DETROIT – Austin Hays wasn’t fooling around with a perfect game bid. Not today. Nip it in the bud.

Hays lined a double down the left field line on the first pitch from Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who didn’t allow an Orioles baserunner for 6 2/3 innings Sunday in Baltimore. Hays was stranded but also successful in his return from a bruised right finger.

James McCann homered off Rodriguez in the second, another shot at his former team. Rodriguez obviously was more vulnerable this afternoon in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

He just wasn’t beatable, and the Orioles couldn’t manufacture a 10^th comeback win.

Rodriguez was removed after 5 2/3 innings and only one run allowed. Meanwhile, Dean Kremer surrendered a career-high 11 hits through the fifth, and the Orioles lost to the Tigers 7-4 at Comerica Park.

DETROIT – Orioles outfielder Austin Hays swung the bat yesterday and said he would have been a game-time decision if rain hadn’t forced a postponement.

“I don’t think I would have been able to be in there,” he said.

He’s in there today, leading off in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Tigers.

The right middle finger is badly bruised after Hays was hit on the hand by Corey Kluber’s sinker Tuesday night while trying to bunt.

“We’ll just make sure we wrap it up good and make sure it’s protected and be good to go,” he said.

DETROIT – Heavy rain yesterday rearranged the four-game series between the Orioles and Tigers, with the teams forced into a split doubleheader today.

The first game begins at 12:10 p.m., with the second game at 5:10 p.m.

The Orioles have won nine of their last 10 games, 11 of 13 and 13 of 16. They improved Friday night to 9-0 in series openers.

A victory today in Game 1 would put them 10 above .500 to match their high in 2022.

Adley Rutschman is out of the Game 1 lineup for the first time this season. Joey Ortiz starts again at second base.

DETROIT – What is the exact date and time when it begins to even out?

Rough estimates are accepted and appreciated.

Isn’t that the reminder preached to frustrated hitters who don’t think they’ll ever catch another break? The latest tough out, so cruel at times that it physically hurts, is balanced by soft singles and streaks built on kinder fortune.

Ryan Mountcastle tries to laugh about it. The trademark grin is the most he can muster at this point.

The lucky hits need to catch up.

DETROIT – The words have been uttered multiple times now by multiple people in the Orioles organization.

Manager Brandon Hyde floated them into the chilly Detroit air yesterday afternoon while seated in the visiting dugout, explaining why the Orioles optioned Terrin Vavra and brought up infield prospect Joey Ortiz. A promotion that wasn’t telegraphed. Whose purpose wasn’t immediately known.

“We’re trying to win games,” Hyde said.

Let’s make that perfectly clear.

Player development remains a priority and the Orioles get a kick out of being first in farm system rankings, but they don’t intend to punt the playoffs. They want a wild card berth, at the very least. The games in April matter as much as August and September.

DETROIT – Joey Ortiz watched a four-seam fastball go past him for a strike in his first major league at-bat, swung at a cutter and experienced his first moment of frustration and disbelief.

The Show can deliver low blows.

Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo sprinted into left-center and made a spectacular diving catch, crashing to the ground and shattering Ortiz’s hopes of a quick hit.

Ortiz made a right turn toward the visiting dugout, grabbed his glove and shifted his focus to playing second base. There would be other swings for the kid – on pitches thrown to him and in moods.

At the plate again with two runners in scoring position and two outs in the fifth, Ortiz sent a bouncer over first baseman Spencer Torkelson’s head for his first hit and RBIs.

DETROIT – Facing three left-handed starters in a four-game series against the Tigers prompted the Orioles to recall infield prospect Joey Ortiz from Triple-A Norfolk.

It wasn’t the only reason, but matchups were the primary motivation to add Ortiz’s right-handed bat and option Terrin Vavra.

“He’s off to a really nice start in Norfolk, and we wanted to get a little more right-handed, especially for this series,” manager Brandon Hyde said this afternoon in the visiting dugout at Comerica Park.

“He can play multiple spots for us in the infield. We’re really comfortable with him defensively, and his first day here he’s in there. We’re excited to watch him make his debut.”

Ortiz is playing second base, with Jorge Mateo at shortstop. Gunnar Henderson is on the bench against left-hander Joey Wentz, and he’s able to play despite the scrapes on his right hand after diving for a line drive yesterday.

DETROIT – The Orioles take their 16-8 record, second-best in the American League, to Comerica Park for the start of a four-game series, and they have Joey Ortiz making his major league debut at second base.

Ortiz, 24, was recalled this morning from Triple-A Norfolk, with infielder Terrin Vavra optioned. The fourth-round pick in 2019 out of New Mexico State is batting .359/.389/.500/.889 in 16 games with Norfolk, with five doubles, two triples and eight RBIs. He’s a plus-defender who plays shortstop, second base and third base.

Vavra also can play the outfield, and his removal from the Orioles roster seems to indicate that Austin Hays’ bruised right hand is improving. Hays is on the bench again tonight but he’s avoided the injured list.

The Tigers are starting three consecutive left-handers in the series, if the weather permits it: Joey Wentz, Eduardo Rodriguez and Matthew Boyd. Ortiz is a right-handed hitter.

Bringing up Ortiz also gives the Orioles some infield insurance after Jorge Mateo recently sat with a sore right hip and Gunnar Henderson appeared to hurt his right hand yesterday after diving for a line drive, though he stayed in the game.

One of the Orioles top 100 prospects is headed to the major leagues for the first time. Infielder Joey Ortiz, 24, got a callup today as the club announced that infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra was optioned to Triple-A after Wednesday’s game.

Ortiz will wear No. 65 and his first appearance will be his MLB debut.

A slick-fielding shortstop that can also play second and third base, Ortiz is ranked No. 87 currently in the Baseball America top 100 and No. 91 via MLBPipeline.com. BA ranks him as the O’s No. 8 prospect and he is No. 7 on the MLBPipeline.com list of the club’s top 30 prospects.

Drafted in round four (No. 108 overall) in 2019 out of New Mexico State, the right-handed hitter was batting .359/.389/.500/.889 in 16 games at Triple-A this year with five doubles, two triples, no homers and eight RBIs. Last year, ending the year with Norfolk, he hit .346/.400/.567/.967 in 26 games with four homers and 14 RBIs.

He had a recent torrid stretch with Norfolk where, over a five-game run, he had 14 hits in 21 at-bats. For his minor league career, over 244 games, he has batted .277/.351/.430/781.

The regression that’s so common with major league bullpens from one year to the next, deserving of an attached warning label each spring, hasn’t impacted the Orioles. Relievers in the first month are immune to it. Can’t touch them.

Being an exception really defies logic when factoring the loss of veterans Dillon Tate and Mychal Givens to injuries. Zero appearances in 2023 beyond Tate’s one inning Wednesday with High-A Aberdeen.

Givens is expected to pitch Saturday at Double-A Bowie, where Tate is set to join him. Meanwhile, the Orioles have a 2.78 bullpen ERA that ranks third in the majors. They were ninth in 2022 at 3.49.

They’ve done some shuffling, with Yennier Cano recalled April 14 and Logan Gillaspie optioned five days later, but they haven’t folded.

Cano ran his streak of retired batters to begin the season to 24 yesterday, tying the club record, in a 6-2 win over the Red Sox. He nailed Justin Turner on the elbow but hasn’t allowed a run or hit or walked a batter.

Tyler Wells had the stuff today when a situation called for it. Not at his fingertips throughout his start. Just enough to hold down his opponent.

He just needed the support, both from his offense and the bullpen.

It eventually comes. Wait for it.

Wells matched his career high with seven strikeouts, and the Orioles broke a tie in the fourth by scoring three runs off Tanner Houck to defeat the Red Sox 6-2 and win their sixth series in 2023.

Anthony Santander had two sacrifice flies, Ramón Urías set a career high with four hits, the ‘pen went full beast mode again, and the Orioles improved to 16-8 with their 10^th win in 12 games and 12^th in 15.

Orioles outfielder Austin Hays has avoided the injured list after bruising his right hand last night while attempting a bunt in the third inning.

Hays came out of the game after flying out to deep left field, and X-rays didn’t reveal any fractures.

“Feels good, a lot better than last night,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Pretty sore, a lot of bruising, so hopefully it’s just a few days.”

Shortstop Jorge Mateo is out of the lineup but available to play. Mateo recovered from the right hip soreness that forced him out of Wednesday’s game in D.C., and he scored from first base Sunday on Anthony Santander’s double to left field and homered last night into the home bullpen.

“He’s just coming off that hip and day game after a night game,” Hyde said. “A lot of games still coming up.”

Austin Hays is out of today's lineup, as the Orioles try to win their sixth series of the year.

Hays left last night’s game with a bruised right hand and is day-to-day.

Terrin Vavra is in left field again after replacing Hays last night and collecting two singles. Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter, with Ryan O’Hearn at first base.

Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop. Jorge Mateo goes to the bench.

Mateo is batting .406/.432/.750 (13-for-32) with five doubles and two home runs in his last 11 games (10 starts). Last night’s homer into the Orioles bullpen was 108.2 mph off the bat.

Dillon Tate made it back on a mound last night beyond the tedious bullpen sessions and simulated action. He was allowed to face hitters on an opposing team in a game that counted, beginning his injury rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen and allowing one run and two hits with two strikeouts in the fifth inning.

The Orioles will give Tate four or five more appearances, having him pitch on back-to-back days, and decide whether he can be activated from the injured list.

That’s the easy part.

Making room for Tate and Mychal Givens, who is supposed to begin his own rehab assignment later this week, might become a hassle.

Other teams won’t feel sorry for them, but the bullpen’s ERA dropped to 2.88 last night, the third lowest in the majors. Manager Brandon Hyde is pushing many of the right buttons based on the results, and it’s easier to do when guys are getting outs and the rotation isn’t forcing early appearances and excess baton passing.

Kyle Bradish issued a walk and took a brief stroll. Off the mound and toward first base, his eyes locked for a moment on plate umpire Adrian Johnson. His frustration at a non-strike call leading him to take a break before the pitch clock started again.

No distance covered was going to fix Bradish’s night. He couldn’t get far enough away from it.

Bradish lasted only 2 1/3 innings and was charged with seven runs, including Jarren Duran’s first career grand slam, in the Orioles’ 8-6 loss to the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 14,343 at Camden Yards.

Triston Casas was awarded the win in an 11-pitch at-bat with one out in the second inning, with Johnson ruling that Bradish’s slider missed wide. Casas began a string of five consecutive batters reaching base, three of them scoring.

Bradish threw 40 pitches in the inning and 81 before manager Brandon Hyde brought in Mike Baumann. The bullpen held Boston to one run and three hits in 6 2/3, and the Orioles scored five times off Kaleb Ort in the ninth, including Gunnar Henderson's first home run since April 3 and Cedric Mullins' second career grand slam.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde spent part of last night’s media session praising his hitters, saying it was the best offensive performance of the season beyond perhaps the first two games in Boston.

“I mean, who loves no punchouts?” he asked, referring to Chris Sale’s inability to record a strikeout in five innings. “I do.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed different feelings on the topic, on a night when his team’s dissatisfaction with home plate umpire Junior Valentine’s strike zone led to hitting coach Peter Fatse’s ejection in the sixth inning. Cora was tossed after the final out, which results in a fine from the league.

Sale struck out 11 batters in his previous start against the Twins, but the Orioles made contact on 40 of their 42 swings against him in a 5-4 win.

They didn’t have a batter strike out for the first time since Aug. 8, 2010 against the White Sox.

Cedric Mullins returns to the leadoff spot tonight and Austin Hays is lowered to eighth, as the Orioles try to secure another series win.

Anthony Santander is the designated hitter and Adam Frazier is playing right field.

Kyle Bradish tossed six scoreless innings in D.C. after leaving the injured list. He made five starts against the Red Sox last year and went 0-3 with a 7.54 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 22 2/3 innings.

Rafael Devers went 6-for-13 with a double. Alex Verdugo was 5-for-13 with two doubles.

The Orioles have won seven games in a row and 11 of 13. Their 15-7 record is second-best in the American League behind the Rays (20-3) and the third-best in the majors.

Félix Bautista struck out Riley Greene on a 100 mph fastball Sunday afternoon to finish the top of the ninth inning, a pitch that didn’t coax a swing out of the Tigers’ center fielder. Akil Baddoo also struck out on a four-seamer after Jonathan Schoop grounded out.

A crowd of more than 30,000 erupted, and the Orioles won in the 10^th on a wild pitch that scored Adam Frazier.

Bautista didn’t get a win or a hold, but he had clean inning.

No baserunners to disrupt his outing or remind him of the restrictions imposed by the new rules.

Teams are 4-for-4 in attempted steals while Bautista is on the mound, beginning with Aaron Judge on April 7 after a two-out walk.

Do the Red Sox count as a soft portion of the schedule?

They were a last-place team but with a record above .500 upon arriving in Baltimore. They began the season by winning a series against the Orioles. They led the majors with nine comeback victories.

The Orioles claimed their eighth tonight.  

Austin Hays delivered a tie-breaking single in the fifth inning and threw out a runner at third base in the sixth, and four relievers protected a slim lead in the Orioles' 5-4 victory before an announced crowd of 11,811.

The Orioles have won seven games in a row and 11 of 13, and they improved to 15-7.

Though Monday is supposed to be a quiet period for minor league baseball, with no games scheduled, the Orioles stayed busy with personnel moves and could keep bragging about the quality of their farm system.

Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Colton Cowser was named International League Player of the Week after slashing .319/.481/.826 with a double, three home runs, six RBIs, three walks and 10 runs scored in six games versus Rochester.

The Tides are in Charlotte this week and Cowser is bringing a 15-game on-base streak. The organization’s first-round draft pick in 2021 is hitting .345/.465/.586 during that stretch with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, 10 RBIs, 12 walks and 20 runs scored.

Shortstop Jackson Holliday, the first overall selection in last year’s draft, was chosen Carolina League Player of the Week after posting a .450 average with a double, two home runs, six RBIs, six walks and eight runs scored.

Holliday earned a promotion today from Single-A Delmarva to High-A Aberdeen after batting .392/.523/.667 with six doubles, a triple, two homers, 15 RBIs, 15 runs scored and three stolen bases. He was 12-for-28 during a seven-game hitting streak.