Sep 22, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) tags out Baltimore Orioles catcher Pedro Severino (28) at the plate to end the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
PHILADELPHIA—The Orioles headed back to Baltimore knowing that they pressed the Philadelphia Phillies in three consecutive games, winning the first and letting the other two slip away. They also know that the manager who has had their backs throughout another difficult season is coming back in 2022.
Brandon Hyde will return as manager, according to a report in The Athletic, which said Hyde’s original three-year contract with an option had been amended last winter to guarantee a return in 2022. Hyde didn’t directly address his contract status after the Orioles lost, 4-3, on Wednesday night but did say: “I am very excited to come back.”
The Orioles nearly gave him more reason to be excited.
After winning Monday’s game, 2-0, behind pitcher John Means and losing Tuesday’s game, 3-2, on a two-out triple in the bottom of the 10th by J.T. Realmuto, the Orioles got a solid start from Keegan Akin on Wednesday and were tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh before losing 4-3 before an announced crowd of 18,133 at Citizens Bank Park.
The Orioles (48-104) trailed 4-2 but rallied in the eighth against Cam Bedrosian. Ryan Mountcastle led off with a scorcher that Phillies first baseman Matt Vierling nabbed. Austin Hays walked and moved to second on a passed ball by Realmuto. Pedro Severino doubled to score Hays. After Ryan McKenna struck out, Pat Valaika singled to right and third base coach Tony Mansolino waved Severino home, but Bryce Harper’s throw easily beat Severino and Philadelphia (78-74) led, 4-3.
Ian Kennedy began the ninth by getting Richie Martin to pop to short and striking out Kelvin Gutiérrez looking. Jahmai Jones and Cedric Mullins walked, and Mountcastle flied out to right, giving Kennedy his 25th save.
“I’m disappointed that we had a couple winnable games here the last two games,” Hyde said. “I’d like to give our guys credit for playing a postseason contender in the situation we’re in, roster-wise, and how beat up we are and we’re playing a lot of guys who’ve played in the big leagues hardly at all.
“I thought we pitched well. We made a couple of mistakes out of the bullpen tonight. For the most part, for three days, we pitched the best we’ve pitched since the beginning of the year, and I take that as a positive.”
The Orioles played without rightfielder Anthony Santander, who nearly caught Realmuto’s drive on Tuesday night and tweaked his left hamstring. Before the game, they placed infielder Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list because of an upper leg injury.
“We’re scrapping right now,” Hyde said. “We’re limping in.”
In the top of the sixth, Mountcastle walked against Zack Wheeler. Hays doubled to left, scoring Mountcastle. Hays took third on the throw, but Severino and McKenna were both called out on strikes to end the inning.
Akin pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, walking one and striking out six. In the first and second, Akin had runners on first and second, but none budged. After Jean Segura’s leadoff single in the third, Akin retired nine straight until Harper singled in the sixth.
“We faced an ace tonight, and Keegan Akin took him toe-to-toe,” Hyde said.
Eric Hanhold replaced Akin after Harper’s hit and got Realmuto on a fly ball to center, But on a 2-1 pitch, Andrew McCutchen homered to left-center, his 25th, to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead.
Wheeler who leads the major leagues in innings pitched (206 1/3) and strikeouts (209), was pulled after six innings. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out nine.
Sam Coonrod couldn’t hold the lead in the seventh. Martin singled with one out and Gutiérrez walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch by Coonrod, and Martin came home on a ground out by Trey Mancini to tie it at 2.
Connor Greene (1-2), who was Tuesday night’s opener and pitched the first inning, came in for the bottom of the seventh. Vierling reached on an infield single. Brad Miller doubled and, with one out, Segura’s fly to center scored Vierling for a 3-2 Philadelphia lead. Harper was intentionally walked, and J.T. Realmuto singled to score Miller.
José Alvarado (7-1), who got the last out in the top of the seventh, was the winner.
Brooks Kriske, the 60th player used by the Orioles this season, got the final out of the seventh. Kriske, who was named after Orioles legend Brooks Robinson, has a relationship with the Hall of Famer.
“Every year, we’d go out to eat, and he’d come out to my practices and kept in touch that way,” Kriske said. He’s yet to hear from Robinson since joining the Orioles last week after being claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees.
“Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet up with him in the coming days,” he’s said. “He’s always so humble, so gracious. He’s a gentleman. That’s what every person who’s come across him has said.”
Notes: Triple-A Norfolk’s game at Charlotte was postponed by rain. … The Orioles are scheduled to open a four-game series with the Texas Rangers on Thursday night. Zac Lowther (0-2, 9.61 ERA) will face Glenn Otto (0-2, 9.37). Alexander Wells (1-3, 7.96) will face Spencer Howard (0-4, 6.86) on Friday. John Means (6-7, 3.25) will face Jordan Lyles (9-12, 5.36) on Saturday. The Orioles haven’t named their starter for Sunday against Dane Dunning (5-9, 5.34).
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Elias has said he won’t be judged by wins and losses. How about by mental mistakes. Anyway he seems to keep a positive attitude throughout all the losses . I guess that’s all boy genius cares about. Here’s to a better 2022 Hyde
Harper intentionally walked to get to Realmuto again, same result, sound familiar, too bad someone on the bench couldn’t remind Hyde about what happened yesterday when he tried that…oh well…go O’s…
Harper average 0.314, Realmuto 0.265
Harper OPS 1.051, Realmuto 0.789
Harper average with RISP 0.325, Realmuto 0.297
Yeah so Hyde is an idiot for walking Harper twice and sure, we know, you just don't care
You called him an idiot, I didn’t, he’s just making poor choices, kind of like any time you post…go O’s…
Well said!
Huzzah!
Hyde should not be coming back. He’s a good guy but he has mental lapses as a manger. Like the other day when not walking Realmuto. And how are you supposed to evaluate guys when Hyde won’t play guys like Jones over Vialika. There’s no reason to evaluate Vialika. We know what he is. Or playing Stewart over hays. And bringing in relievers and leaving them in too long. His job as manager is to put players in the best situation to succeed and in my opinion he doesn’t do that.
I think the fact that he was only given a one year extension shows that this will be his final year. Most rebuilding teams swap their managers right as they return to contention, the most recent example being the Chicago White Sox, who fired Rick Renteria and ultimately hired TLR. Hopefully we get someone better than TLR but the idea stands. Maybe when Maddon gets fired by the Angels in the next year or two he might come here.
2023 has long been the year where we'd expect to at least be hanging around the picture into September. Rebuilds are tough like this, but when you go all in as Elias has, they rarely fail (Marlins are the only example of a failure I can think of, although they have unique challenges given their ownership, and to be fair are starting to turn it around finally). It's the half-assed efforts (squints at Rangers, Rockies, Pirates) that usually just lead to a decade of awfulness.
The Sox folded like a tent down the stretch. That's why there was a managerial change. They're not doing much better in the waning days of this season, but they cruised nonetheless.
Not sure of what the dollar figure is in Hyde’s contract, but I’m assuming these things are also in there:
1. As many sunflower seeds as he can eat.
2. Baseball business casual dress.
3. Unlimited premature and overdue yankings of pitchers.
4. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
Funny…;)…go O’s…
You guys are drinking the cool aid. The O's are fundamentally horrible, outside of a few rising stars. The minor league pitchers are not even close to being ready. Although I like Hyde(and feel sorry for him), he makes some bonehead moves, like keeping Sverino in instead of getting a pinch runner...that's a little league manager decision. You have to put your guys in the best position to win, even if you've lost 104 games. I agree that next year will be his last. Also, cut your loses with Vialika and Stewart. Hopefully, though, Stewart won't become the next young Yaz...Yikes.
Definitely not drinking the Koolaid…go O’s…
I'll drink some kool aid. Keep Stewart. At least until somebody TAKES the job from him
This guy can produce. I guess Elias simply hasn't 'developed' him yet.
Excellent point about the minor league pitchers not being ready to be winning MLB talent. Norfolk is a pitching wasteland. And it's extremely unlikely that the Bowie pitchers can have a positive impact before 2023 at the earliest. Short of signing at least two stud free agent pitchers (which won't happen), to be optimistic about a measurable O's turnaround next year is wishful thinking. It won't matter who is the manager.
I have no problem with Hyde coming back BUT after having MLB's worst record the last 3 years it accentuates how insignificant the W/L record is. Something ain't right with that. 90% of other managers would be long gone but hey this is Baltimore where apathy rules. Just remember fellas--we had two back to back 4,000 crowds 2 weeks ago. Interesting how AGAIN Santander just missed a game winning hit in RF by inches and AGAIN comes up lame. His injuries have taken it's toll in RF and even a few games. Love to see what Hays would've done with those same various plays. Intentionally walking the probable NL MVP in crucial 9th/10th innings isn't such a bad thing to do it's just Hyde's abysmal luck that follows these decisions(right Tate,Fry,Scott,T Wells?) Mountcastle's next step in his evolution will someday be--"getting that big hit in a big situation". Yeah he's still growing. Well back to AL baseball where the O's pitchers can return to their normal habits.
Still not sold on Santander, game on the line, hammy again, agree with walking Harper, should have walked Realmuto too, he’s the one who had the critical hits when they needed them, ANYONE with the record Hyde has had anywhere else would be gone…not here…go O’s…
Third attempt.........
Why do we have to depend on leaks to know about the option pick up on Hyde contract? We have never known the lengths of original contracts of either Hyde or Elias. Originals and changes should have had press conferences or releases.
Agree, have never heard anything regarding it, maybe they’re too embarrassed to let #’s out, shocked he was extended, if he was…if we all performed at our jobs the way he has we wouldn’t be around long (Hyde)…go O’s…
The Orioles like to be different for the sake of being different. That hasn't changed during this ownership.
Couple things. First, it seems like curious timing to leak out details of Hyde's contract, especially if the terms were settled last winter. Maybe someone at the Warehouse reads comments on this site. Also, it seems more like the exercise of a club option than a true extension, keeping ME in the driver's seat. Again, no numbers, so we really don't know the full significance.
As for evaluating players, it conflicts with the idea of putting people in the best position to win. Hardcore evaluation is testing to failure, that is, you stress things or people to their breaking point. You look for situations where they will fail just to see how close they will come to succeeding. Thus, you test Pedro Severino's legs against Bryce Harper's arm. Or you make a reliever pitch to a hot hitter in the ninth or tenth inning. One reason it is hard to judge Hyde is that he is an employee whose job is to find players' breaking points, while he himself is being evaluated on his ability to absorb defeats.
Excuse me Rich-In your previous post I believe you made a punctuation error, and said Wade had 11.42 ERA. Must have put decimal point wrong and meant 1.42, because no GM would promote a pitcher with 11.42 Era to majors! Unless he’s involved in a RICO scheme to throw games! Oh wait .. this isn’t a major team- it’s the Orioles!!!
;)….go O’s…
Thanks for reading carefully.
Thanks for all that you do for us fans.
Hyde coming back, too? We can't catch a break. Probably all his former players from the "Waiver Wire (untradeables) will be on their way back here too. Will Valdes report the 1st day of ST? How about the rest of this "glorious" bullpen?
Hyde could have lost the players some time ago, but he didn’t…that says something right there.
Let’s not crucify Hyde until after we see what kind of line up he will have to work with next year. Hopefully he has more tools and we see some of the guys from the minors come up and maybe a decent FA or two.
After all, we have all winter for trench warfare on this site - lobbing sarcasm bombs at each other.
We wouldn’t do that…;)…go O’s…
No? :)
jimcarter
But they have changed. They clearly announced when DD and Buck signed for 5 years each.