Colton Cowser led off Thursday night’s game in Jacksonville by homering on the first pitch, the ball clocked at 110.3 mph off the bat and slamming off the back row of bleachers in right field before arcing back onto the warning track. Jumbo Shrimp outfielder Jerar Encarnación was forced to watch and retrieve.

Cowser led off the third inning with another home run, this time to the opposite field. His second left-on-left assault of the night.

He settled for a single into left field in his next at-bat. Going easy on ‘em.

An intentional walk in the seventh put the finishing touches on another monster game for Cowser, the fifth-overall draft pick in 2021. But this isn’t just about Cowser, who singled in his first two at-bats last night and drove in a run, and drew a walk in his next plate appearance. Many fists are rapping on the door that leads inside Camden Yards.

Many decisions are pending for the Orioles, who don’t feel rushed to make them.

Cedric Mullins lined a triple into right-center field tonight in the fifth inning and the dry spell was over. The Orioles had their third hit, the first for extra bases. The new splash zone in section 86 was activated, with a hose dousing fans thirsting for a run.

They settled for the water.

Mullins would make certain that they got everything they wanted by the eighth inning. Heavy pouring of offense, the massive hydration with throats raw from cheering, a memory to cherish.

The center fielder hit a three-run homer to complete the cycle, just as the dugout urged him to do, in a 6-3 win over the Pirates before an announced crowd of 25,682.

Austin Hays was the last Orioles player to achieve the cycle, on June 22, 2022 against the Nationals. Mullins sent a changeup from Duane Underwood Jr. onto the flag court with two outs after Terrin Vavra, celebrating his 26th birthday, extended the inning with a walk.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde saw Ramón Urías in the weight room this afternoon and said the infielder’s left hamstring is improving through rehab sessions.

What hasn’t changed is the anticipated length of Urías’ absence from the active roster. He won’t be back after his 10 days have passed.

“He’s doing well,” Hyde said. “I think the timetable’s still the same. It’s going to be two or three weeks, but he’s progressing extremely well and right now he’s just getting a ton of treatment and doing some exercises in the weight room, but hasn’t done anything besides that.”

Reliever Mychal Givens said his left knee felt good after he pitched Wednesday and Thursday with Double-A Bowie on his rehab assignment. His activation from the injured list is approaching.

“I think he’s pretty close,” Hyde said. “We might try to give him another outing, and then we’re going to continue to monitor from there, go from there.”

The Orioles begin another series tonight against another team that’s above .500. And this is where the similarities slam into a closure.

The Pirates arrive having lost nine of their last 10 games, but they remain atop the National League Central.

Try doing that in the American League East. Go ahead.

Letdown games and series aren’t permissible, and the rebuilt Orioles are in no way inclined to feel the urge.

True that they just got done with the Braves and Rays, going 3-3 against teams with the two best records in baseball and suffering a pair of late one-run losses at Truist Park, but they aren’t judging the Pirates based on a recent streak of ugliness.

Drew Rom’s major league debut remains on hold.

So close, but unable to capture it.

The Orioles announced that they optioned Rom to Triple-A Norfolk following last night’s 2-1 win over the Rays at Camden Yards. A corresponding move is coming Friday when they begin a three-game series against the Pirates that’s situated in the middle of their homestand.

Rom was summoned on Monday within a flurry of roster moves that included the return of infielder/outfielders Ryan O’Hearn and Terrin Vavra. Keegan Akin was optioned, with Rom replacing him as left-handed long relief.

Infielder Ramón Urías went on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, and catcher Luis Torrens was designated for assignment. Torrens' situation hasn't been resolved.

The lead was large and the plan was in place.

Terrin Vavra found out in the top of the seventh inning of an April 29 game in Charlotte that he’d switch from playing third base to catching for the first time as a professional. Take your at-bat, put on the gear and replace starter Maverick Handley with Triple-A Norfolk ahead 16-1.

In a weird coincidence, as so many of them are, Nicholas Padilla nailed Handley with a pitch, bruised the hand and forced him onto the seven-day injured list. Vavra was the next batter, and he doubled with the bases loaded to score two more runs as part of his five-hit day in a 20-1 win.

Vavra was going to catch anyway, but the change wasn’t supposed to be that painful. He handled the last three innings without incident – the Knights had three baserunners, each of them reaching with two outs and none inclined to steal with such a lopsided margin – and an emergency backstop was born.

The idea actually was hatched late in 2022, and the Orioles began working with him in spring training. But the game in Charlotte made it seem more real.

Dean Kremer didn’t allow a hit tonight until one out in the fourth inning. Nine batters in a row retired since his back-to-back walks in the first. Then came another single and the possibility of his start eroding.

Isaac Paredes slapped a sinker on the ground. Good for Kremer. The ball was aimed at shortstop Jorge Mateo. Even better.

Mateo began the Orioles’ 42^nd double play of the season, most in the majors, and their fifth in the past two nights.

Kremer kept grinding away and waiting for run support that finally came after he left the game.

The Orioles loaded the bases against Yonny Chirinos with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and scored twice, Danny Coulombe stranded an inherited runner with two strikeouts in the eighth, and Yennier Cano handled closing duties in a tense 2-1 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 14,395 at Camden Yards.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde made out tonight’s lineup assuming that right-hander Yonny Chirinos will get the bulk of the innings after left-hander Jalen Beeks, who’s serving as the opener.

Beeks has appeared in 13 games, 11 in relief, and totaled 16 innings.

Ryan O’Hearn is in the lineup as the left-handed designated hitter.

“With Beeks, not sure how long he’s going to go,” Hyde said, “but I expect him to go an inning or two, maybe three.”

Beeks hasn’t gone more than 1 1/3 innings in his last eight appearances.

The Orioles are trying tonight for their eighth series win in the last nine.

Ryan O’Hearn is batting ninth tonight as the designated hitter against the Rays. Adam Frazier is batting fifth again. Gunnar Henderson is the third baseman.

Dean Kremer held the Braves to one run in six innings in his last start to lower his ERA from 6.67 to 5.80. He’s 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA in four career starts against the Rays.

Randy Arozarena is 3-for-7 with two home runs against Kremer.

Ryan Mountcastle posted his 10^th multi-hit game of the season last night to tie him with Austin Hays and Anthony Santander for the team lead.

Gunnar Henderson led off the third inning last night by barreling a cutter from Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin and driving it into right-center field at 99.9 mph off the bat.

Manuel Margot raced to the gap, dived and missed it. Luke Raley tried to pick up the ball with his glove and failed on the first attempt as Henderson kept motoring.

The official scorer gave him a triple on the play, and he scored on Jorge Mateo’s ground ball to the right side.

Henderson also flied out and grounded out and is batting .179 with a .665 OPS in 31 games. He hasn’t gone on a tear, but the Orioles expect it to happen and are staying patient with the former No. 1 prospect in baseball.

“There’s been some encouraging stuff,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said yesterday in his first media session since the end of spring training.

Grayson Rodriguez retired the leadoff batter of a game tonight for the first time in his seven major league starts. He needed nine pitches and a 99.1 mph fastball to get a called third strike on Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz. But he did it.

Wander Franco was next, and he launched another fastball to center field for his seventh home run of the season.

Rodriguez keeps experiencing the ups and downs that can nauseate a rookie pitcher. Nothing to do except ride it out.

For longer tonight than any other time with the Orioles.

The defense turned a couple of double plays behind Rodriguez, the offense sprung back to life and the Orioles held on to defeat the Rays 4-2 before an announced crowd of 10,017 at Camden Yards.

Left-hander Drew Rom was sitting on the balcony of his hotel room last night in Jacksonville at around 10:45 p.m., gazing at the river and relaxing, when Triple-A Norfolk manager Buck Britton called with news that he’d need to pack his bags and board a flight to Baltimore in the morning.

The Orioles decided to option Keegan Akin and recall Rom, whose first appearance out of the bullpen will be his major league debut.

“For me, it’s just been a whirlwind of a day and a half, I guess, but I’m trying to take it all in stride at this point and try to keep doing what I’ve been doing down in Norfolk and just try to bring it up here,” Rom said this afternoon at his locker inside the clubhouse at Camden Yards.

“It’s kind of surreal. My favorite movie was ‘The Rookie’ growing up, with Dennis Quaid, so that’s kind of what I felt like coming in, honestly, was taking everything in. A little bit of shell shock. Everything today’s just been eyes wide-open, trying to bask in everything and just take everything one step at a time, one minute at a time.”

Rom posted a 2.87 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in six games. He was supposed to start tonight for the Tides.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Gunnar Henderson will see a lot of time at third base after Ramón Urías went on the injured list today with a strained left hamstring. Henderson is at third tonight and batting seventh as the Orioles try to even their series with Tampa Bay.

Urías sustained the injury last night in the ninth inning while running to first base on a single.

“Do not have a firm grasp of the expected length of his IL stay,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias. “We hope it’s not going to be an overly significant amount of time, but when you talk about a hamstring, it’s definitely something that we went ahead and put him on the IL and expect him to miss a good bit of time.”

Adley Rutschman is catching and trying to snap an 0-for-18 streak. Adam Frazier is batting fifth and playing second base. Kyle Stowers is batting ninth and starting in right field.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Adley Rutschman C
Anthony Santander DH
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Adam Frazier 2B
Austin Hays LF
Gunnar Henderson 3B
Jorge Mateo SS
Kyle Stowers RF

The Orioles shook up their roster this afternoon, and the moves weren’t tied only to Ramón Urías’ left hamstring strain.

Urías was placed on the 10-day injured list as expected, but the club also optioned reliever Keegan Akin and designated catcher Luis Torrens for assignment before he could appear in a game.

Left-hander Drew Rom, infielder/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and infielder Terrin Vavra were recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

Rom, 23, would be making his major league debut after going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in six games with Norfolk. He’s surrendered only two home runs in 31 1/3 innings and is averaging 2.9 walks and 9.2 strikeouts. He’s wearing No. 67.

The Orioles selected Rom in the fourth round of the 2018 draft out of Highlands High School in Kentucky. He could switch to a relief role as Akin’s replacement, keeping a third left-hander in the bullpen and providing length.

Yennier Cano received two days off after working two innings Thursday afternoon in Kansas City. He wasn’t available last night after retiring all six batters he faced Sunday in Atlanta.

The temptation to use him anyway must be strong, simply because he’s become one of the top relievers in baseball.

Just how good?

The examples are numerous and widely publicized. Here is another, according to STATS:

Cano has faced 49 batters and allowed two hits, walked none and nailed one batter, for a .103 opponents’ OPS, second lowest through 12 appearances since 2014.

The Orioles got length tonight from starter Kyle Gibson. They got a quality start, only the eighth in 35 games, and with the veteran right-hander responsible for half.

But would they get the win?

Gibson deserved it, and not just for again knocking down the five-inning wall. He held the Rays to one run through the sixth and came out after Luke Raley’s soft leadoff single.

The Rays loaded the bases with no outs against Bryan Baker, and Raley scored on Wander Franco’s fly ball to leave Gibson with two runs on his line. The Orioles couldn’t yank the loss from him, falling 3-0 before an announced crowd of 12,669 at Camden Yards.

Raley homered off Keegan Akin in the ninth, and the Orioles (22-13) have their first three-game losing streak and second shutout. Tampa Bay improved its record to 29-7, the best in baseball.

Orioles reliever Mychal Givens was back in the Camden Yards home clubhouse this afternoon, taking a brief break from his injury rehab assignment.

Givens said his left knee feels much better, but he doesn’t know when the Orioles will activate him. He hasn’t allowed a run or hit in three innings with Double-A Bowie and has struck out five batters.

The Orioles are keeping Givens with the Baysox. He pitches again Wednesday night in Harrisburg.

“The last three outings have been good, so we’re still taking it day by day,” he said. “We’ll continue to evaluate how I’ve been feeling, but right now it’s been going well, in the right direction.

“The knee’s not having the problems it had earlier in spring and earlier in the month.”

The Orioles are back home, finally, after a three-city road trip and back-to-back, one-run losses in Atlanta.

Now they get red-hot Tampa Bay, which has the best record in baseball at 28-7 and a plus-115 run differential.

The Rays’ record is tied for the second-best through 35 games since 1903. The 1984 Tigers were 30-5 and won the World Series.

Per STATS, this is only the fifth time in 134 series that the Orioles and Rays have been first and second in the standings. Most recently was in April 2019, but the second-place Orioles were 7-10.

The teams have never finished one-two in the division.

The hard part of the schedule just got a little harder.

Goodbye Braves, with your best record in the National League. Hello Rays, with your best record in baseball at 28-7 and obscene plus-115 run differential.

Maybe a lot harder.

The division is out of control. Boston used to be in last place with a record above .500. They won eight in a row before yesterday’s loss in Philadelphia and moved into third place, until the Blue Jays passed them by blowing out the Pirates.

The Yankees are in the cellar but a game above .500. Four of the five teams have 20 wins or more.

ATLANTA – Brandon Hyde didn’t have much to offer the local beat crew before today’s game. Nothing had changed in 12 hours besides his lineup. Morning baseball doesn’t usually bring much news or anything of interest unless the roster is impacted. It just happens, taxing bodies and minds after a late night.

The Orioles’ manager held a cup of coffee, not his first of the day, and joked about his breakfast. Eggs over medium. Nothing is easy around here. Hyde got in a quick workout. And he tried to guide his club to an eighth series win in a row.

Of course, the game would go to extra innings. Baseball has a sense of humor.

It also has walk-off wins for the home team.

Michael Harris II doubled off Cionel Pérez in the 12th to score automatic runner Ozzie Albies with one out and give the Braves a 3-2 victory over the Orioles before an announced sellout crowd of 40,800 at Truist Park.