BALTIMORE–What happened? After two stirring wins in their last at-bat, the Orioles’ offense wasn’t able to mount a comeback on Sunday, and their five-game winning streak came to an end with a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers before 27,874 at Camden Yards.
Oriole starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, who hasn’t missed a start this season, left in the fourth inning when Hyeseong Kim’s bouncer hit him squarely on the right foot.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino said X-rays on Sugano were negative.
“We’ll see how he kind of bounces back with the foot and kind of see how he feels here the next couple days, and that’ll help us determine what the plan is going forward,” he said. “I mean, he got hurt in the foot and couldn’t walk. Could barely get off the field. There’s not a whole lot we can do at that point.”
Sugano (10-8) allowed two home runs to Shohei Ohtani, leading off the game in the first, and in the third. Mookie Betts followed Ohtani’s second home run with his 16th. Ohtani has 48 home runs.
In the fourth, Miguel Rojas and Kim singled, and Grant Wolfram came in when Sugano was hurt. Rojas scored from third on an errant throw by catcher Alex Jackson.
The Orioles (66-77) had just two singles against Clayton Kershaw (10-2) in the first five innings. Kershaw was facing the Orioles for the first time, the only team the career-long Dodger had never faced.
Kershaw’s win was the 222nd of his career.
“He can still do it, apparently,” Mansolino said. “They said that what was registering on the scoreboard as a slider was more like a cutter and the hitters were saying the ball was spinning like a four-seam and they just couldn’t see it. They were having a hard time kind of picking it up and the bite on it was late, so watching, there were some 3-1 counts there, he threw the cutter essentially, and we kind of swung uncharacteristically at it a couple times. Just kind of talking with the hitters, the spin was tough on it. They were having a hard time picking it up.”
After two were out in the sixth, Gunnar Henderson singled, and scored on Emmanuel Rivera’s single. Rivera scored on Jackson’s double against Edgardo Henriquez to cut the lead to 4-2.
Justin Wrobleski pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two singles and striking out the last five Orioles he faced.
Los Angeles (79-64) broke its five-game losing streak. Betts’ RBI single against Rico Garcia scored the tack-on run. In addition to his two home runs, Ohtani walked three times.
Jack Dreyer pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.
How did Jackson see Sugano’s injury? The Orioles already have had a major league-leading 28 players on the injured list, and Jackson felt for Sugano.
“Obviously, any time you get hit by a line drive, it doesn’t feel good, it hurts,” Jackson said. “And to get hit kind of on the toe, a pretty sensitive area. So kind of the hope is just making sure that he’s OK. Obviously, he tried to get back out there, but he wasn’t feeling good, so we’ll see what kind of happens with that. But he’s a tough guy and a competitor, so I hope he’ll be good to go.”
Jackson is with the Orioles because of multiple injuries to catchers. In the last three days, starting pitcher Dean Kremer, catcher Samuel Basallo and Sugano have left with injuries. Basallo should be back on Tuesday, Mansolino said.
“This late in the year, the bodies are beat up,” Jackson said. “Foul tips happen, getting hit by line drives happen, it’s part of the game. But we have to keep going. We’re in there taking care of ourselves, keeping ourselves going and getting back out on the field and making sure we’re available. It’s never a fun thing, obviously, when you get injured. But you’re always just one step away from getting back out there on the field.”
Why were the left-handers on the bench? With Kershaw starting, Mansolino had five left-handers on the bench — Basallo, Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday and Daniel Johnson, but since Wrobleski and Dreyer are left-handed, he couldn’t use them in key situations.
“I mean that’s the story here over the last few years,” Mansolino said. “Right now, we’re missing huge right-handed hitters.”
Mansolino would have liked to have four players who are on the injured list — Tyler O’Neill, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg and Gary Sánchez.
“You know so the strategy over the years has been that against us and those lefties that are throwing are really tough on left-handed hitters so if you got those four righties in the lineup, it’s probably a little bit of a different day for us,” Mansolino said.
“But that’s kind of been the story all year in a low of ways is the missing players. But, nonetheless, we have hung in here for a few months and played well regardless.”
Injury updates: Mansolino said Dean Kremer, who left Friday’s starter with right forearm discomfort, was trending better. The Orioles will skip his next start, and even with an offday on Monday, they could maintain a six-man rotation.
“We could have a bullpen game somewhere in there,” Mansolino said. “We’re still working through that.”
Mansolino said that Albert Suárez, who threw three innings on Saturday night, could be a candidate to start.
“With the offday, we’ll kind of shuffle some things around. There are going to be some moving pieces to that,” he said.
Sánchez, who is on the injured list with a right knee injury, should go on a rehab assignment in the middle of the week. Colin Selby, who’s on the IL with a left hamstring injury, is scheduled to go on a rehab assignment in the next several days.
Westburg’s ankle is improving, and Mansolino thinks he’s getting close to a rehab assignment soon.
What does it mean? If Sugano and Kremer both miss a turn, the Orioles could need to resort to the minor leagues to add a starter.
What’s the stat of the day? Henderson’s 73-game errorless streak ended when he threw wildly to first base. His last error came on June 8th.
What’s the word? “We’ve been playing phenomenal. Being able to grind out games, put wins on the board, it’s a really good thing. So it’s been a lot of fun, and we look to just keep it going.”-Alex Jackson on Orioles’ recent play
What’s going on in the minor leagues? Jordan Adams, Liván Soto and TT Bowens homered for Triple-A Norfolk in the Tides’ 9-7 loss in 10 innings to Nashville.
Tyler O’Neill was 1-for-3 in his rehab assignment for Double-A Chesapeake in the Baysox’s 6-3 loss to Harrisburg. Creed Willems hit his 16th home run.
Chase Allsup and Jack Crowder combined on a two-hitter as Single-A Aberdeen ended its season with a 3-1 win over Wilmington. The IronBirds, who end their season 57-72, will play as the Frederick Keys next season.
Single-A Delmarva’s game with Lynchburg was canceled. The Shorebirds end their season 51-79.
The Baysox play until September 14th, and the Tides season continues through September 21st.
What’s next? The Orioles open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. It’s likely that Kyle Bradish (0-1, 3.60) will start against Mike Burrows (2-4, 4.08).
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