Hyde on Mountcastle: "I'm going to play him a lot"

Hyde on Mountcastle: "I'm going to play him a lot"
Ryan Mountcastle isn't here to sit. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde inserted Mountcastle into tonight's lineup, giving one of the organization's top prospects the start in left field and batting him sixth. And Mountcastle is going to stay busy, including the possibility of making some starts at first base with Chris Davis on the injured list. "I'm going to play him a lot," Hyde said today in his Zoom conference call with the media. "He's playing left field tonight. We're going to give him...
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Mountcastle in left field for tonight's debut

Mountcastle in left field for tonight's debut
Ryan Mountcastle is starting in left field tonight and making his major league debut. He's batting sixth. Pedro Severino is the designated hitter and batting fourth. Chance Sisco is behind the plate. Mountcastle's first act as a major league player was to spend almost nine minutes on a Zoom conference call with the media. Here's a sampling: On his reaction to the promotion: "I was just chilling in bed and Gary Kendall gave me a call around 10 o'clock in the morning and let me know that I...
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Orioles place Chris Davis on injured list while recalling Mountcastle

Orioles place Chris Davis on injured list while recalling Mountcastle
The Orioles placed first baseman Chris Davis on the 10-day injured list this afternoon to make room for Ryan Mountcastle on the active roster. Davis is bothered by left knee patellar tendinitis, according to the team's press release. Mountcastle is wearing uniform No. 6 and waiting to make his major league debut. The lineup hasn't been posted for tonight's game against the Red Sox. Davis didn't play again last night and is slashing .122/.173/.184 with three doubles, three walks and 16...
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Orioles promoting Mountcastle for tonight's game

Orioles promoting Mountcastle for tonight's game
The long-awaited arrival of prospect Ryan Mountcastle to the majors is happening tonight. The Orioles are recalling Mountcastle from the alternate camp site in Bowie, according to an industry source. He's going to be in uniform for tonight's game against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. The team hasn't announced the move or offered confirmation. Mountcastle is the organization's No. 5 prospect per Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com and the most recent Most Valuable Player of the International...
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Wojciechowski loses handle on Red Sox in 7-1 loss (updated)

Wojciechowski loses handle on Red Sox in 7-1 loss (updated)
The Orioles finally got away from a Blue Jays player who feasts on their pitching like he's breaking a fast. Was it their turn tonight to pick on the opponent? To do it with their starting pitcher? Asher Wojciechowski made three starts against the Red Sox last season and allowed two runs in 17 2/3 innings. He registered a 5.98 ERA in his other 14 appearances. A no-hitter was carried into the seventh inning on July 21 before Rafael Devers stroked a leadoff double. Wojciechowski reached his...
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Some Ripken reflections on 2,131 and more on his cancer diagnosis

Some Ripken reflections on 2,131 and more on his cancer diagnosis
As the latest anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr.'s record-setting night approaches, he spun a popular question usually directed at himself while speaking with a group of local beat writers yesterday on a Zoom conference call. The proverbial shoe placed on the other foot. Does it really seem like it's been 25 years since he surpassed Lou Gehrig for most consecutive games played at 2,131? Since he took that glorious lap around the warning track while bathed in an ovation that lasted more than 22...
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Hyde meets with team to review fundamentals

Hyde meets with team to review fundamentals
The Orioles won't jog onto the field for the start of tonight's game until manager Brandon Hyde holds a meeting that's intended to review some basic fundamentals that were neglected earlier this week. Breakdowns on defense and the bases made it much harder for Hyde to accept the Blue Jays' three-game sweep and his team's tumble to the .500 mark. Play properly and move on to the next opponent. Hyde didn't see it happening against the Jays. One sequence lingered for him, when Renato...
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Shepherd outrighted, Alberto leading off

Shepherd outrighted, Alberto leading off
Reliever Chandler Shepherd has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to the alternate camp site in Bowie. The 60-man pool is holding 59 players. The Orioles designated Shepherd for assignment on Sunday to create a roster spot for John Means, who was reinstated from the bereavement list. Shepherd could have declined the assignment and become a free agent based on a previous designation. Hanser Alberto returns to the leadoff spot for tonight's series opener against the Red Sox at Camden...
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Ripken goes public with news of prostate cancer and full recovery

Ripken goes public with news of prostate cancer and full recovery
Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is approaching the 25th anniversary of his historic 2,131st consecutive game, a record that wasn't supposed to be broken. A night he's going to keep reliving as he gets closer to the date. It's certain to be one of the most important moments of the year for Ripken, but health scares bring a perspective that never fails to resonate. Cancer comes before baseball. Learning you have it and then beating it. Ripken, who turns 60 on Monday, has gone public for the first...
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This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles shouldn't go streaking while José Iglesias has a sore quad. (A failed attempt to reference "Old School") This team has played eight series. Six have resulted in sweeps - the Orioles on the good side of three and the bad side of three. And now their losing streak has reached four games to lower their record to 12-12. The alternate cap should have a broom on the front. Players that live by the clichéd "one game at a time" motto are handling the losses in the same manner as...
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Orioles can't get Grichuk or avoid sweep (updated)

Orioles can't get Grichuk or avoid sweep (updated)
Randal Grichuk keeps homering against the Orioles as if his contract provides incentives for it. Just one team. No one else. Grichuk hit two more today off left-hander Tommy Milone, raising his total to four in the series and 16 in 33 career games versus the Orioles. His leadoff shot in the second inning gave Toronto an early lead. His two-run shot in the sixth gave them a new one. One ball cleared the center field fence, the other bounced off an orange awning in the home bullpen. The Orioles...
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Notes on Sisco setup, Scott's dominance and Hays healing

Notes on Sisco setup, Scott's dominance and Hays healing
The Orioles could be poised to revert back to a leadoff platoon. Manager Brandon Hyde elevated Hanser Alberto to first in the order against left-handed starters in 2019, with Jonathan Villar leading off versus right-handers. But Villar was traded to the Marlins over the winter and a new plan seems to be taking shape. Chance Sisco remains in the lineup today against Blue Jays right-hander Tanner Roark and he's batting first for only the second time in his career. The debut came last night...
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Orioles and Blue Jays lineups

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups
Chance Sisco remains in the leadoff spot today for the Orioles, and he's also behind the plate. Sisco is the first Orioles catcher to bat first since Floyd Rayford on June 26, 1985. Curt Blefary is the only other Orioles catcher to do it back in April 1968. Sisco walked and homered last night as the designated hitter. Hanser Alberto moves down to fifth in the order. Chris Davis is in the lineup today, as the Orioles try to avoid the sweep. Pat Valaika is the shortstop and Cedric Mullins is in...
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Could Sisco get more chances to bat leadoff?

Could Sisco get more chances to bat leadoff?
Chance Sisco led off for the Orioles last night, but as the designated hitter. Not the starting catcher, where he'd normally be assigned. We won't let it ruin our fun. Who was the last Orioles catcher to bat first? Floyd Rayford on June 26, 1985. Rayford, mainly a third baseman, was behind the plate for Scott McGregor's start in New York. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a 4-3 loss. Rickey Henderson swiped second and third base. Henderson was so eager to run, which is like saying water...
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Santander's two homers still leave Orioles short in 8-7 loss (updated)

Santander's two homers still leave Orioles short in 8-7 loss (updated)
The pose has become familiar. He just needs paparazzi to capture the moment. Anthony Santander unloads on another ball and admires its flight, tosses his bat and beings a slow trot to first base. He'll glance at the dugout and gesture to teammates. A pointed finger, a few words. A celebration after crossing home plate with fists and elbows sometimes touching only air. The hard contact's already been made. Santander extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games tonight with a two-run...
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Hyde on Alberto, Iglesias, Urías, Davis and Harvey

Hyde on Alberto, Iglesias, Urías, Davis and Harvey
Catcher Chance Sisco has hit in every spot in the order except first during his major league career. There's a first time for everything. Sisco is leading off tonight as the Orioles continue their series against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Manager Brandon Hyde needed a replacement for Hanser Alberto, who's healthy but getting a breather. Sisco has a .474 on-base percentage and the team doesn't carry a prototypical leadoff hitter on the active roster. Makes sense to try it. Cedric Mullins...
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Orioles place Iglesias on injured list (plus Orioles lineup)

Orioles place Iglesias on injured list (plus Orioles lineup)
The Orioles have placed shortstop José Iglesias on the 10-day injured list today and recalled infielder Ramón Urías from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Iglesias is dealing with a left quadriceps strain and has been limited to sporadic appearances in the lineup and in the field due to his injury. Manager Brandon Hyde suggested yesterday that the IL had become a consideration, though the Orioles hate to lose a bat that's been extremely productive. They're left with no choice. Signed...
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Orioles traveling tough division road, Davis sits again

Orioles traveling tough division road, Davis sits again
The dog days of August can clamp down on a team under normal circumstances or in a season that's been shortened and manipulated and undergone changes on the fly. The Orioles began a stretch last night of 14 straight games against division opponents. They knew it was coming. The restrictions on travel set them up for it. They won two of three games in Boston to start the season, lost twice to the Yankees and swept the Rays. Now they get the Blue Jays for three, followed by four against the Red...
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Infield hits and one big swing doom Cobb in 7-2 loss (updated)

Infield hits and one big swing doom Cobb in 7-2 loss (updated)
The Orioles can no longer hide, even on the nights they'd like to do it. They've been ignored by the national media over the past few years because rebuilds don't have much curb appeal, but recognition is increasing beyond the local coverage. They've become the talk of Twitter, MLB Network and other outlets. This is the good kind of attention. No accusations of "tanking" or being "historically bad." But none of it really matters to them. They've done a pretty good job of tuning out the...
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Iglesias becoming a consideration for injured list

Iglesias becoming a consideration for injured list
The inability to keep shortstop José Iglesias in the lineup due to a sore left quadriceps muscle has the Orioles at least pondering the benefits of a stint on the 10-day injured list. Iglesias is on the bench again tonight and has been the designated hitter on three occasions to lessen the strain on his leg. He's appeared in 16 games, making 10 starts at shortstop, and slashed .400/.414/.564 with nine doubles and 10 RBIs. "That's a possibility," manager Brandon Hyde said during today's...
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