 pitches . Again how are they supposed to learn or slow the game down in pressure situations.
Hyde is really slowing down the growth ofthese young players not only the pitchers but the hitters as well primarily Mountcastle he is a much better hitter when he plays 1st followed by left field . Now Hyde has these numbers available to him and fails to use them or Freddie Gonzalez does I still can’t figure out who runs the club . Why do you continue to run him out as a DH ?
At some point you have to make some changes at third and second particularly at second your a month and a half into the season and very little consistent production at either position .
Lastly, will somebody please close the trainers door the growing injury list is becoming ridiculous you can’t possibly create this much deep depth if your starters continue
to keep getting hurt at this rate maybe they don’t want to be on the field .
Actually, Mountcastle has hit best as a left fielder this season (.225 with two homers and four RBIs.) As a first baseman, .200 with three RBIs and .212 with a homer and five RBIs as DH.
So, not much difference there.
The problem with putting him in left is that you're taking one of the stronger bats in our lineup out of play. Especially when Tony returns.
I'm starting to smell a big ol' Tank Job going on .... again. Mr. Elias, instead of sitting in the stands in Bowie congratulating yourself on having the whatever-it-is-ranked farm system (it ain't no. 1), why not start moving some of these boys upstairs? For crying out loud, throw us a friggin' bone Mikey!
This offseason brought us Freddie Galvis and Frahhhhnnco. Nice work Mike. You have quite the eye for cut-rate talent.
Galvis ... meh .... he's OK...he's no Jose' Iglesias or anything , but a shortstop with an average glove and cleanup power (bwaaaahahaahaaa) making minimum wage will suffice until Gunnar or somebody else with a heartbeat shows up I suppose.
And I've be patient with Franco. Was never crazy about signing a cast-off from another bottom feeding team, but I was willing to give him a chance. That chance is now kaput. Seen enough of him. It's clear why the Royals parted ways with him. (because they're not tanking) Dump this guy's sorry used up ... um ... bat. He stinks. Bannon, Martin or McCoy perhaps? Feel you've got nothing better? I'm willing to ride the year out on Rio's Ruiz's last hurrah rather than Maikel Frahhhhnco, if for not other reason than principle! Franco's signing was a slap in the face to O's fans everywhere.
And here it is, mid-may, and Urias is still on the team. So much for my prognosticating ability. Why the heck is he still around? Can somebody please give me one good reason he's on the team?
While speaking of lousy prognostications, what color kool aid was I drinking when I made that 80+ wins prediction earlier this year? Even our star right fielder's imminent return can't get us to 80 now. No chance. Upper management will have none of it.
Now I have no answers other than to implore Tank Elias to try. I just want to see this guy "try". It's been 3 years. Start throwing stuff against that proverbial wall. TRY SOMETHING MIKE. Try something before 2024 pleeeeeeeeeeaaaassssse. No draft pick is worth this misery.
Drink Pepsi, Fly United and remember to boycott the 21 All Star Game Boys!
Totally agree, kind of said the same thing above, we’re gonna lose anyway with the lineup Hyde puts out there as well as his ineptitude at managing the game & his pitchers, baptism by fire I say...can’t be worse than what we typically see with the lineup & the last 2-3 innings...go O’s...
It can always be worse. 2018 O's are what worse looks like.
This has probably been asked before, but is there a stat kept for outs made on a first pitch? O's would lead the majors. Typical lack of plate discipline on this team, doesn't anyone take a first pitch ever on this team? and Kremer was around, what, 80 pitches by the 5th; Kluber was, what, 40-45?
In the first pitch of an at-bat, Orioles are batting .379 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs.
Wow! Can't argue with those number Rich.
Gio Urshela (who?) beats you with 3 run pinch hit HR! Three no name pitchers shut down a feeble line up. Two of the last three games lost because the team can't seem to handle the pressure to win. Didn't think it was possible to get worse at 2B or 3B, but O's managed to do just that, offensively and defensively. Already tired of the lame excuses from management and the players.
Mullins is thrown out stealing. Valiaika steals second. Hays is out by a mile trying to score. Is there any rhyme or reason to our baserunning?
All I can say is that at least it isn't Manny Machado getting thrown out anymore!
I didn’t mind Mullins getting caught, but the Hays thing was a bad look. Judge was hunting for him. You know that.
Didnt Hays throw out Judge in a previous game?
And I think that was Valaika’s first steal, wasn’t it?
Separate thought: Their catcher Higashioka is a good player.
I like our guys
And does anybody know if the 3rd base coach was sending him (Hays) home?
If I'm reading the charts correctly, this year Mullins has stolen 4 bases and been caught 3 times. With his speed, I expect a better percentage. Plus, after he was erased, Hays hit a home run. Why risk your leadoff baserunner at such odds. You're surely not going to rattle the Yankees with aggressive baserunning. Was the steal called by someone else, or does Mullins have an always-on green light?
Thought the same exact thing will, especially early in the game...oh well...go O’s...
I don’t fault Mullins for trying to steal second. Your leadoff guy is supposed to get on base and get into scoring position. Now if it was the 3rd, 4th, or 5th hitter at the plate you might stay put (unless the cleanup batter is Galvis).
Rich, can you help me understand Elias tenure with the O's ? Hired in December 2018; 1st roster was for 2019; 1st draft was June 2019, draftees played short season minor leagues; 2020, no minor league season, limited MLB season, 2nd draft limited to 5 rounds. Does December 2018 to May 2021 count as 3 years to produce results? During his tenure, O's have played 258 games, or about a season and half. Minor league seasons even less. What am I missing?
Another question, why does Severino play so much more than Sisco?
Phil, I think you can get a better read on Elias’ tenure after this season and next. Too early to make a call, especially since there were no minor leagues last year.
Sisco has a lifetime batting average of .201 and he’s hitting .156 this season. Severino’s lifetime average is .230, and he’s hitting .247 this season.
Severino s lifetime WAR is 1.3. Sisco’s is -.2. Severino is a better defensive catcher, and while neither of them is great, on the whole Severino is better.
Thank, Rich. I think Elias has been effective at doing what he set out to do. I have not agreed with several of his moves, particularly adding needed infielders, but a five-round draft class and no MiLB are big-time set backs; he needs to adjust his plan to put a MLB roster on the field, especially at 2b, 3b and SS (Galvis is just adequate); great to build a pipeline, needs to include some "ready now" prospects. Jones has less experience at 2B than Ryan M. has in LF.
Tend to think Severino is Mikeys guy, Sisco is not...go O’s...
Phil, I’m sorry I’m not Rich but I do have an answer to your question about playing time between Severino and Sisco. That one is easy, Severino is making a lot more money. Seve is making more than 3X more than Sisco. As to your comments about Elias tenure that’s a very good question. For GMs who’ve been around a while the circumstances you mentioned were just inconvenient. For Elias and the O’s they were devestating. I’m very open to giving Elias some slack for that exact reason.
Giving Elias some slack? I don't know I've ever seen a GM recieve more slack than Mike Elias has been given.
BRR, I agree with just about everything I’ve read from you but c’mon, Elias takes over a club that is in complete disarray, coming off a club record 115 loss season, then after his first draft has covid to deal with and loses an entire season of minor league ball. All of us, and I include myself here, who’ve complained about the slow walking of the minor league talent and lack of signing any real talent have to be more realistic. First of all the minor leagues lost the entire season which killed any chance of guys being ready to be on the big club this year and then as far as signing any FA’s that is on ownership, not Elias. Listen, I’m no Elias apologist by any means, but I’m also willing to give him a reasonable amount of time considering what he walked into. So I’ll end by saying we can agree to disagree about what he’s doing now and has done so far.
Would tend to agree dL but every other team dealt with the same minor league issues & COVID last year, some didn’t have garbage cans to bang on....LOL...go O’s...
Time for me to jump back in in case the fires are dying out. I didn't say to demote Mountcastle now BUT if he continues to be overmatched there will come a time where it will affect his psyche/confidence. Hey Hays/Mullins have been demoted sooo. Catching--I won't be upset if Sisco doesn't catch another game. A matter of fact get Wynns up here. Severino's the man whether we like it not. I see Jones,Diaz are hurt and rumors have it Jones was coming soon.
When was Hays ever demoted? True he played at Bowie after a stint with the O's, but that was basically a rehab assignment.
Stick by these guys. They'll all suffer for a year or more, but they'll learn at the major league level just as well as the minors. If they can't handle the pressure, it's better to know now rather than later. If you're worried about their psyche/confidence, you can do just as much damage by sending them down.
Boog you're probably right-- Hays' MILB stints were rehab assignments(happened so much to him it all blends in). As far as psyche being affected--it's a 50/50 depending on the player. Should he stick it out vs regroup under less pressure(Minors)? Hopefully our oi-called brain trust have those answers. If he could only cut down on his over aggressiveness. He had such a good "all fields" approach last year.
Agree, lettem learn from the best, psyche is a tough one, agree, it can be a 50/50 proposition, would be interested in the answer to Boogs earlier question, did he go on his own or did the 3B coach send him...go O’s...
I beg to differ. Given the below average level of talent he has to put on the field, it is dubious at best to lambast Hyde and suggest he should be replaced. If he keeps the season's losses below 110, he deserves to be manager of the year. What unemployed baseball genius could make the O's into a competitive team when it is dominated by waiver wire wonders and free agents who sign on the cheap? We have one first-rate pitcher. The best that can be hoped for is Means and four days of rain. As to the sorry state of aggregate team talent, is Elias to blame? MAYBE. It could be that he is operating under absurdly strict budget guidelines from the senior owner who reportedly has a net worth of more than $1 billion. I scoff at the notion that we absolve ownership from blame on the grounds that maybe they will open the family wallet at such times that the Orioles are "good." Somebody--I don't know who, exactly--has decided that the team will be really bad for several years, and if you don't like it, either suck it up or fantasize Panglossian-style about how things are about to take a turn for the better. I doubt that promoting (more) not quite ready for prime time prospects is the catalyst for big-time wins. In the meantime, we can take solace that the real world is in terrific shape.
I do not believe sending up prospects NOW because Galvis, Franco, Urias, Severino et al “suck” is the right move. Those players are occupying space and doing ok at it. Why are we surprised that their performance is underwhelming? We got what we expected, and they weren’t bad signings for what they were intended to be.
When those raw recruits from the lower ranks do get here, they will likely struggle too, calving another avalanche of criticism.
Until we have a more competitive team, no viable free agents would want to be here anyway, so why are we expecting the club to be contenders in the short term?
Decisions will be second guessed ad nauseum, but Elias has done a good job, and so has Hyde. We are turning the rudderless ship around. Is it fun to watch? No, not regularly. But there are bright spots. The times, they are a changin’.
I like our guys
And the sooner those prospects struggle, the sooner they'll get past those struggles. How on earth can you make the call that Elias and Hyde have 'done a good job'?
Hopefully nothing happens to Sisco behind the plate, Hyde is DHing Severino, Mountcastle on the bench...go O’s...
If Sisco gets hurt can Severino catch & someone else DH?...go O’s...
I think that Severino could go to catcher, but then the pitcher would have to hit in the spot that Sisco was in the lineup? I think....somesone correct me if I'm wrong please.
No, you lose the DH then.
I believe that is what I stated ... that the pitcher would have to hit .. in this case ... Sisco was the DH .. and the pitcher would have to take his at bat in that spot of the lineup?
Am I still wrong? Am I misunderstanding Rick? The pitcher hits for himself right?
Correct.
Yeah bench Mountcastle, that's the ticket. Let Severino's bat do the talking.
And baseball is called a 'thinking man's' game? Puhleeze.
Not a good move then...shocker...go O’s...
Is Means still sched. To pitch tommorow
Nope, smell something funny, giving him an extra day, so they say...go O’s...
No.
I see where it's still TBA give me a break.He pitched 6 inn Tues under 100 pitches.If he is skipped,the O,s are off Monday-who is he. Otoni a week between starts? I'm from CT. We were gonna take the train down- not if he's not pitching and not gonna be there if O'sare willing to tank series against hated Yanks