The bullpen game plotted tonight by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde began to live up to its definition perhaps a bit sooner than anticipated.
Conner Greene couldn't give the Orioles a second inning as the opener, his 24 pitches in a scoreless first against the Phillies beginning the parade of relievers.
Marcos Diplán tossed two scoreless innings. Thomas Eshelman stranded a runner in the fourth, retired the side in order in the fifth and struck out two batters in the sixth around J.T....
The Orioles have placed outfielder DJ Stewart on the 60-day injured list with a right knee osteochondral defect and selected the contract of reliever César Valdez from Triple-A Norfolk.
Putting Stewart on the 60-day IL created a spot for Valdez on the 40-man roster. Stewart wasn't going to return before the season ended on Oct. 3.
An osteochondral defect, according to a quick Internet search, refers to a focal area of damage that involves both the cartilage and a piece of underlying bone....
With rookie Chris EIlis unavailable to make tonight's start due to some arm fatigue, the Orioles are going with Conner Greene in a bullpen game against the Phillies.
Greene is making his first major league start after 18 relief appearances this season. He hasn't gone more than two innings or thrown more than 37 pitches, which happened in his debut on July 27 against the Marlins.
Until allowing three runs Sunday in one-third of an inning at Fenway Park, Greene had strung together six scoreless...
The 2021 season is down to a dozen games, and egging on the Orioles to keep playing won't do you any good. They'll be scrambling to make their flights home or to get back to Baltimore.
Perhaps they'll also get some satisfaction from influencing a couple of pennant races. The schedule has set them up for it.
They left Boston on Sunday afternoon and flew into Philadelphia, facing another team desperate for wins that can get it into the playoffs.
A four-game series against the Rangers won't...
Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is just getting a rest day, according to manager Brandon Hyde. He isn't injured and he isn't necessarily staying on the bench for tonight's series opener in Philadelphia.
"After a busy weekend, it's a good day to give him a rest and he'll be ready for a pinch-hit or coming into the game," Hyde said.
Mullins is one home run short of joining the 30/30 club and being the lone member with the Orioles.
Mullins is trying to become the first center fielder,...
The Orioles lineup for tonight's series opener in Philadelphia excludes Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini and Ramón UrÃas.
Mancini had his first multi-RBI game yesterday since July 11 against the White Sox, but he's dealing with a sore oblique. UrÃas has been in and out of the lineup with to a sore right leg.
National League rules prevent Mancini from serving as the designated hitter.
Austin Hays, with seven RBIs in his last five games and 18 in his last 15, is leading off and playing...
BOSTON - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde expressed his opinion of reliever Eric Hanhold by getting the right-hander out of Friday night's game after only two batters.
Sounds bad until Hyde explains why.
Hanhold retired both batters in the sixth after replacing Dusten Knight, snagging a comebacker to get Hunter Renfroe in a rundown between second and third base and striking out Rafael Devers on a 95 mph fastball, and made such an impression on Hyde that he was removed to keep him available the...
BOSTON - The last of the three young starters for the Orioles took his lumps today just like everyone else. With the Red Sox showing no mercy early in their quest to earn a wild card spot in the playoffs.
Go easy and you might be going home, and not to host a game in the postseason.
Alexander Wells stepped into traffic this afternoon, knowing the risks and hoping to come out fine on the other side. Whether he did is open to interpretation, but it sure felt that way.
He loaded the bases with no...
BOSTON - Ramón UrÃas worked out at third base this morning and has been scratched from the original lineup. Kelvin Gutiérrez is starting at third base.
UrÃas has been bothered by soreness in his right leg, which takes him in and out of the lineup.
"He went and tried to run this morning and it didn't feel great," said manager Brandon Hyde.
Anthony Santander is in left field again, a Fenway Park maneuver, with Austin Hays in right. Trey Mancini returns to the lineup as the...
BOSTON - The Orioles shook up their bullpen again this morning by selecting the contract of Thomas Eshelman from Triple-A Norfolk and recalling Brooks Kriske from the Tides.
In corresponding moves, the club has optioned Spenser Watkins to Norfolk and designated Dusten Knight for assignment. Knight had to be moved in order to create space for Eshelman on the 40-man roster.
Kriske, claimed off waivers from the Yankees, joined the Orioles over the weekend and went through the intake process after...
BOSTON - The Orioles conclude their series against the Red Sox this afternoon with another rookie on the mound. Another enormous challenge that, at the least, can push along the education of a young starting pitcher.
As long as it doesn't break him.
Alexander Wells receives his turn after Keegan Akin and Zac Lowther pitched in the first two games of the series.
Got to make sure the Red Sox get their fill of lefty prospects.
So, where does this group go for support? To ensure that any beatings...
BOSTON - The Orioles came out swinging today in baseball's most literal sense.
The first pitch to Cedric Mullins was lined into left field for a double. The first to Ryan Mountcastle was launched for a two-run homer. The first to Anthony Santander was lined to center for a single. The first to Austin Hays was pulled foul before he drew a walk.
Nick Pivetta needed to pivot. The Orioles needed to find a way to sustain their momentum, which can be halted as if reaching a barricade.
Rookie Zac...
BOSTON - Trey Mancini, Pedro Severino and Ramón UrÃas are out of the Orioles lineup for today's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
DJ Stewart is the designated hitter and he's batting fifth.
Pat Valaika is the second baseman, with Richie Martin at shortstop.
UrÃas has a 12-game on-base streak. He also has a sore right upper leg.
Austin Hays, today's cleanup hitter and right fielder, leads the Orioles with 34 RBIs since the All-Star break and has hit seven homers with 16 RBIs...
BOSTON - The decision late Thursday night to option Orioles infielder Jahmai Jones to Triple-A Norfolk apparently was made to provide consistent at-bats to a player who had migrated to the bench. His last start on Sept. 11 prompting a reporter to ask manager Brandon Hyde whether Jones was injured.
That's one reason why Jones is gone.
He would have stayed in the lineup if swinging a hotter bat and playing better in the field. And opportunities at second base were drying up, with Hyde preferring...
BOSTON - They didn't look like the Red Sox tonight. The yellow jerseys and powder blue caps. Promotional uniforms from Nike, also featured by six other clubs.
Couldn't fool the Orioles, though.
They knew which team was running up Keegan Akin's pitch count early, wrestling away a lead and preparing to hand them a 100th loss in 2021.
Four of the first five hits off Akin were for extra bases, including Bobby Dalbec's leadoff home run in the fourth, left-hander Chris Sale marked his return from...
BOSTON - The Orioles have subtracted an infielder and added a reliever as they begin a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
A day after optioning Jahmai Jones, the club has recalled pitcher Dusten Knight from Triple-A Norfolk to provide another arm in their bullpen.
Knight has made five appearances with the Orioles and allowed six earned runs (seven total) and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. He's walked four batters and struck out nine.
Knight's most recent appearance with...
Individual achievements remain in play for the Orioles as the final weeks expire on their season. During those times when trying to be spoilers doesn't bring full satisfaction.
Ryan Mountcastle led off the bottom of the sixth inning today by depositing Jordan Montgomery's sinker into the Orioles bullpen, his 29th home run breaking Cal Ripken Jr.'s rookie record for a single season.
Mountcastle also cut a deficit in half and the bullpen provided 4 1/3 scoreless innings in regulation. Clay...
This isn't the first stretch of games that has mistreated Orioles rookie Tyler Wells. He's faced adversity this summer. Head-on and in front of vocal crowds.
He's overcome it, too.
Perhaps it just seems like a new situation for Wells because he's the closer, his jump as a Rule 5 selection from Double-A to the majors requiring more length and with further risk of a rough landing.
Wells has fumbled back-to-back save opportunities, the latest Wednesday night against the Yankees. His ERA in the...
Trey Mancini and Pedro Severino remain out of the Orioles lineup this afternoon for the series finale against the Yankees that also closes out the homestand.
"Both of those guys a little bit better today," said manager Brandon Hyde. "Trey's testing it right now in the batting cage and obviously not starting, but hopefully in the lineup in the next couple days."
Infielder Jahmai Jones remains on the bench, but he isn't hurt.
"Just playing Richie (Martin) at short tonight, keeping...
The Orioles claimed right-hander Brooks Kriske off waivers from the Yankees this afternoon and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.
Pitcher Jorge López was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. López is done for the season after spraining his right ankle.
Kriske, 27, was a sixth-round pick in 2016 out of USC who made eight relief appearances this summer and allowed 13 earned runs (14 total) and 12 hits in 7 2/3 innings. He walked six batters and struck...