Adley Rutschman launched a 3-0 pitch from Jon Gray onto the flag count in the bottom of the first inning to give the Orioles a quick lead. Cedric Mullins made a leaping catch to rob Josh Jung of a home run to begin the top of the second, prompting rookie Grayson Rodriguez to raise a fist in the air, and then his cap.

This is the exact kind of start that the team wanted after returning home from an exhilarating road trip. Hoping that it would escalate and allow them to coast instead of slipping into crisis mode.

And then, of course, Rodriguez surrenders a two-run homer to Leody Taveras with two outs in the second inning and the Orioles are forced into chasing their 20^th comeback win. They live in an unusual comfort zone.

The Rangers turned it into a miserable spot, refusing to stay within reach and to play along.

The final images of Rodriguez include how he placed a hand on his hip and stared at the outfield as Corey Seager rounded the bases after hitting a grand slam in an eight-run fourth inning. And how he shouted into his glove after entering the dugout.

The Orioles won’t plug John Means into their rotation in two months. The timetable for his return has fractured.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias revealed today that Means strained the scapula region in his upper back while performing activation drills in Sarasota. The injury isn’t related to past shoulder issues, per Elias, and the severity is reduced because it’s muscular. But July isn't happening.

Elias said Means “is and was flying along” in his recovery from Tommy John surgery in April 2022 before this week’s setback.

“It’s not his shoulder capsule, it’s not a throwing injury,” Elias said. “He’s just got a strained muscle in the scapula. It’s called the ‘teres major.’ So, this is basically just going to add some time to his return back to the Orioles.

“How long exactly, I don’t know. We’re still very much hoping on getting him back this season, but this is obviously going to slow things down and tack on some time before we actually see him out in games. But he’s doing well. This isn’t the end of the world or anything. It’s just kind of bad timing, an unfortunately timed muscle strain that’s just going to cause him to have to kill some time in his rehab while we wait for that to heal.”

Cedric Mullins has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight for the series opener against the Rangers at Camden Yards.

Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter. Adam Frazier continues to bat fifth.

The Orioles and Rangers have the two best records in baseball since April 13 at 27-11 and 24-13.

The Orioles are averaging 5.81 runs per game on the road and 4.35 runs at home, the largest differential in the major leagues per STATS.

A victory tonight would match the best 50-game stretch in the Rangers' franchise history. The 2013 team won 32 of its first 50 but missed the playoffs after losing to the Rays in Game 163.

The Orioles have reinstated infielder Ramón Urías from the 10-day injured list following his two rehab games at High-A Aberdeen.

Urías hasn’t played for the Orioles since straining his left hamstring on May 8.

In a corresponding move, rookie infielder Joey Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Ortiz was 5-for-11 in his last five games.

Back from a 5-1 road trip that moved them 16 games above .500, the Orioles begin another homestand with a weekend series against the first-place Rangers, whose 31-18 record is third-best in baseball.

Never seems to get any easier.

NEW YORK - The Orioles scored first last night and kept the lead. They didn’t need to rally late. A nice little change of pace.

Stress wasn’t drained from the dugout, however. They never felt comfortable until the final out. Slim margins are their norm.

The 19 comeback wins this season lead the majors. That’s a lot. But approaching the club record?

Not by a long shot.

We haven’t reached the month of June yet, so there’s plenty of time. However, the Orioles will need to keep rallying and raising manager Brandon Hyde’s blood pressure.

NEW YORK – The Orioles knew it.

Before they filed out of the clubhouse for more pregame stretching and throwing, before the anthem was played, they knew that the Rays won earlier today. Their own victory would be necessary to keep pace in the American League East.

Last night’s comeback, made possible by an eight-run seventh inning, prevented them from falling four games back.

Get used to it.

The stamp denoting their spectator status has faded. They’re fighting to avoid doing the same in the standings.

NEW YORK – Cedric Mullins isn’t in tonight’s Orioles lineup for “personal reasons,” according to manager Brandon Hyde.

Hyde didn’t elaborate or confirm whether Mullins is at Yankee Stadium.

Mullins always plays against right-handed starters. And left-handed hitters are slashing .356/.430/.644 against Clarke Schmidt this season.

Not having Mullins atop the order tonight was bound to raise questions.

“It’s probably going to be one day,” Hyde said. “I’m not going to expand on that. It’s for personal reasons right now and we should see him back soon.”

NEW YORK – The Orioles have a chance tonight to win their 12th series in 2023 after posting their 19^th comeback victory last night.

Cedric Mullins is out of the lineup, an unusual occurrence against a right-hander. Ryan McKenna is in center field and Adam Frazier is leading off for the first time this season, but the 387^th of his career.

Frazier will try to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 18 games.

Gunnar Henderson is starting at third base after delivering a pinch-hit, two-run double last night in the seventh inning. He’s batting .306/.324/.611 (11-for-36) in his last 11 games.

Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base and Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter.

NEW YORK – Bumps were forming on the Orioles’ road trip, which began with a three-game sweep in Toronto. The Yankees hit three home runs tonight off Tyler Wells and appeared in control heading into the seventh inning. A nice margin for Nestor Cortes. Another bad finish for his former team.

The 2023 Orioles don’t want to hear it. They just keep coming. Spitting water and breathing fire.

They sent 12 batters to the plate in the seventh and scored eight runs. Adam Frazier hit the foul pole with two runners on base, Gunnar Henderson came off the bench and drove in two with a double to give the Orioles a lead, and a sacrifice fly and two RBI singles followed. Fans booed. It began to rain again.

A club that trailed by four runs suddenly led by four.

It won by three, 9-6, before an announced crowd of 39,455 at Yankee Stadium. It keeps accomplishing what isn’t supposed to happen.

NEW YORK – The Orioles aren’t ready to announce their plans for reliever Dillon Tate, whose 30-day injury rehab assignment has reached its conclusion.

The choices are clear: Reinstate Tate and put him on the active roster, with a corresponding move necessary, or reinstate and option him to Triple-A Norfolk.

“We’re making decisions on that right now,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I don’t really have anything to report right this minute, but it will be soon.”

Tate didn’t pitch in spring training due to a right elbow flexor strain. He’s made 10 appearances on his injury rehab assignment, the last five with Norfolk, and allowed 13 earned runs (15 total) and 19 hits with five walks in 8 1/3 innings.

The entire weight of the decision doesn’t come just from statistics. A balance exists.

NEW YORK – Joey Ortiz gets the start at third base tonight as the Orioles try to even their series with the Yankees.

Cedric Mullins is leading off against a left-hander, former Orioles Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes. Six of Mullins’ last nine hits are for extra bases. He has a six-game hitting streak, going 10-for-23 (.435) with four doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and three walks.

James McCann is catching and Adley Rutschman stays in the lineup as the designated hitter.

Adam Frazier, who starts at second base, has a 16-game on-base streak, batting .281/.349/.474 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, 10 RBIs and five walks. His longest career streak is 17 games in 2019.

Tyler Wells has registered a 2.94 ERA and 0.788 WHIP, lowest in the majors, in nine games this season. He faced the Yankees on April 9 and allowed four runs in six innings. Aaron Judge and Franchy Cordero hit home runs.

NEW YORK - Kyle Bradish gave the Orioles five innings last night. Manager Brandon Hyde gave the ball to his relievers to cover the last four.

Mychal Givens retired the Yankees in order in the sixth, on a strikeout and two ground balls. A nice little reminder that he can be a weapon during any stretch of the game.

Also, a reminder that Hyde doesn’t want to use him for more than one inning. Givens threw nine pitches and stayed in the dugout until the handshake line.

Yennier Cano put runners on base in the seventh and eighth and got out of jams. Stranded and straddled.

Félix Bautista struck out three batters in the ninth, but a 12^th save eluded him thanks to Aaron Judge’s game-tying home run with one out. A poorly located splitter. Was supposed to be low and on the outside corner.

NEW YORK – A road trip that is supposed to knock down the Orioles didn't make a dent for the first half of it. Didn't leave a mark.

They just kept winning, in comeback fashion or after taking an early lead. Sometimes, they do both.

Give them a problem and they find a solution – unless it's Aaron Judge, of course.

Adam Frazier had a two-run double in the first inning tonight off Gerrit Cole, Cedric Mullins homered in the third and Gunnar Henderson homered in the fourth. A fast start but not untouchable, with the Yankees storming back to tie the game in the fifth.

The response was immediate. The Orioles twice loaded the bases in the sixth while disposing of Cole, settled for a go-ahead run on Terrin Vavra’s ground ball and turned to their bullpen. A formula that usually works, except Judge homered off Félix Bautista with one out in the ninth to send the Orioles into extras for the third straight game.

NEW YORK – Orioles infielder Ramón Urías is beginning his injury rehab assignment Wednesday night at High-A Aberdeen.

Urías is serving as the designated hitter, according to Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

The IronBirds are hosting a seven-game series against Jersey Shore, which includes Wednesday’s doubleheader that resulted from an April 22 postponement.

Urías is on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. He hasn’t played since limping off the field following a ninth-inning single on May 8.

Hyde didn’t specify how many days Urías would spend at Aberdeen. Urías has targeted a weekend return to the Orioles, when they host the Rangers.

NEW YORK – The Orioles will try to improve on their 13-2 record in series-opening games tonight when they visit the Yankees in the Bronx. They trail the first-place Rays by three games.

Terrin Vavra gets another start in right field, with Anthony Santander serving as designated hitter.

Adam Frazier is batting fifth again and starting at second base, followed by left fielder Austin Hays.

Pretty standard lineup.

Kyle Bradish’s final start in 2022 came at Yankee Stadium, where he held New York to an unearned run and three hits in five innings but also walked five batters.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde strolled to the mound yesterday in the bottom of the 10^th inning, had a lengthy chat with Austin Voth, and gave the reliever an encouraging slap on the butt. A teammate smacked his chest.

The Orioles were battering Voth more than the Blue Jays.

Whit Merrifield followed Matt Chapman’s strikeout with a run-scoring single into center field to tie a game that would last through the 11^th. A game that might be the defining moment in the 2023 season.

The visitors erupted for five runs in their next turn and won 8-3 to complete the sweep, the first in a three-game series in Toronto since 2005.

So special because it’s a division rival with one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball.

The Orioles finish their series in Toronto this afternoon, enjoy an off-day in New York before playing three games at Yankee Stadium, and don’t return home until Friday, when infielder Ramón Urías hopes to be reinstated from the injured list with the Rangers in town.

Scouts will be watching. Never too early to file reports that could spur a trade or at least initiate talks. And the group will grow in the coming months,

A veteran scout who’s familiar with the Orioles said recently that the infield defense without Urías “is not the same.”

Further evidence that Urías’ value can’t be overstated.

Perhaps a silver lining to losing a Gold Glove winner is the regular starts that Gunnar Henderson is receiving at third base.

The mailbag record for most repeated topic was shattered this weekend.

Relinquishing the top spot is, “How did you get this job?” Followed closely by, “How do you keep this job?”

Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are in the majors. Baseball’s back-to-back No. 1 prospects. Top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez also arrived. Future No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday won’t make the jump from High-A, but it isn’t the most outrageous idea.

Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg are the new obsessions.

Why aren’t they here? When will they get here? What’s it going to take to get them here? How many fake reports does it take to get them here?

The Orioles are in Canada this weekend and my mailbag returned to the U.S. after getting held up in customs.

That’s why you won’t find me there.

Here’s my vow to you: I’ll go back to Toronto when the Orioles have playoff games at Rogers Centre. Or if Steve Melewski is sick. Or if I’m needed in the MASN broadcast booth, which happened last summer.

But that’s it.

Let’s dive into the mail and risk the paper cuts. You ask and I answer. It isn’t complicated, except for time spent searching for movie sequel titles that I haven't used since this started in 2008.

The Orioles aren’t running away from home. A charter flight to Toronto is coming later today, a much faster mode of transportation. But they’re going to dive back into division competition and miss the splash zone and charged atmosphere at Camden Yards.

They can do without the two Angels superstars who tried to ruin their chance at another series win, and the bullpen breakdowns later in the game, but the rest of it is cherished.

Shohei Ohtani, quiet since flirting with the cycle on Monday, homered off Tyler Wells in the first inning and Mike Trout lined a two-run shot over the left field wall in the third. The Orioles offered no response until tying the game in the fifth, capped by Anthony Santander’s two-run homer.

Had to get the place loud again.

It erupted in the seventh, after Adley Rutschman took a big cut at Chris Devenski’s fastball and watched it soar to the flag court with Austin Hays at first base to give the Orioles a lead. The groans were audible when an inherited runner scored against Austin Voth in the eighth, and Ohtani broke the tie by reaching on an infield hit with the bases loaded.