Orioles start 2nd half with another bad loss, 11-1 to Rays

TAMPA–What happened? The second half of the Orioles’ season started with a thud. After losing the final two games of the first half to Miami by a combined score of 17-1, the Orioles were drubbed by the Tampa Bay Rays, 11-1, before 10,046 at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday night.

The Orioles have lost their last three by a combined score of 28-2.

“We didn’t play good tonight really in all three phases,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “So you know it’s just one game, we’ve had games like this here before over the last couple months, we’ve bounced back pretty good when we’ve had them, so the expectation is that we bounce back tomorrow and play a little bit better.”

Oriole starter Charlie Morton allowed five runs in the first three innings. Junior Caminero hit a three-run home run in the first. Danny Jansen homered in the second, and the fifth run scored on Josh Lowe’s double in the third.

After two scoreless innings, Morton (5-8) allowed the first of six runs the Rays (51-48) would score in the sixth.

Grant Wolfram gave up five on a grand slam to Yandy Diaz and on Caminero’s 25^th home run.

Morton (5-8) tied his season high by allowing seven runs in 5 1/3, and the eight Tampa Bay hits were also a season high.

In his previous five starts, he’d allowed seven runs in total.

“I think early it was mislocations, just kind of, just some pitch selection, but mostly I feel like some of that damage early was just not quite good enough execution,” Morton said. “Three-run homer, solo shot, four runs we’re down. And then just kind of grinding from there to get through it. Looking back, I think the game right there was just the first inning, first and second inning, those home runs.”

Taj Bradley (6-6) had two rough starts last month against the Orioles, allowing seven runs, six earned, while recording just four outs in a memorable 12-8 Orioles loss on June 18^th. He also gave up five runs on eight hits at Camden Yards on June 29^th.

The Orioles (43-53) had just three hits in six innings against Bradley. The closest they came to scoring against him was Gunnar Henderson’s two-out triple in the sixth.

“Listen, all these games that we’re going to play because of where we’re at with the trade deadline and everything, there’s going to be a story that every one is so much more important than the last one,” Mansolino said. “We’ve been playing under those circumstances for a couple months now. So we went out, we prepared well today. It just didn’t work out our way today.”

Henderson led off the ninth with a double and scored on an infield out by Ramón Laureano.

Colton Cowser had three of the five hits, and Henderson the other two.

McDonald injured in hunting accident: Orioles broadcaster Ben McDonald suffered a concussion and two cracked vertebra in a hunting accident on Thursday morning.

McDonald described the accident on X: “Apparently I fell out of a deer stand 25 feet up,” he wrote. “I’ll be back in Birdland soon calling Orioles games!”

What does it mean? The Orioles couldn’t have begun the second half any worse as the countdown for the July 31^st trade deadline is underway.

What’s the stat of the day? After hitting three home runs against the Orioles on Sunday, Kyle Stowers hit two home runs, one in the first, and another in the 10^th, to win it for Miami. In his last two games, Stowers has eight hits, five home runs and 11 RBIs.

What’s the word? “I think they’ve done a good job here. The atmosphere’s good for what it is. They have a really good team there. It still is a spring training, minor league ballpark, but those are the circumstances, right?”–Morton on pitching at George M. Steinbrenner Field

What’s going on in the minor leagues? Triple-A Norfolk’s game with Syracuse was suspended in the bottom of the seventh with the Tides trailing, 7-6. Rightfielder Dylan Beavers hit his 11^th home run. The game will be resumed on Saturday.

First baseman Adam Retzbach drove in three runs and the Double-A Baysox scored five runs in the 10^th in their 8-6 win over Erie.

Rightfielder Thomas Sosa homered in High-A Aberdeen’s 3-1 win over Wilmington.

Single-A Delmarva was held to three hits in a 3-0 loss to Carolina.

What’s next? Dean Kremer (8-7, 4.24) will face Zack Littell (8-7, 3.56) at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday.

Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com