DENVER – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde broke out the right-handed lineup tonight, having learned a while ago to write with his fingers crossed.

Emmanuel Rivera would play first base and bat seventh, getting another start with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list. Rivera responded with his first hits, home run and RBIs with the Orioles to prove that he can do more than draw walks.

They’ll take anything from their offense, of course. This isn’t a team that can afford to be picky.

Albert Suárez navigated some early trouble to complete a career-high seven innings, Jackson Holliday had an RBI triple and run scored in the ninth, and the Orioles defeated the Rockies 5-3 before an announced crowd of 30,444 at Coors Field.

The Orioles went 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position but improved their record to 78-58. The Yankees defeated the Cardinals earlier today to maintain their 1 ½-game lead in the division.

The Orioles West Coast trip moved a bit inland but still far away from Camden Yards. The O's have moved from Los Angeles to Denver and tonight will begin a three-game series at Coors Field versus the Colorado Rockies.

The Orioles (77-58) begin play this weekend 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees (78-56) who this weekend host the St. Louis Cardinals. 

The Rockies (50-85, .370) have the second-worst record in the National League, ahead of only Miami. Colorado just split four games versus Miami, scoring eight runs each of the last three games and 27 runs in the series.

Colorado has lost six of nine and 10 of their past 16 games. The Rockies are 12-20 since July 26 with a -49 run differential in that span.

But while the Rockies are 19-50 (.275) on the road, they are much better at home at 31-35 (.470). In their past 26 games at home, they are 15-11.

DENVER – The Orioles have totaled four hits or fewer in five of their last 11 games. They’ve scored three runs or fewer in eight of their last 12.

Manager Bandon Hyde has only so many lineup combinations to play. He’s got Austin Slater leading off tonight and Emmanuel Rivera playing first base against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber at Coors Field. James McCann is catching.

Slater is 9-for-19 with three doubles and two triples against Gomber. Rivera and McCann are 1-for-6 with a home run.

Adley Rutschman is on the bench. He went 2-for-12 against the Dodgers and is batting .211/.285/.325 in 33 games since the All-Star break.

Eloy Jiménez is the cleanup hitter. Ramón Urías is batting fifth.

For the second game in a row, the contest was moving to the later innings. The O’s offense had been very quiet but the Orioles loaded the bases in the sixth down 2-0 looking for that one big swing.

They got it again today.

Jackson Holliday’s pinch-hit, bases-clearing double turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead today in the last of the sixth. Another big Camden Yards crowd was roaring as the kid ended an 0-for-20 slump in a huge way.

Holliday attacked the first pitch from reliever Tayler Scott, who entered the game with a 1.92 ERA, an OPS against of .543 and a batting average against of .196 when pitching with runners in scoring position.

But Holliday lined Scott's splitter into the gap in right-center at 105.9 mph off the bat to score three for the lead.

The bond between outfielder Nick Markakis and hitting coach Terry Crowley really began to develop early in the 2006 season.

The former Orioles first-round draft pick was struggling as a rookie. Talk of sending him back to the minors grew louder. Few, if any, signs existed that he’d eventually receive votes for Rookie of the Year.

“The first month and a half I did not feel solidified. That’s when I started working with Crow,” Markakis said yesterday after the Orioles Hall of Fame luncheon.

“We basically started from the bottom. Get a good foundation, get the basics out of the way.”

Crowley had a knack for making a player feel relaxed, to keep the instruction and advice from becoming too complicated or cumbersome.

The first Red Sox batter to put a ball in play this afternoon lined it directly into Albert Suárez’s glove. It wasn’t a screamer at 64 mph. It was, however, a good indicator of what the Orioles were getting again from their rotation replacement.

Suárez would keep denying Boston’s hitters and he’d do so in his usual quiet fashion.

The Orioles’ offense was every bit as quiet again until Adley Rutschman, returning to the lineup after being scratched Friday, hit his first home run since July 19.

The former first-overall draft pick coming to the aid of the journeyman with seven years between major league appearances and eight between starts.

Suárez increased his career-high scoreless streak to 17 2/3 innings with six more today, Gunnar Henderson homered for the fourth time in five games, and the Orioles gained a split of the series with a 4-2 victory before an announced crowd of 27,104 at Camden Yards.

On this homestand against Washington and Boston that ends today, the Orioles won Wednesday and Thursday, allowing one run each game. But they have lost the other three games, allowing nine, 12 and five runs.

From April 24, 2023 to June 20, 2024, the Orioles went 22 straight series against American League East teams without losing one. That was the longest streak by a team against its own division without a series loss since divisions were introduced in 1969, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

But if the O's lose today to Boston, they will have lost three of their past five AL East series. 

Through June 20 this year, they were 6-0-2 in eight AL East series, going 19-7 in 26 games. Since then they went 1-2 at home versus New York, 3-1 versus Toronto, 1-2 at Toronto and 2-1 at Tampa Bay. And now they are 1-2 this series against the Red Sox. So they are 8-8 their past 16 division games.

That adds up to a 27-15 (.643) record and a mark of 8-2-2 in 12 division series pending the result of today's game.

The Orioles recalled reliever Colin Selby this morning from Triple-A Norfolk as the replacement for Cade Povich, who was optioned following last night’s 5-1 loss to the Red Sox.

Selby was acquired from the Royals for cash considerations on July 11. He’s allowed six earned runs and seven total with 10 hits in nine innings.

Selby, 26, appeared in two games with the Royals this season and allowed two earned runs and three total in three innings. His last appearance was May 4 against the Rangers, which came after a scoreless inning the previous night. He posted a 9.00 ERA in 21 games (five starts) with the Pirates in 2023.

His last appearance with the Tides was Thursday. He didn't allow an earned run in four straight outings before surrendering three in two-thirds of an inning.

Povich’s latest stay in Baltimore was destined to be brief. He was charged with two earned runs last night in a career-high 6 1/3 innings and left to a standing ovation, but the Orioles recalled him only to make the one start and push back everyone else in the rotation.

Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman is trending in a direction that moves him further away from the injured list.

Rutschman was scratched from last night’s lineup with lower back discomfort that flared as he hit in the cage. He’s receiving treatment and remains on the active roster.

“He’s a little better,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Hoping in the next day or two he can get back in there, and he should be available off the bench tonight, too, in a big spot. Definitely improved from last night. Back feels a little bit better.”

Triple-A Norfolk catcher Blake Hunt is at Camden Yards as the taxi squad catcher. The Orioles might have recalled him if Rutschman’s condition worsened.

“I think we were waiting to see what he was like today,” Hyde said. “If it went backward, I think that was definitely a possibility. That’s one position you can’t be short.  We felt like it was probably going to improve by this afternoon, and it has.”

Left-hander Cade Povich is with the Orioles and expected to start Saturday night against the Red Sox. He’s spending tonight on the taxi squad with no indication from the club that he’s staying beyond the weekend.

Manager Brandon Hyde explained in his media session that Povich “potentially” would join the active roster and pitch Saturday and Albert Súarez would get pushed back to Sunday. Trevor Rogers would start Monday night against the Mets at Citi Field.

No one in the rotation is being skipped and the long-term plan isn’t for a the same six-man rotation that the Orioles used down the stretch last year.

“Probably not,” Hyde said. “We’d like to give these guys as much of a break as possible. We’ll see what happens. But we feel like, especially Al, Al threw more than he’s ever thrown before the last start. We’re kind of getting in a spot in the schedule where a lot of guys are getting up there in innings and aren’t used to it, so anytime we can give a guy a break or an extra day or two, we’re going to.”

Suárez has offered back-to-back scoreless outings since replacing Grayson Rodriguez in the rotation. He threw 94 pitches on Sunday at Tropicana Field, and his 6 2/3 innings were a career high, exceeding the 6 1/3 he logged on June 7, 2016 with the Giants.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles bullpen couldn’t match the starting pitching today. Perhaps the bar was raised too high. Whatever the reason, the differences between the two were striking.

Albert Suárez didn’t allow a run in a career-high 6 2/3 innings, but Cionel Pérez lost a 1-0 lead in rapid fashion. Pinch-hitters José Caballero and Dylan Carlson had a double and single, respectively, to level the score. The sequence lasted three pitches.

Used again in a non-save situation, Craig Kimbrel walked three batters in the eighth – one of them intentionally – the Rays stole four bases, and Curtis Mead lifted a sacrifice fly to hand the Orioles a 2-1 loss before an announced crowd of 16,848 at Tropicana Field.

Brandon Lowe, Christopher Morel and Josh Lowe walked, the last intentionally, before Mead flied to right field and the Orioles failed to complete the sweep. They fell to 70-49 overall, 8-2 against the Rays and 6-1 in St. Petersburg.

They went 5-5 on a road trip that began in Cleveland. And they're back in a first-place tie with the Yankees.

The Orioles will go for a series sweep and a season sweep at The Trop today as they try to go 7-0 this year on the road versus the Rays.

With wins by 4-1 and 7-5 the last two days, the O's can complete their sixth sweep of the year today of three or four games. The Orioles have been swept three in a row three times this year in St. Louis and Houston and then at home versus the Cubs.

The O's have three-game sweeps in Boston, against the Twins and in Cincinnati. They have four-game sweeps in Chicago against the White Sox and in Tampa Bay.

They have gone 6-0 this year at The Trop by a combined 36-13 score. They have out-homered the Rays 13-4 at The Trop. Baltimore pitchers have an ERA of 1.67 in the six games, allowing a batting average of .174 with OPS of .493. Baltimore batters have hit .298/.347/.553/.900 at The Trop in those six games.

For the year, the Orioles are 8-1 against the Rays and they have won 16 of the last 21 games between the teams. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles infielder Jorge Mateo remains with the club on its road trip that concludes today. He’s on the 60-day injured list with a left elbow subluxation.

Mateo hasn’t undergone surgery at this point. He’s got another medical appointment that the club says will determine the plan.

Mateo wears a brace on his arm occasionally and is allowed to remove it.

The Orioles go for another Tropicana Field sweep this afternoon with Coby Mayo making his first start in his home state.

Mayo is 0-for-13 with two walks and eight strikeouts since his promotion.

TORONTO - O's right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, scratched from his start last night at Rogers Centre, went on the 15-day injured list today, retroactive to Sunday with right lat/teres discomfort. But today O's skipper Brandon Hyde was optimistic he will return this season.

“It’s a mild strain," Hyde said of Rodriguez, who is 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA. "So, he’s going to miss some time. Shut him down for a little while. Get him some rest and recovery, get him some rehab. But I think we’re optimistic about it. Hopefully he is going to join us sometime soon. That has yet to be determined. We’re going to let him rest for a little bit before we crank him back up."

Is this situation less serious than in 2022 when Rodriguez missed three months at Triple-A with a lat strain?

“It seems to be. Seems to be,” said Hyde. “Diagnosing right now as a mild strain. Never know what the timetable is going to be. But hope that he can miss just some time and then rejoin us."

Right-hander Albert Suárez, who pitched five scoreless in the series opener is the strong candidate to stay in that rotation spot.

Grayson Rodriguez is likely going on the injured list again and the Orioles should be dizzy from heads spinning at the number of health issues striking this team.

Rodriguez was scratched from tonight’s start in Toronto after warming, and an explanation came halfway through the game. He’s experiencing right lat/teres discomfort.

If it sounds familiar, Rodriguez had the same discomfort in June 2022 at Triple-A Norfolk, right when he was on the verge of a major league promotion. He didn’t pitch again until September, exactly three months later.

It’s too soon to assume another three-month absence. A diagnosis is pending. But it isn’t too soon to wonder what is going on with the Orioles and how much more they can endure.

Rodriguez missed 2 ½ weeks with right shoulder inflammation earlier this season. Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells underwent elbow surgeries that keep them out for the rest of 2024 and a big chunk of 2025.

The crowd erupted today in the top of the first inning when Padres leadoff hitter Luis Arraez lifted a popup that Gunnar Henderson ran down in foul territory. No collision or dropped ball. Fans hadn’t forgotten yesterday’s blunder.

Henderson ranged past second base in the second inning and made a sprawling stop and throw to retire David Peralta. The ovation this time was louder. Henderson and Jordan Westburg caught line drives, the former from Kyle Higashioka at 107.1 mph, and James McCann threw out Ha-Seong Kim trying to steal third base in the third.

The best was saved for last, with Cedric Mullins sprinting to the center field track and making a leaping grab of Manny Machado’s fly ball at full speed before crashing into the fence at the 410 foot sign. The palm of his glove faced upward, much like the mood of a team that has been battling frustration as well as opponents.

The Orioles didn’t completely fix their defense. Henderson sailed and bounced throws past Ryan Mountcastle, giving the shortstop five errors in four games. They didn’t completely solve their offensive issues, doing all of their scoring in two innings. And the pitching turned a comfortable lead into the slimmest of margins.

There’s more work to be done, but they accepted the result with smiles, formed the congratulatory handshake line and chose which music to blast.  

The Orioles have been swept this year three in a row by St. Louis, Houston and the Chicago Cubs. Today the San Diego Padres, winners of seven in a row, will try to add their name to the list.

San Diego (57-50) has won the first two games of this series by 6-4 and 9-4 scores. The Padres have won these last seven versus Cleveland, Washington and the Orioles. They have outscored their opponents 43-12 in this stretch, pitching three shutouts.

Their team ERA is 1.57 during the seven games as they have allowed a .143 batting average, a .443 OPS and just four home runs.

Their hitters are scoring 6.1 runs per game in the win streak, batting .308 with an .832 team OPS in the seven games.

San Diego is 12-3 in its last 15 road games, and that is the best road record in the major leagues since June 19.

MIAMI – The first game of the Orioles' road series against the Miami Marlins could have started better. A whole lot better. 

As the last of the third inning ended tonight, the Orioles found themselves down three runs and two injured players.

The Marlins, who entered with a National League-worst 35-65 record, scored four runs in the second to lead the Orioles 4-1. After the Birds pulled within 4-3 in their half of the third, Miami scored twice more in the home half to make it 6-3.

In that inning, both second baseman Jorge Mateo and starting pitcher Albert Suárez left with apparent injuries. It was definitely an injury for Mateo, who left with head athletic trainer Brian Ebel and assistant Pat Wesley. Suárez left with Wesley, but he may have been about to be pulled from the game anyway.

After a leadoff single in the home third, Jesús Sánchez, who homered an inning earlier, hit a grounder up the middle. Both shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Mateo at second went for the grounder on the first base side of the bag at second. They came together and hit each other with Mateo left’s arm and elbow becoming badly twisted as he went sprawling into Henderson. He came up holding his left arm, and after Ebel looked it for several minutes, they walked off the field along with Wesley.

MIAMI – After opening their post-All-Star break schedule with a series win in Texas, the Orioles road trip has moved back to the East Coast. They open a three-game series tonight in Miami at loadDepot park. 

The Orioles (60-39) lead the American League East by 1 1/2 games over the Yankees (60-42) while the Red Sox (53-46) are seven games back in third place. 

The Orioles scored 17 runs and hit seven homers in winning the first two games of their series in Texas. On Sunday, their offense was held to five hits and two runs in a 3-2 loss.

In the eighth inning, Anthony Santander hit a first-pitch two-run homer. It was No. 27 for Santander and his fourth in four games.

Santander hit 13 homers and produced a .960 OPS in June. That number is now .976 in July. In 43 games since June 1, he is batting .278/.326/.639/.965 with 18 homers and 37 RBIs. As of Monday night, Santander’s 18 homers led the majors since June 1, with Shohei Ohtani next with 16 and Aaron Judge third hitting 15 homers in that span.

MIAMI – The Orioles (60-39) play Game No. 100 tonight and begin a three-game series at loanDepot park versus the Marlins (35-65), who have the worst record in the National League.

The O's will face right-hander Kyle Tyler (0-1, 3.38 ERA) with Gunnar Henderson leading off, Ryan O'Hearn batting fourth as the designated hitter and Jorge Mateo hitting ninth at second base.

Albert Suárez (5-3, 2.82 ERA) will be making his 13th start. In the first 12, he is 4-3 with a 3.13 ERA and the Orioles are 7-5 in those games. 

The Birds took two of three at Texas and lead the American League East by 1 1/2 games over the Yankees and seven games over the third-place Red Sox.

Baltimore has won its last four games against Miami going back to late July, scoring at least five runs in each. It is the Orioles’ longest winning streak against the Marlins and the first time they have scored at least five runs in four straight against them.