Leftovers for breakfast

CLEVELAND - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spoke with Ryan Mountcastle yesterday afternoon, trying to get his first baseman to relax at the plate. To be the hitter he was a few months ago.

“It’s a young guy pressing. That’s what it is,” Hyde said before the series opener in Cleveland.

“A young guy who’s just trying to do way too much.”

Mountcastle flied to deep right field in the second inning, keeping his hitless streak at 14 at-bats in a row but scoring Ramón Urías with a sacrifice fly.

Lowered to seventh in the order for the first time since 2021, Mountcastle also grounded out and walked.

“He’s trying to hit his way out of it,” Hyde said earlier. “Ryan’s got so much ability, so much power, and such a good feel to hit. I think he just gets into moments where he tries to hit six homers in one (at-bat). He’s going to mis-hit homers if he’s just short to the baseball and swinging at strikes.

“He’s trying to produce, too. It’s a young guy that understands there are guys on base a lot in front of him right now and he’s trying to drive them in. Just not happening right now, but hopefully we can get him back to that spot where he was in June and do what he did then for the next couple months.”

Mountcastle would love to settle back into his June form, when he batted .297/.346/.614 with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 110 plate appearances.

“I was looking at his numbers month-by-month,” Hyde said. “It’s incredible what he did in June. That shows you what kind of hitter he can be. He knows that. He’s had a rough patch lately by expanding the strike zone.

“He wants to contribute to winning, too. He hasn’t done what he wants to do offensively, but he is doing it defensively. He’s playing great defensively, so that’s been huge to see.”

* Mullins is trending the other way, though he went hitless in four at-bats last night in a 5-1 loss. He was batting .300/.365/.467 in the second half.

“He’s kind of getting back to a little bit of the table setter,” Hyde said. “The guy’s able to drive the ball out of the ballpark, and a tough out at the top of the order in front of (Adley) Rutschman and (Anthony) Santander, who do such a great job of getting on base and taking pitches.

“Ced is starting to use a little bit more of a whole field, as well. The bunt’s back into play. So, he’s taking some really good at-bat lately.

* The Orioles have two games remaining with the Guardians, giving them two more chances to face a right-handed starter. Mullins has been sitting more often against lefties.

The southpaw drought began after an Aug. 15 game in Toronto, when the Jays started Yusei Kukuchi. He allowed three earned runs and six total in 3 1/3 innings.

Alex Manoah and Ross Stripling started the next two games. The Cubs started Adrian Sampson in the makeup game at Camden Yards. The Red Sox started Kutter Crawford, Michael Wacha and Nic Pivetta. The White Sox started Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn. The Astros started Lance McCullers Jr., José Urquidy and Justin Verlander.

The streak will reach 15 games in a row before the Athletics visit Camden Yards for a weekend series.

Oakland is expected to start two left-handers, with Cole Irvin lined up to be one of them. JP Sears’ last appearance was Friday.

* Grayson Rodriguez begins his rehab assignment Thursday night at High-A Aberdeen. His first real game since June 1 with Triple-A Norfolk, when he suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right lat.

“I feel good,” he told the media yesterday at Ripken Stadium. “Obviously, it’s great to just be back here in Maryland where full-season ball is. So, getting out of Florida was pretty nice.

“There was a question whether I would pitch again and that was kind of tough. But now being back, knowing I’m going to get the last month is huge. I would say the last simulated game I threw in Florida was as close to 100 percent as I could get. I’m as prepared as I can be.”

Rodriguez was busy last week in Sarasota, where he threw a bullpen session and live batting practice two days later.

Baseball’s top pitching prospect finished the Florida portion of his progression with his simulated game on Saturday that actually was like batting practice except for a smattering of fielders behind him. It’s basically the same thing.

There weren’t enough players at the minor league complex to organize a game.

“He looks healthy,” said Dave Schmidt, the Orioles’ Florida pitching and rehab coordinator. “He came along. He had quite an extended break, and when he started throwing, it took a week or so just to get the feel for which direction the ball was going. But he recovered quickly and he’s healthy and he’s out of here.

“I live here, and so I know guys can’t wait to get out of here because it means that they’re healthy and they’re going back to pitch competitively. I understand that sentiment for sure.”

* The Orioles have collected just one hit in three games this season to tie the Yankees and Pirates for most times held to one hit or fewer.

They lost a series opener last night for only the third time in the last 13 tries. They fell to 44-13 this season when scoring first.