Hyde trying to find situations that enable Kimbrel and Soto to become high-leverage contributors

The off-day enabled the Orioles to freshen their bullpen heading into the Nationals series after left-hander Cionel Pérez worked back-to-back games at Tropicana Field following an earlier stretch in the month of four appearances in five days. Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez weren’t available Sunday after pitching in the previous two games.

Craig Kimbrel and left-hander Gregory Soto are working under different conditions.

Kimbrel has appeared in three games this month, with four days’ rest before Sunday’s outing that resulted in the tie-breaking run scoring against him in the eighth inning. Soto has pitched four times – with his most recent outing on Thursday. He entered in the sixth inning in his first three games with the Orioles and twice surrendered four runs.

Manager Brandon Hyde can’t always avoid using multiple relievers in high-leverage situations. He’s got to find innings that get them back on track but also help the Orioles win.

“We’re going to need both of them, so I’m going to have to find a way,” he said. “Craig had that All-Star first half and when he had a little blip we found a way to kind of get him back rolling again. I’ve tried to do that again here the second half. I thought he threw better in Toronto. That inning looked more like him. The way we were in the ‘pen a couple days ago, wanted to give him that eighth inning and his command just wasn’t very good that day, unfortunately. So hopefully he can rebound from that. But we’re going to need him in the last two months big-time.”

Hyde is impressed with Soto’s stuff and just needs the numbers to match it.

Soto struggled with the Phillies and got off to a rough start with the Orioles before retiring the side in order in the eighth inning Thursday.

“Gave him a couple low-leverage spots,” Hyde said. “I put him in in a sixth inning spot (Aug. 6), little bit of trouble with command there, gave up the homer to (Alejandro) Kirk after not getting the lefty out. But those are the situations I’m going to need him to pitch in. If we’re going to do anything down the stretch we’re going to need not just Cano and Seranthony – Seranthony’s been unbelievable – but we’re going to need six to eight guys to be able to pitch in big spots.

“Everybody wants me to pitch the same guys every single night. It’s not doable. They’re going to blow out before the season’s over. We need all eight guys. Whoever that is in the ‘pen, to be able to get different kinds of outs throughout the game. We did a good job of that last year and the year before, and it’s important for us this year.”

The task would be much easier with Félix Bautista, Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb.

Kimbrel is trying to make the adjustment to sporadic usage and a different type of role.

“We wanted to give him a little bit of time off to work on some things, also,” Hyde said. “I think he needs to pitch, but this last time was more of, there was some mechanical, other things to allow him to try to kind of clear his mind, to try to feel right on the mound. That’s why there wasn’t regular (work). Plus, when we’re winning games I was going with other guys until he kind of got going again.

“Hopefully he’ll get going again so I can use him in big spots.”

* Jackson Holliday is batting eighth tonight ahead of third baseman Ramón Urías. He has three hits in his last 22 at-bats, but they’re all home runs.

For the Nationals

Alex Call RF
CJ Abrams SS
Juan Yepez DH
Keibert Ruiz C
James Wood LF
Andrés Chaparro 1B
Ildemaro Vargas 3B
Luis García Jr. 2B
Jacob Young CF

Jake Irvin RHP