Anthony Bemboom is catching tonight as the Orioles close out their series against the Brewers.
Ramón Urías is at third base and Jorge Mateo is the shortstop.
Rougned Odor is starting at second base.
Trey Mancini, the designated hitter and batting fourth, has a hit in four of the first five games.
John Means makes his second start after allowing one run and six hits in four innings against the Rays.
Cedric Mullins talked in spring training about trying to concentrate on the middle of the field, an approach that makes him a much larger threat at the plate.
He’s still trying, and the improvements are loud.
The exhibition numbers illustrated his struggles: five hits in 30 at-bats with 11 strikeouts.
Mullins began last night’s game with only three hits in 16 at-bats, and his nine strikeouts led the American League. But he lined a two-run single into center field in the Orioles’ home opener, with an exit velocity of 109 mph, that provided all of the scoring, and also sent a 99 mph live drive to the mound that reliever Aaron Ashby snared for the out.
After flying to left field in his first at-bat last night, Mullins launched a curveball from Eric Lauer 413 feet to right-center field for his first career grand slam. Exit velo was 101.8 mph.
The rotation has taken its first full turn of the 2022 season, and the Orioles don’t really know more than what they understood when it began.
John Means and Jordan Lyles are the two veterans at the top. Former Rule 5 pick Tyler Wells is getting his starter’s groove back but working as the front end of a tandem. Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann – he’s local, you know – is fourth in line.
The fifth spot is open for business.
Spenser Watkins felt like the favorite late in camp, and more so after the Orioles flew out of Tampa. A stellar showing tonight could have gotten him the ball again, though Thursday’s off-day pushes back the first four if manager Brandon Hyde isn’t ready to provide extra rest.
Alexander Wells sits in the bullpen. Hyde seems to prefer keeping Keegan Akin and Mike Baumann in it, at least for now. Kyle Bradish made his first start tonight with Triple-A Norfolk after leaving Sarasota, and he tossed four scoreless innings with two hits, no walks and six strikeouts.
Orioles reliever Dillon Tate inherited a runner from Mike Baumann in yesterday’s home opener, gave up a groundball single to bring the go-ahead run to the plate and retired the next two batters. He was credited with a hold, and the bullpen kept Milwaukee scoreless over the last five frames.
But something didn’t look right.
Tate’s velocity was down, with his sinker clocked at 90-91 mph instead of climbing into the mid-90s. The MASN broadcasters and other media
noticed it. Fans noticed it and wondered via social media if there was a physical issue.
Manager Brandon Hyde said Tate, who retired Andrew McCutchen on a long fly ball to center and Willy Adames on a line drive to shortstop Jorge Mateo, needed to correct a flaw in his mechanics.
Spenser Watkins is the Orioles’ fifth starter at least for the first time through the rotation.
Watkins stayed with the team after his stint on a two-man taxi squad in St. Petersburg, and he’s facing the Brewers tonight at Camden Yards. He made 16 appearances last summer, including 10 starts, and registered an 8.07 ERA and 1.701 WHIP in 54 2/3 innings.
Watkins allowed one run in each of his first three starts covering 15 1/3 innings.
Left-hander Alexander Wells could follow Watkins if the Orioles employ another tandem arrangement.
Wells started Thursday for Triple-A Norfolk and tossed four scoreless innings with one hit allowed. He made 11 appearances with the Orioles last season, including eight starts, and posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.617 WHIP in 42 2/4 innings.
The Orioles will announce tonight’s starting pitcher before he begins his warm-up tosses. The wait is long, but it’s not unreasonable.
Spenser Watkins could be followed by Alexander Wells. Wells could be followed by Watkins. Both arrangements present a proper contrast in arms and styles.
Or manager Brandon Hyde has something or someone up his sleeve.
Mike Baumann pitched in relief yesterday and the Orioles like him as a multi-inning reliever, with the freedom to switch him back to a starter’s role. They have a long history of beginning a young pitcher’s career in the ‘pen.
Baumann tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings yesterday and the knee-jerk reaction is to make him the fifth starter. He could be headed for it. Or he could be really valuable in this kind of tandem setup.
The introduction began with the words “Baltimore’s own.” Family members wearing his Orioles jersey jumped to their feet behind home plate, raised their iPhones and captured the moment.
Bruce Zimmermann’s moment.
The local kid – Baltimore-born, Ellicott City resident, pitcher at Loyola Blakefield and Towson University – too busy warming in the bullpen to touch the orange carpet, but preparing to step on the rubber as the starter for the home opener.
Manager Brandon Hyde downplayed the sentimental reasons for choosing Zimmermann, and how they intertwined with such an important date on the calendar, but there wasn’t a more appropriate selection.
Hyde had the hook ready after a short spring training. Zimmermann might not make the middle innings, but he’d do his best to delay his departure.
A nine-pitch first inning, including a full-count changeup that froze Willy Adames for the strikeout. More screaming from his cheering section. A called third strike on the same pitch with Hunter Renfroe leading off the second, and Kolton Wong swinging through a slider to strand Tyrone Taylor after a two-out double – Zimmermann’s 30th pitch eliciting chants of “Bruuuce” from the crowd and fist-pumps from his loved ones.
Zimmermann escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third, and supplied four scoreless innings and a needed jolt after the weekend sweep by the Rays.
Hyde used four relievers to piece together a 2-0 victory over the Brewers before an announced sellout crowd of 44,461. Many hands needed to carry the load in the early portion of the season. Many of them reliable through four games.
Jorge López notched his second career save and first since 2019 with the Royals.
The Orioles hadn’t faced the Brewers since 2017, when they were swept in three games at Miller Park. They hadn’t hosted the Brewers since June 13-15, 2003, winning two of three with starters Sidney Ponson, Jason Johnson and Rodrigo López.
The teams hadn’t met in the Orioles’ home opener since May 1, 1995. Mike Mussina opposed Ricky Bones, and Milwaukee won 7-0.
Today marked the Orioles’ first shutout of the Brewers since June 26, 1995 in Milwaukee. It’s the first time they blanked the Brewers at home since Aug. 21, 1989.
Zimmermann retired the first two batters in the third inning, but Andrew McCutchen doubled and back-to-back walks brought pitching coach Chris Holt to the mound. Renfroe bounced to third on Zimmermann’s 54th pitch of the game. No one moved in the ‘pen.
A leadoff single by Keston Hiura in the fourth did no damage, except Dillon Tate began to warm with two outs after Cedric Mullins ran down Wong’s line drive in right-center. Mike Brosseau flied out and Zimmermann was done at 66 pitches.
“Zim pitched extremely well,” Hyde said. “I thought he had really good stuff. Good breaking ball, good changeup, kept guys off-balance, worked ahead in the count. Just really efficient, and four great innings.”
Zimmermann was the fourth Maryland native to start a home opener for the Orioles, and the first since Dave Johnson in 1990. He’s the first to do it at Camden Yards.
The Brewers had three hits against him and walked twice. Zimmermann struck out four – three on his changeup.
“It’s pretty hard to describe, to be honest with you,” Zimmermann said. “Even better than I could have imagined it going. I mean, it was perfect weather, sold out crowd, all of my family that could make it was here. Friends that I’m really close with, friends that I might have played years ago with came out. Messages I received were all incredibly special and meant a lot to me. And then, of course, we got a really awesome win, opening day, that’s what everybody wants at home. All in all, it was everything that I could have asked for and more.”
Zimmermann didn’t want until today to stroll onto the field. He did it after the team arrived last night from St. Petersburg, saying he “snuck” on it.
“I walked on the mound and tried to imagine what today would be like,” he said. “Then I tried almost to put it out of my mind this morning when I got here, tried to go about my normal routine and take care of business. Obviously, the nerves were still there, but the best way to go about them, in my opinion, is to feel as much as you can and not let it get too big. It was staying in the moment one pitch at a time.
“I think I handled it all right. Internally, it was a lot going on, but once I got out there and got through that first inning, kind of settled down. There was a lot of adrenaline to go. It was just kind of getting that first inning under my belt and it went well, and from there trusting my defense, making pitches. It was just playing baseball again.”
The day ranked with his major league debut, maybe a little more with the environment, first time seeing the ballpark so full as a player.
“It was incredibly special,” he said.
“That first inning, that punchout and walking off and hearing the Bruce chant and everything, that really kind of hit and fired me up a little bit more.”
Mike Baumann followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, only one hit allowed and one walk. He retired seven of the last eight batters.
Tate inherited a runner with one out in the seventh and Victor Caratini singled, but he escaped the jam with a long fly ball and liner to short. Left-hander Cionel Pérez got a big 6-4-3 double play to close the eighth and give him eight scoreless innings, counting spring training.
Mullins received his Silver Slugger Award to close out the pregame festivities, then struck out for the eighth time in 12 at-bats.
Anthony Santander walked with two outs, and Taylor robbed Trey Mancini of an extra-base hit and RBI by making a spectacular running catch and slamming into the wall. He landed on the warning track. The ball never touched it.
Taylor was a pest in center field, also running down Austin Hays’ deep liner with Ramón Urías on second base with one out in the second inning. But Jorge Mateo and Robinson Chirinos walked, and Mullins lined Adrian Houser’s sinker into center field for a 2-0 lead – the club’s first in 2022.
Mateo raced home with the second run, popped out of his slide and slapped his hands together. The place got loud.
“It got me excited, it got me hyped over there at first base,” Mullins said. “I saw Mateo’s reaction. We’re really into it. We’re trying go out there and play hard every single day and get some wins.”
“One of the louder moments here since I’ve been here, and a lot of fun,” Hyde said. “I know we have passionate fans and they were into the game today.
“The energy in the ballpark was fantastic. Crowd was great. It was fun to hear Orioles fans cheering, and a lot of them. I thought our guys fed off the energy. I was concerned that Zim and Mike might be a little too amped up, and I think Mike was when he first got out there, but he really settled in, and both guys handled it extremely well.”
The Orioles were 2-for-24 with runners in scoring position at Tropicana Field and 0-for-1 today before Mullins’ single. They were starved for a clutch hit.
They also were barreling Houser. Mancini’s ball in the first had an exit velocity of 104.9 mph, per Statcast, and Hays’ ball in the second registered 105.2 mph. Mullins’ single topped them at 109 mph.
Santander led off the third with a double and was stranded. So was Mateo after a one-out single in the fourth, when Brewers manager Craig Counsell replaced Houser with Aaron Ashby.
Ryan Mountcastle and Santander opened the fifth with walks, but a fly ball and Urías double play grounder stifled another rally. The Orioles put two more runners on base in the sixth on Rougned Odor’s leadoff single and a two-out error, but Mullins lined to Ashby. Another scorcher, this one 99 mph off the bat, with no return.
A fan sitting in front of the press box yelled, “Are you serious?”
Going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position at that point, eight runners stranded, was no laughing matter.
“We hit a ton of balls on the nose,” Hyde said. “The luck was not going our way offensively. Give Taylor credit for making two really great plays that cost us runs. We squared up a lot of balls, didn’t have a whole lot to show for it except for the Ced RBI single. But we pitched and played defense today and that was the key.”
Santander reached base for a fourth time with a one-out single in the seventh inning, but he, too, was grounded.
Hays reached with one out in the eighth on Adames’ throwing error – Hyde argued for Hays to be awarded second base, but the ground rule states a ball over the camera well is an extra base – Chirinos walked with two outs and the lead held at 2-0.
It stayed that way, with Baumann earning the win because Zimmermann didn’t complete the fifth. Maybe next time.
Nothing was going to ruin this day.
The Orioles won their first game of the season. Relish won the condiment race after starting 0-34 last year. The 2-0 score was the same as their victory in the inaugural game at Camden Yards 30 years ago. Home sweet home.
“It was huge,” Mullins said. “We were trying to bring a lot of energy to the games every day, and being the home opener is always a special day for us, and it was great to secure a W.”
Said Hyde: “We’ve got to give them something to cheer about, and we’ve got to give them something to root for, and I thought we did today. That’s kind of the blueprint of bringing energy to the ballpark is the type of baseball we’re playing.”
The Orioles placed pitcher Dean Kremer on the 10-day injured list today with a strained left oblique, an injury that manager Brandon Hyde said might keep him out for a month.
Kremer felt the oblique grab yesterday as he was warming in the bullpen. He was supposed to provide length behind starter Tyler Wells, who lasted only 1 2/3 innings against the Rays.
Hyde said no discussions have been held regarding the 60-day injured list.
“The oblique is tricky,” Hyde said. “I think we’re hoping three to four weeks, but you kind of never know with an oblique and he’s got to build up from there, as well. It’s an unfortunate thing that happened yesterday in the bullpen. Those things happen, but hopefully he’s back within a month or so.”
Spenser Watkins and Alexander Wells joined the club, giving the Orioles 15 pitchers and 13 position players – the expected ratio before they switched to 14/14 for the opening series. The 40-man roster is full with Watkins’ contract selected from Norfolk.
Pitchers Spenser Watkins and Alexander Wells are in the Orioles clubhouse this morning and will be part of the team’s home opener against the Brewers.
Outfielder DJ Stewart was optioned yesterday to Triple-A Norfolk and Dean Kremer is expected to go on the injured list with a strained left oblique.
Austin Hays is in left field and prepared to be introduced to the taller fence and dimensions, which Trey Mancini described as “jaw-dropping.”
Mancini is the cleanup hitter today. Anthony Santander is batting third and playing right field.
Jorge Mateo gets his fourth start at shortstop.
The next steps in the 2022 baseball season, which felt like they began with the Dec. 2 lockout, finally bring us to the first home game. The absence of a dateline on this story makes it official.
We’re not in Florida anymore.
The .500 record in exhibition games already was packed away. The 0-3 start after Tampa Bay’s sweep made the trip to Baltimore, but the baggage wasn’t all bad.
The Rays are gonna do Rays things. They’re a small-market winner that’s a blueprint and a powder-blue pest.
What did we learn about the Orioles after only three regular season games?
* We know that Jorge Mateo is going to get many, many chances to stick with the club rather than being exposed again to waivers. And in a tiny sample size, he’s viewed more as a shortstop than second baseman, based on his starts.
Mateo made a couple of impressive plays in the field and also committed a fielding error. There could be lapses in consistency, but the tools intrigue and a rebuilding team can afford a lengthy audition.
He wasn’t a top 100 prospect for three years because of his winning smile.
You can’t steal first base, and Mateo is reaching at a much higher percentage with the Orioles. He collected two hits over the first two games, including a double, and drew three walks in the series to raise his total to 10 in 128 plate appearances since the waiver claim. He had three in 121 plate appearances with the Padres.
* There could be platoons at two infield positions.
Or some semblance of them.
Kelvin Gutiérrez started at third base on opening day against Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan, and he sat the next two games versus right-handers. Rougned Odor started at second base against the right-handers and sat versus McClanahan.
Ramón Urías could be a regular who keeps bouncing between third and second, with chances to start at shortstop when Mateo is rested.
Mateo seems more comfortable at shortstop.
* Keegan Akin can throw strikes.
Akin filled up the zone Saturday afternoon, with 27 strikes among 31 pitches. An insane amount for anyone. A real eye-popper with Akin averaging 3.8 walks per nine innings last season and issuing six in 5 1/3 frames in spring training.
Troubles with command prevented Akin from making the club last spring. He was more aggressive and confident in his stuff Saturday, and coming out of the bullpen just felt right.
“I liked it, actually, to be honest with you,” he said. “I liked it a lot, so could get used to it.”
Akin smiled. Manager Brandon Hyde was beaming, with Akin the highlight of the day for him.
Does this make Akin a tandem starter, perhaps behind Tyler Wells? Is he long relief behind anyone who requires it?
Stay tuned.
* Anthony Santander isn’t planted in right field.
Santander is expected to patrol right at Camden Yards, but he was the left fielder for two days at Tropicana Field before serving yesterday as the designated hitter.
That’s half the number of starts he made in left field in 2021.
Hyde mentioned that Austin Hays is throwing the ball a little better. He also pointed out that Santander’s running has improved after he sustained ankle and knee injuries last year, but he didn’t say that “Tony” has 100 percent mobility.
Hays is likely to be the one introduced today to the new left field dimensions. Santander can observe from across the outfield if he isn’t the DH.
* The leash wasn’t long on DJ Stewart.
Stewart pinch-hit in all three games, struck out twice and flied out, and was optioned.
The choice seemed to come down to Stewart or Ryan McKenna if the Orioles decided to go with 15 pitchers and 13 position players. This could be happening, though they’d need two fresh arms with Dean Kremer expected to be placed on the injured list with an oblique strain.
Stewart lost a chunk of spring training after being hit by a fastball on his left hand. He rushed to get ready, and the club likely will explain yesterday’s optioning by saying he needs more at-bats.
* Ryan Mountcastle also can hit when he isn’t a rookie.
Mountcastle went 5-for-12 with a home run in the series. He just missed a three-run homer yesterday in the seventh inning, flying to the warning track in center field. Exit velocity of 102 mph, a 397-foot out.
No worries with this beast.
* A remade bullpen could have some real weapons.
Bryan Baker retired the first six batters he faced in two appearances before Manuel Margot led off the seventh yesterday by reaching on an infield hit that probably should have been ruled an error on Odor. Baker was good in camp and good in St. Pete.
Cionel Pérez may never give up a run. He owns a spotless ERA after six spring training games and opening day.
Félix Bautista flashed a 99 mph fastball yesterday, and we know there’s more in the tank. But his strikeouts came on a changeup and slider.
Seems unfair.
* Bautista is huge.
We already knew it, but seeing him up close really drives home the point.
The guy walks into the clubhouse and it dims. I’m not throwing shade. It’s just true.
Bautista isn’t just tall. His shoulders are so broad, he can balance equipment bags on them.
Baseball.Reference.com lists him at 6-feet-5 and 190 lbs. That was at birth.
* Speaking of nicknames, which I did with Santander, backup catcher Anthony Bemboom is “Boomer.”
Hyder used it over the weekend. It’s official.
Baseball nicknames used to be the most creative in sports. Hammerin’ Hank, Catfish, Three Finger, Toy Cannon, Bambino, Iron Horse, Rapid Robert, Teddy Ballgame, The Say Hey Kid, The Wizard of Oz, The Georgia Peach, Spaceman, Charlie Hustle, Penguin. Then, everyone got lazy and just attached a “y” sound.
The raging beat writer controversy is in the spelling. Is Jorge López written as “Lopey” or “Lopie?” Is John Means “Meansy” or “Meansie?” Is Ryan Mountcastle “Mounty” or “Mountie?” Is Austin Hays “Haysy” or “Haysie?”
Thank goodness for “Ced.” No room for debate there.
Don’t get me started on “Zim/Zimm” or “D-Tate”/“DTate.”
Hyde confirmed “Zim” and “D-Tate,” by the way. And his word is gospel.
We also settled on Lopey, Meansy, Mounty, Haysy, Robbie (Chirinos), CO (Chris Owings), Mac (Ryan McKenna) and Roogie (Odor).
Your cheat sheet for the season.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The visiting bullpen had a chance today to provide a hint to the identity of Tuesday night’s starter.
The length guy behind Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells would be excused from the guessing game.
Just as interesting as the outcome of today’s game against the Rays.
Wells supplied only 1 2/3 innings, his exit coming after Brandon Lowe’s two-run homer. Félix Bautista made his major league debut, fed Wander Franco 99 mph fastballs and struck him out with a changeup.
Dean Kremer warmed in the bullpen, appearing to eliminate him from the assignment at Camden Yards, but he walked to the dugout while Bautista came back out for a scoreless third. Joey Krehbiel, Bryan Baker and Paul Fry followed in an 8-0 loss to Tampa Bay that completed the sweep.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tyler Wells is making his first start in the regular season today since Aug. 31, 2018 with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts, when he allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde won’t let him go that far.
Wells is on a gradual progression as a starting pitcher, and his innings will be controlled. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019, didn’t pitch in 2020 with the minor league season canceled and worked in short relief last summer as a Rule 5 pick.
John Means completed four innings Friday and Jordan Lyles went five yesterday. Wells is on a different schedule.
Asked whether Wells is stretched out enough to maybe work five innings, depending on pitch count, Hyde said, “Probably not. I think it’s more three to four. We’ll see how it goes.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The first major league start for Orioles right-hander Tyler Wells coincides today with the conclusion of the first series of 2022.
Wells is trying to give the Orioles at least four innings before manager Brandon Hyde begins sorting through his bullpen. Perhaps Hyde can find length with one reliever, as Keegan Akin provided yesterday by covering the last three frames.
The Orioles will try to snap a 14-game losing streak to the Rays.
Anthony Bemboom gets his first start behind the plate after breaking camp as the backup to Robinson Chirinos. He could be removed from the active roster by the end of the month or in early May, depending on Adley Rutschman’s arrival date.
“You never know what’s going to happen, but I think Boomer is a pro,” Hyde said yesterday. “He’s been in this role when he’s been in the big leagues, and as well as in Triple-A. It’s not been an everyday, five-, six-day-a-week guy, so he knows how to prepare himself, he knows how to get ready. He’s extremely intelligent, he’s an incredible worker, he’s always the first guy to the ballpark, extremely prepared. So I think that we’re really comfortable with him handling the pitching staff on the days he catches, coming into a game if I pinch-hit for Chirinos. I’m really comfortable with him behind the plate.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Whether Cionel Pérez made the Orioles roster on opening day appeared to hinge on if they carried a third left-hander in the bullpen. He’d have to earn a job and co-exist with Paul Fry and Tanner Scott, far from a certainty with relievers who provide length coveted after a lockout and shrunken camp.
Then, Pérez strung together scoreless appearances like pearls. Six in a row totaling six innings. And the Orioles traded Scott and right-hander Cole Sulser to the Marlins.
Co-existing turned into being the first lefty used on opening day. Pérez got the sixth with the score tied, Fry entered in the eighth with two outs, the bases loaded and a Orioles down by a run.
Pérez induced a fly ball and struck out two batters. Another pearl on the strand.
“I think it shows great confidence, and I appreciate that,” Pérez said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “I’m super excited to see how it goes the rest of the year. I’m ready to be in the game during those situations.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The first two Orioles starters have needed 44 pitches to complete two innings. Veterans who will be permitted later to absorb a heavier workload.
Jordan Lyles followed John Means today and notched a scoreless first on only 10 pitches, with shortstop Jorge Mateo making a sliding backhand stop and throwing to second base for the force. Lyles racked up 34 in the second, allowing three runs but never causing the bullpen to stir.
The game was spliced again into multiple angles. How many innings could Lyles give manager Brandon Hyde? How would the rest be covered? Could the Orioles overcome the deficit?
Five innings. One reliever. And no.
Their first hit off Rays starter Drew Rasmussen was a two-run, opposite-field homer by Ryan Mountcastle in the third, but Francisco Mejía lined a two-run shot to right in the bottom half. Lyles had a tidy seven-pitch inning in the fourth to leave him at 73, enabling him to return for the fifth and throw 10 more.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is confident that veteran starter Jordan Lyles can give the team significant innings, can be a workhorse on a staff that’s short on track records and projected to get younger as some of the top prospects are promoted over the summer.
Those innings will come gradually, however, after a shortened camp.
Lyles will get the same treatment today as John Means did last night, with Hyde adhering to a lower pitch count coming out of the gate.
“I’m looking forward to turning both of those guys loose,” Hyde said this morning. “Jordan’s in a similar boat. He made the same amount of starts as John. He’s going to be in the five-inning, 85-pitch range, and hopefully we continue to build both those guys to get to a normal number in the next start or two.
“We just don’t have any experience, really, in our pitching staff, and for a guy (Lyles) to have, I think yesterday was his 10th opening day, a guy that’s pitched on multiple teams, a guy who’s historically pitched a lot of innings, that’s going to be huge for us. A guy in our rotation who has pitched against major league lineups, a lot of different ones, and be able to navigate through … I think you saw the benefit of (Robinson) Chirinos yesterday with our inexperienced guys on the mound, really helping them through. So, I’m looking forward to having some veteran presence behind the plate, as well as on the mound.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Right-hander Jordan Lyles makes his official Orioles debut this afternoon as they resume their opening series of 2022 against the Rays.
Lyles has allowed eight runs in four career appearances against the Rays covering 21 1/3 innings. He’s made two starts at Tropicana Field and surrendered six runs in 10 2/3 innings.
Mike Zunino is 2-for-6 against him, highlighting today’s small sample sizes.
Austin Hays is in right field again today, with Anthony Santander in left. Hays is lowered to sixth in the order. Ramón Urías is starting at third base and batting fifth.
Rougned Odor makes his first start after delivering a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning last night.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde used six pitchers yesterday just to get through a regulation 2-1 loss to the Rays on opening day. Knowing that he couldn’t count on starter John Means to get deep into the game in the left-hander’s first start after a truncated spring training. Comfortable to play match-ups and use shorter-inning relievers to cover what remained after the fourth.
Paul Fry was the last man standing among the group of Orioles, and he had the lightest workload.
One batter, four pitches, one soft line drive to leave the bases loaded.
A big deal because he kept the score close. A bigger deal considering the opponent.
The Rays battered Fry last summer, handing him three loses and forcing a demotion to Triple-A Norfolk on Aug. 29 that lasted through the rest of the season. The final straw being the four runs allowed in one-third of an inning – Joey Wendle’s grand slam after a single and two walks loaded the bases.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The first pitch of the Orioles’ 2022 season hit Cedric Mullins on the right elbow.
Mullins shook his hand and jogged to first base. Manager Brandon Hyde probably just shook in the dugout.
Must protect the franchise’s first 30/30 player. Must not let the incident become symbolic in any way.
The Orioles loaded the bases with one out and didn’t score. More painful than the errant 97 mph fastball from Shane McClanahan.
An actual symbol related back to spring training. Starters on stricter pitch counts following an abbreviated camp. A watchful eye on John Means as he reached 44 pitches through the second inning and 69 after the third, which included Brandon Lowe’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Baltimore native Bruce Zimmermann didn’t get the chance to surprise family and friends with confirmation that he’s starting Monday’s home opener. Word already spread via social media.
“Honestly, most of them heard it before I could even tell them,” he said this morning. “I got the news and then went out to practice for the day and came back, and my phone had already started blowing up. I called my parents, called my agent, stuff like that. It was pretty awesome, very grateful for the opportunity and they’re all looking for it as much as I am, to be honest.”
Zimmermann, acquired from the Braves as part of the Kevin Gausman/Darren O’Day deal in 2018, said he was at a loss for words when told about his assignment.
“Obviously, I was hoping to get in the rotation and whatnot, but to be able to fall into that home opener, it’s a dream come true, to be honest,” he said.
The atmosphere will be electric compared to Zimmermann’s debut in Game 2 of a Sept. 17 doubleheader against the Rays, when fans weren’t allowed through the gates due to the pandemic. Family and friends were permitted inside last summer during the period of limited capacity.
