Tate talks velocity and a bullpen that hasn't surprised him

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Dillon Tate isn’t a pitcher who steals peeks at the stadium’s radar gun readings before returning his attention to the catcher delivering the signs. He isn’t grading his performances based on the miles-per-hour on his sinking fastball.

The fuss over his drop in velocity during the Orioles’ home opener against the Brewers brings no emotion. Not anger or amusement.

Tate recites the number of runs he surrendered that night: zero. He’d kick the ball to home plate with his left foot if it produced outs.

An inherited runner and one of his own were stranded. Two batters were retired and the bullpen delivered five scoreless innings behind starter Bruce Zimmermann.

The sinker was 90-91 mph rather than 95 or more. Asked about it the following day, manager Brandon Hyde said a mechanical glitch was noticed and discussed, and easily could be fixed.

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Defensive miscues lead to loss in road trip opener

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OAKLAND – In the first game of a 10-game road trip, right-hander Spenser Watkins, trying to hold onto the fifth starter’s spot, gave the Orioles a big effort.

Watkins allowed a first-inning run and nothing after that. He got rolling in the middle innings behind a frequency to throw a lot of first-pitch strikes. He did that to 10 of the first 13 batters he faced.

Watkins would go five innings, allowing two hits and one run with two walks and one strikeout. He threw 67 pitches, 44 for strikes. He threw 30 sliders or cutters among his pitches, and his fastball, which averaged 90.8 mph last year, was at 92.2 mph tonight.

Meanwhile, would the O’s offense and defense be able to back him?

The hitters once again could not get much going and the O’s infield defense unraveled when Oakland produced a big four-run inning in the last of the sixth.

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Pregame notes from Oakland with Tuesday's starter still not announced

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OAKLAND – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is not ready yet to name his starting pitcher for tomorrow’s game at Oakland. Right-hander Spenser Watkins (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will get the ball tonight in the series and road trip opener.

The starter could very well come from two pitchers who are here on the Orioles' taxi squad in right-hander Chris Ellis and lefty Alexander Wells, who are joined by catcher Beau Taylor.

Wells was just optioned out after Friday's game, so he could not come back to the active roster before 10 days without replacing an injured player, but the same does not apply to Ellis.

Ellis made one start this year for Triple-A Norfolk, throwing four scoreless innings without allowing a hit last Wednesday. He pitched to an ERA of 2.49 in six games for the Orioles last year. If needed tomorrow, he would be working on five days’ rest.

“We have a few options, but I’m going to wait until tomorrow to give it out,” Hyde said this afternoon in the visitor’s dugout at the Oakland Coliseum.

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Orioles and Athletics lineups (and notes)

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Anthony Bemboom starts behind the plate tonight as the Orioles begin a four-game series in Oakland.

Anthony Santander is in left field, Austin Hays is in right and Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman. Trey Mancini is serving as the designated hitter.

Mountcastle and Santander have reached base in all nine games.

The infield also includes Ramón Urías at third base. Rougned Odor is at second after yesterday’s pinch-hit two-run single in the eighth inning that broke a scoreless tie against the Yankees.

Spenser Watkins gets his second start after allowing one earned run, but four total, in three innings against the Brewers. He’s never faced the Athletics.

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Minor league notes on Norfolk's strong start and more

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OAKLAND – While we are awaiting first pitch between the Orioles and Athletics tonight for Oakland’s home opener to start the road trip, here are a few minor league notes around Birdland.

The Triple-A Norfolk Tides are off to an 8-4 start, their best mark after 12 games during their time as a Baltimore affiliate since 2007.

Norfolk has scored 76 runs in the 12 games and has a run differential of plus-27, which is third-best in the International League that features 20 teams. The Tides lost via a 1-0 walk-off in Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader at Scranton to snap a five-game winning streak.

Right-hander Kyle Bradish was the winning pitcher in Norfolk’s Game 1 5-1 win, when he allowed just two hits and one run over five innings. Nick Vespi and Cole Uvila each threw a scoreless inning to complete the combined two-hitter.

Bradish is 1-0 with an ERA of 1.00 in two starts to begin his season. He is doing his part to get noticed for a call-up to the Orioles roster. Over nine innings, he’s allowed four hits and the one run with two walks, nine strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.67.

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Watkins waits and receives word again that he's starting

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There isn’t much advance notice for Spenser Watkins before he’s named a starter in a series. The conversation can happen a day before the game.

He’d be ready if told an hour prior.

Watkins didn’t know after going on the taxi squad for opening day whether he’d be their No. 5 starter. He didn’t know yesterday morning whether he definitely was the choice for tonight’s assignment in Oakland.

The right-hander had an inkling. But that doesn’t count as confirmation.

The game notes yesterday listed the four spots as TBA, but the Orioles’ public relations staff alerted the media around 12:30 p.m. that Watkins would start tonight, with Jordan Lyles going Wednesday and Tyler Wells Thursday.

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Hyde on roster moves and more

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The Orioles transferred pitcher John Means to the 60-day injured list this morning, clarifying his physical issue as a left elbow sprain rather than strain. Reliever Marcos Diplán had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk to leave a full 40-man roster.

The active roster was adjusted with left-hander Alexander Wells optioned to Norfolk.

Means went on the 10-day injured list Friday afternoon, retroactive to the previous day, but his absence was expected to be lengthy and he’s getting second opinions on the elbow.

Manager Brandon Hyde said yesterday that Means pitching again in 2022 was a “question mark.”

A Google search reveals that a sprain injures the bands of tissue that connect two bones together, while a strain involves an injury to a muscle or to the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone.

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Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

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The Orioles close out their series against the Yankees and the homestand with Ryan McKenna starting in center field and Cedric Mullins getting a rest day.

Mullins became the first Oriole last night to homer on a 3-0 count since Manny Machado on April 20, 2018 versus Cleveland.

Austin Hays is leading off and playing left field. Trey Mancini is in right.

Anthony Santander, today’s designated hitter, extended his on-base streak to eight games last night, two short of his career high to start the 2019 season.

Chris Owings is the second baseman and Kelvin Gutiérrez is at third. Ramón Urías goes to the bench.

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Orioles walking toward a new hitting approach

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A hitting philosophy can be created and shared at every level of the organization, from the lowest rungs of the system to the major league team. Coaches and instructors trained in it arriving in waves. Out with the old, in with the new breed that’s lauded as progressive and innovative.

Swing decisions are the foundation. The plan crumbles if players don’t adapt, if they don’t buy into it. Or if they don’t start seeing results.

The Orioles began last night ranked last in the majors with 14 runs scored in seven games and were slashing .196/.309/.283. But their 34 walks were second-most in the American League and fourth in the majors.

Those walks were the fourth-most in team history through seven games – the 1970 world champions hold the record with 41 - and they combined with four hit-by-pitches to give the Orioles an on-base percentage that ranked sixth in the league.

If free passes seem like an odd flex, consider that the Orioles accumulated 451 last season for the fourth-lowest total in the majors. They had 164 in 60 games in 2020 to rank 27th in the majors, and 462 in 2019 to rank 24th.

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Tyler Wells with scoreless stretched start in 5-2 loss (updated)

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The Orioles are figuring out exactly what they have in Tyler Wells beyond a pitcher who should succeed at this level.

They need to know how he’s going to do it.

Not the method, but his role.

The short reliever is now a starter on a short leash, working in a tandem role that isn’t likely to change in 2022. The Orioles are controlling his innings to keep him active throughout the summer, rather than subjecting him to a late shutdown.

Wells lasted only 1 2/3 in his first start, the hook coming because of his struggles. He completed four scoreless innings tonight against the Yankees, escaping a few jams and reminding the Orioles why they’re so intrigued with the idea of removing him from the bullpen and closer duties.

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Hyde on Means, promoting prospects, and more

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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he has a few ideas for Tuesday night’s starter in Oakland, but he isn’t ready to disclose them.

He doesn’t know whether John Means will start again in 2022.

The rotation wasn’t going to stay in its break-camp form throughout the summer, but Hyde didn’t think the adjustments would come so quickly.

Spenser Watkins is expected to open the series Monday against the Athletics, when a healthy Means would have been working on normal rest if not pushed back a day. But Means is on the injured list with a strained left elbow and is seeking second opinions after undergoing an MRI.

“It’s going to be a while,” Hyde said.

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Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Ramón Urías is batting second again tonight after last night’s walk-off walk in the 11th inning in a 2-1 win over the Yankees.

Urías is getting another start at third base, with Rougned Odor at second and Jorge Mateo at short. Anthony Bemboom is catching.

Trey Mancini is playing first base.

Anthony Santander has reached base in all seven games. He’s in right field tonight.

Tyler Wells is making his second major league start tonight, and he remains in a tandem setup. He allowed four runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings against the Rays in the opening series, walking two batters and striking out two.

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Resisting temptation while trying to fix rotation

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The development versus need argument rages on with the Orioles.
 
Not inside the walls of the warehouse or the manager’s office. Among fans and media.
 
The baseball gods keep poking the Orioles. Keep challenging their plan and their resolve.
 
Don’t want to rush the young pitching prospects? Well, what about a lockout and short spring training and injuries? The tandem compromise and uncertainty with the fifth spot?
 
And of course, the arms in Triple-A that are more enticing than the dessert menu at Cheesecake Factory.
 
The Orioles haven’t budged. Grayson Rodriguez made his second start with Norfolk on Thursday night and allowed two runs and three hits in five innings with no walks and eight strikeouts, giving him a 2.00 ERA and 0.556 WHIP in two games with one walk and 15 strikeouts in nine frames. Kyle Bradish spun four scoreless innings with no walks and six strikeouts in his first start in 2022 and 22 appearances in Triple-A.
 
Rodriguez is the top pitching prospect in baseball per some national outlets. Bradish is ahead of him in the race to the majors based on his experience and output in spring training.
 
Give the people what they want, and Bradish is in an Orioles uniform for his next start. Do what’s perceived as best for him in the long term, and he could dress again with the Tides while the club finds other ways to plug holes.
 
If this is an irritant, seek comfort in knowing that Bradish, Rodriguez and DL Hall are expected to start for the Orioles in 2022. Together in the same major league rotation. Plugging holes will be replaced by the task of making room for them. And perhaps someone else if the prospect train chugs into Baltimore again.
 
There’s an expression that says, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” It also could apply to baseball gods. They’re a lot less forgiving. But this is the Orioles’ vision.
 
They didn’t see John Means experiencing left forearm tightness in his first and second starts, then going on the injured list yesterday with a left elbow strain. They didn’t see Dean Kremer straining his oblique while warming in the bullpen for his season debut.
 
I didn’t see Matt Harvey returning to the organization, but he isn’t close to being an option.  
 
Jordan Lyles can eat innings. Hope he brought a big spoon.
 
Asked about Rodriguez and Hall last month, Means said, “That talent level, we don’t see very often.” The waiting is the hardest part.
 
Means is waiting to find out how much he’s being paid this summer in an arbitration hearing. His side filed at $3.1 million, the Orioles at $2.7 million.
 
This is why you have an agent. So you can focus on pitching and pain.
 
Tyler Wells makes his second major league start tonight after allowing four runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings at Tropicana Field. He made six appearances against the Yankees as a Rule 5 rookie and surrendered four runs and five hits with 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. He also notched a save.
 
Right-hander Jameson Taillon starts for the Yankees after holding the Blue Jays to two runs in five innings and striking out six. He’s allowed four earned runs (five total) with one walk and 17 strikeouts in 11 innings in two career starts against the Orioles.
 
Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander homered off Taillon in his 2021 and Yankees debuts. Ryan Mountcastle homered against him in an August game.
 
Bruce Zimmermann closes out the series Sunday afternoon, the Orioles fly to the West Coast to play the Athletics and Angels before heading to New York for the third stop in a dumb scheduling idea, and we’ll learn together what the Orioles are doing with the rest of their rotation.
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Walk-off walk: O's win wild one in 11 as Chapman walks Urías

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The Orioles' pitching was stellar throughout. The night kept getting longer, though, and their offense kept coming up short. 

Until it finally didn't. Well, sort of.

On a night of outstanding pitching by both teams, a great pitcher finally cracked. It was Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman got ahead of Ramón Urías 0-2 and then walked him with the bases loaded, throwing four straight pitches out the zone as the Orioles beat the Yankees 2-1 in 11 innings in front of 32,197 at Camden Yards.

The O's 11th began with Austin Hays placed at second base and the team facing New York righty Clarke Schmidt, their sixth pitcher. Jorge Mateo lined out, but Schmidt walked the No. 8 and 9 hitters in Anthony Bemboom and Kelvin Gutiérrez. That set the stage for Cedric Mullins to win it, as Chapman came on to try and pull off a great escape. He almost did, as he fanned Mullins.

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Brandon Hyde on losing John Means, plus O's next steps

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The Orioles have lost their opening day starter, lefty John Means, for an undetermined length of time. Now, as they await further word on Means' injury, manager Brandon Hyde will try to piece his rotation together and decide the next steps for a pitching staff minus its ace.

Means left his start on Wednesday night against Milwaukee at Camden Yards after four innings and 51 pitches with what was announced that night as left forearm tightness. He had an MRI yesterday.

“He has a forearm muscle strain,” Hyde said during his pregame press conference today at the ballpark. “We need some additional tests to look at any structural damage to his elbow. We’re just continuing to look at it right now, so it's still to be determined how long (he’ll be out).

“I did talk to him earlier. He’s fine. John is not a real up and down guy and he’s just trying to stay positive with this whole thing. And optimistic. But I think he’s handling it fine.

“We don’t have much experience in our rotation and losing your opening day starter. We’ll see how long it’s going to be. But for some time now, it’s going to be hard. Do need guys to step up. John’s one of the guys that people look up to on our pitching staff. So to have him out is going to be challenging.”

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Means goes on injured list, plus lineup (updated)

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The Orioles have placed left-hander John Means on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow strain. The move is retroactive to yesterday.
 
Reliever Travis Lakins Sr. had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk. Room on the 40-man roster was created with left-hander Kevin Smith clearing outright waivers and being assigned to the Tides.
 
Means exited Wednesday night’s start after four innings with tightness in his forearm, which often is a precursor to an elbow injury. He underwent an MRI, and manager Brandon Hyde will provide more details later this afternoon.
 
This is the fourth consecutive season that Means has gone on the injured list, the previous three relating to his left shoulder. He was denied the opening day start in 2020 due to a strain.
 
Means said he’s never experienced forearm/elbow discomfort, which he first noticed last Friday at Tropicana Field while throwing a curveball. It resurfaced in the third inning Wednesday on the same pitch.
 
Lakins made 24 appearances last season before undergoing surgery to address a recurrent olecranon stress fracture in his right elbow. He’s pitched twice for Norfolk and allowed two runs and five hits in three innings.
 
Smith, 24, came to the Orioles in the Miguel Castro trade with the Mets in August 2020. In two games with Norfolk, he’s allowed two runs and five hits with six walks, three strikeouts and a hit batter over 7 2/3 innings.
 
Hyde must find another starter to replace Means, with bullpen choices including Alexander Wells, Keegan Akin and Mike Baumann.
 
Jordan Lyles makes his second start tonight after allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings at Tropicana Field. This is his third career appearance and second start against the Yankees, and he’s allowed three earned runs (four total) and eight hits in 8 2/3 innings.
 
Giancarlo Stanton is 4-for-9 with two doubles and a home run lifetime versus Lyles.
 
Ramón Urías moves up from fifth to second in the lineup. Chris Owings is starting at second base.
 
The Orioles are 5-for-55 with runners in scoring position.
 
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery allowed three runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in his first start against the Red Sox. He’s 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.353 WHIP in 12 career starts against the Orioles, with 72 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
 
Trey Mancini is 9-for-21 with a home run lifetime against Montgomery. Cedric Mullins is 5-for-16, Ryan Mountcastle is 4-for-14 with a double and home run, and Urías is 3-for-7.
 
For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Ramón Urías 3B
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Trey Mancini DH
Anthony Santander RF
Austin Hays LF
Jorge Mateo SS
Robinson Chirinos C
Chris Owings 2B
 
Jordan Lyles RHP
 
The Orioles released pitcher Yeancarlos Lleras, a sixth-round pick in 2018 from Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico who made two appearances this season with Single-A Delmarva and didn’t retire a batter while allowing six runs and walking seven. He had a 7.78 ERA and 1.886 WHIP in 39 minor league games and averaged 5.8 walks per nine innings, spending last year in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.
 
Steve Melewski is on game coverage tonight and will have more on Means. I’ll be back Saturday.
 
Update: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters at Camden Yards that Means is getting additional testing and the club doesn't know how long he will be out.
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More questions surround Orioles rotation

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Jordan Lyles is starting tonight’s series opener against the Yankees at Camden Yards, and it seems like the right time for the veteran right-hander to lead the rotation.
 
John Means might not be around to do it.
 
The Orioles should have more information on Means’ status later this afternoon. He exited Wednesday night’s game after four innings with tightness in his left forearm and was set to undergo tests.
 
Good news from an MRI could clear Means to throw in a few days, but his next start might be pushed back. The discomfort is believed to be muscular. Means said there’s not “a ton of concern.”
 
But still enough to go around.
 
The shoulder has been responsible for Means landing on the injured list in each of the last three seasons – strain, fatigue, however you want to label it. He’s never experienced an issue with the elbow/forearm area, and there’s naturally some fear of the unknown.
 
Means didn’t know whether a rushed spring training led to his injury, if that’s what we’re calling it without the MRI result. He felt it while throwing a curveball on opening day, and again Wednesday with the same pitch. It didn’t go away when he tried the fastball and changeup, and manager Brandon Hyde removed him.
 
I’m no doctor, though I play one on television, but I’d think a serious injury would have been accompanied by pain during Means’ side session, while he warmed up Wednesday and in the first inning. Not just the tightness after he threw a curveball in the third inning. But that’s an amateur’s diagnosis.
 
The rotation already was unsettled with no game yesterday delaying the need for a fifth starter. Pushing back Means or placing him on the injured list creates more chaos.
 
Spenser Watkins was the fifth starter after one spin of the rotation, with no assurances that he’d get the ball again. Alexander Wells is in the bullpen and waiting to pitch in 2022.
 
Keegan Akin hasn’t allowed a run in 5 2/3 relief innings, with only two hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Hyde really wants to keep using him in the current manner, which obviously is bringing out the best in him – an aggressive and confident strike-thrower has emerged – but desperate times may force a change in thinking.
 
Mike Baumann delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings with one hit and three strikeouts in the home opener. It’s the same situation. Ideally he’s kept in the bullpen and provides a tandem option, a hard-throwing right-hander as a nice contrast to a lefty. But the Orioles might have to pivot.
 
I don’t see the Orioles hustling top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez to the majors after two Triple-A starts. Kyle Bradish logged 86 2/3 innings with Norfolk last year over 21 appearances and tossed four scoreless innings in his only start this season. He stayed back in Sarasota for a little while before joining the Tides, and he made such a solid impression in camp that he began to look like a candidate for the opening day roster.
 
Bradish is pushing for a promotion, but is it too early for the club’s timetable?
 
Chris Ellis started on the same night as Means and tossed four hitless innings. He isn’t on the 40-man roster and would require a corresponding move.
 
Left-hander Zac Lowther is on the 40-man and he’s hopped on the shuttle before. He made his first Tides appearance on Sunday and allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings.
 
For development’s sake, he probably should stay down and keep pitching every five days. However, he’d be a convenient substitute.
 
Don’t come at me with DL Hall. He’s still at extended spring training and hasn’t pitched beyond Double-A. He isn’t making that jump.
 
Hyde might need another tandem arrangement if Means goes on the injured list, as if he was searching for more of them. The Orioles could bring up a pitcher who backs up someone already on the active roster. The newbie wouldn’t necessarily take the ball first.
 
Best-case scenario here is probably Means avoiding the IL but unable to make his next start after a brief rest period and bullpen session or two. Staying on turn would have put him on the mound Monday night in Oakland. Seems pretty ambitious.
 
A fifth starter was needed the following night, with Lyles working on normal rest Wednesday.
 
Six games into the season and Hyde is left with a bit of a mess. His ace leaving a start early after Dean Kremer strained his oblique while warming Sunday at Tropicana Field. One pitcher counted on to provide quality length from the start, the other as the backend of a tandem.
 
Kremer appeared to be slotted as the No. 3 starter in camp, became a candidate for fifth, was tabbed for long relief and now could miss a month of the season.
 
You can draw up as many plans as you want before breaking camp, but there’s just no way to know exactly what’s in store. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
 
The Yankees are starting left-hander Jordan Montgomery, right-hander Jameson Taillon and left-hander Nestor Cortes against the Orioles, whose bullpen has covered 29 1/3 innings, fourth-most in the American League before last night.
 
A 2.45 ERA was third-lowest in the league.
 
The Orioles are batting .201/.300/.299, their .599 OPS ranking 25th in the majors before last night. But Anthony Santander is 6-for-15 with a double, home run, six walks and two hit by pitches. He leads the team in walks, which hasn’t been part of his skill set in the past.
 
Bowie outfielder Hudson Haskin came out of Wednesday night’s game after being hit by a pitch that ran in on his hands in his first at-bat. I’m told that his removal was very precautionary, and there didn’t seem to be much concern about it within the organization. He was out of last night’s lineup.
 
Haskin, a second-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Tulane University, was 9-for-16 with three doubles in the first four games, and he hit three home runs in Sunday’s game against Richmond.
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Because You Asked - Transformania

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The Orioles reached their first off day since leaving Sarasota. No games or workouts. An early reset before the Yankees arrive and they get back into division play.

The only way to reset a mailbag is to dump out its contents. Sort through the pile. Wonder how many questions got lost along the way. 

They’re probably scattered in some back room. Hold onto the tracking numbers.

This is the latest sequel to the hit original. You ask, I answer, we promise never to speak of it again. And then we do.

There’s no editing here unless someone catches a typo. Bring your length and style. Don’t worry about clarity. And this is the home of the brevity.

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Means leaves tonight's game with forearm tightness

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Orioles left-hander John Means retired the Brewers in order tonight on 12 pitches in the first inning, nine in the third and 12 in the fourth. They scored twice in the second on 18 pitches, but he wasn’t laboring. The total body of work was solid.

Why it lasted only through the fourth was a curiosity, to say the least.

Joey Krehbiel began to warm in the bullpen and entered the game in the top of the fifth. Dillon Tate worked the sixth. Other relievers would be following him, as manager Brandon Hyde needed to cover for Means’ unexpected departure.

The club announced that Means had left forearm tightness, with more details to come, including whether this is an injured list situation. Meanwhile, the Orioles rallied to tie the game in the eighth, but a run-scoring triple by Kolton Wong and RBI double by Rowdy Tellez in the ninth off Jorge López gave Milwaukee a 4-2 win and the series.

Means is expected to undergo an MRI, and the club hopes to have more information Friday.

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Hyde on Means, catchers’ setups, base coaches, Rutschman and more

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Allowed to throw 84 pitches over four innings on opening day, Orioles left-hander John Means can be pushed a bit more tonight in his start against the Brewers.

Wade into the medium level of the pool before submerging in the deep end.

“It depends on how efficient he is, traffic, stressful innings,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I’m hoping to get him up to five or six innings and in the 85-pitch range or maybe a little higher. Kind of see how the game goes.”

The Dodgers pulled Clayton Kershaw today after seven perfect innings, another product of a short spring training. Hyde was asked what he’d do tonight if Means was perfect through the seventh at 80 pitches.

No mention of Kershaw. Just a “what if.”

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