ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Rays hurt Tyler Wells today in the second inning.

Wells also hurt himself.

Ganging up on the right-hander prevented the Orioles from sweeping the two-game series.

Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes hit back-to-back home runs to begin the inning, Wells committed two errors that led to a pair of unearned runs, and Tampa Bay defeated the Orioles 7-2 before an announced crowd of 19,493 at Tropicana Field.

The Orioles managed only three hits until Gunnar Henderson's leadoff homer in the ninth and fell to 45-28 with their third loss in five games and fourth in seven. They’re five games behind the Rays again in the American League East.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The question didn’t have anything to do with Austin Hays.

A reporter used manager Brandon Hyde’s pregame media session yesterday to get an opinion on Adley Rutschman receiving the most votes among American League catchers for the All-Star Game. But Hyde was more interested in Hays’ status among the outfielders.

He’d get back to Rutschman shortly. The player who didn’t need hyping.

Told that Hays is 15^th in balloting, Hyde immediately responded with, “That’s terrible.”

“We got a campaign going of some sort?” he asked, the tone playful but the disappointment real.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles couldn’t walk inside the dome today until they let the dust settle from the latest roster shakeup.

Make another change in the bullpen. Fiddle again with the backup catcher and 40-man roster.

Listen as the club creates beautiful music. Cover ears when it gets bad. Hold breath until it’s over.

The bats made loud sounds in the first two innings, with home runs by Aaron Hicks and Anthony Santander pushing the Orioles to a big early lead. It almost disappeared while the bullpen was rocked in the sixth, but Yennier Cano got three outs and Félix Bautista the last four for his 20^th save in an 8-6 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 20,906 at Tropicana Field that included sections of orange behind the visiting dugout.

They, too, were loud.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn’t certain when he can post a lineup with Cedric Mullins in center field and Ryan Mountcastle at first base or as designated hitter. He just knows that it’s getting closer.

That's good enough for now.

The duo is beginning an injury rehab assignment tonight with Triple-A Norfolk, which is playing in Nashville. Mullins is leading off and serving as DH, with Mountcastle right behind him in the order and starting at first base.

The rest of Norfolk’s lineup includes Colton Cowser in right field, followed by shortstop Jordan Westburg, left fielder Heston Kjerstad, second baseman Connor Norby, third baseman César Prieto, center fielder Hudson Haskin and catcher Maverick Handley.

Justin Armbruester, who joined Prieto from Double-A Bowie, is on the mound.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Gunnar Henderson returns to the Orioles lineup and the leadoff spot tonight against the Rays after being scratched Sunday with the stomach flu.

Henderson is the designated hitter.

Ryan O’Hearn is batting cleanup again and playing first base.  

O’Hearn is batting .349 with a 1.003 OPS in 29 games with the Orioles. Only five players have hit .350 or higher in their first 30 games with the Orioles, and seven have registered a 1.000 OPS or higher, per STATS.

Austin Hays is 9-for-17 in his last four games and 12-for-25 in his last six. He’s collected at least two hits in his last four games, the longest streak of multiple-hit games in his career.

The Orioles return to their division tonight having lost four of their last seven series. However, they’ve won seven of their last 10 games.

They began yesterday tied with the Rangers for the second-best record in the American League and are 5 ½ games ahead of the third-place Yankees, who have lost four in a row. However, they are constantly pressed to prove their resiliency in the face of more adversity, including inflammation of their injured list.

There’s always a back and forth with this team, like the number of wins but also the huge amount of tight margins.  

A two-game series against the Rays begins tonight at Tropicana Field with the Orioles having seven players on the injured list. Backup catcher James McCann is the latest after spraining his left ankle Saturday afternoon.

(Sliding and diving into first base are never recommended. Avoid at all costs.)

Scout David Jennings was on edge long before the Orioles were on the clock again.

The 2019 draft began with the selection of catcher Adley Rutschman. There was no risk of losing the top player on the board. Having the worst record and picking first has its privileges.

Jennings tracked Alabama prep shortstop Gunnar Henderson since the kid was a skinny junior at John T. Morgan Academy in Selma. He saw the room for growth, both in body and skill set. He saw Henderson playing shortstop or third base for a long time, and at a high level.

But would it be with the Orioles?

They had the 42^nd overall pick and lots of time to think about it after Rutschman’s name was announced. Jennings knew the amount of interest in Henderson based on the number of scouts and executives attending his games. This wasn’t a hidden gem. This was a problem.

The Orioles have lost four of their last seven series and will try today to avoid their first three-game sweep since May 13-15, 2022 in Detroit.

Catcher James McCann went on the 10-day injured list this morning with a sprained left ankle, and the Orioles selected catcher José Godoy’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. Godoy was on the taxi squad in Chicago.

Reliever Reed Garrett was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

McCann is batting .194/.232/.344 with five doubles and three home runs in 31 games.

Godoy, who’s wearing No. 77, was acquired from the Yankees on June 2 in a cash transaction. He’s appeared in 26 major league games over the past two seasons with the Mariners, Twins and Pirates and gone 7-for-57.

Mike Baumann’s baseball life has taken him to many places and into many roles.

The Orioles made the decision in spring training to remove the starter duties and just let him focus on relief. To be more specific, shorter spurts that allow for an uptick in velocity.

There’s no easing into a new responsibility. Not around here. If you put on the uniform and walk to the bullpen, you’re a high-leverage guy who must get big outs.

Clean innings aren’t promised, as Baumann has learned.

Going into Thursday afternoon’s series finale, Baumann was tied with Toronto’s Tim Mayza and the Royals’ José Cuas for the second-most inherited runners in the majors, with 27. The Yankees’ Ron Marinaccio was first with 28, but Mayza moved atop the leader board with his 29th.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off again today at Wrigley Field and Ramón Urías is the designated hitter for the series opener against the Cubs.

The Orioles’ lineup also includes first baseman Ryan O’Hearn in the cleanup spot and Aaron Hicks in center field.

Adley Rutschman is behind the plate. He’s tied with Austin Hays for the team lead in hits with 70 and is first in walks with 46. Sean Murphy and Joe Mauer are the only American League catchers ever to lead their teams in both categories. Mauer did it twice.

Cole Irvin is making his second start since the Orioles put him back in the rotation. He faced the Royals Saturday and allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings.

Irvin’s only career start against the Cubs came on May 22, 2019 with the Phillies at Wrigley Field, when he allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was Irvin’s third career game and his first loss.

Tyler Wells took the mound yesterday in the top of the first inning with baseball in hand and also possessing the lowest WHIP in the majors at 0.853.

There’s a lot of season left, but Wells held the Blue Jays to a pair of Danny Jansen solo home runs in 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 win at Camden Yards. He allowed five hits, walked one batter and left with his WHIP at 0.86.

The club record for lowest WHIP in a season, with a minimum of one inning per team game, is held by left-hander Dave McNally at 0.842 in 1968, according to STATS.

McNally was special, and his ’68 season was magnificent with a 22-10 record and 1.95 ERA in 35 starts. McNally recorded 18 complete games and five shutouts and finished fifth in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League.

A different time, indeed.

Anthony Santander didn’t feed the appetites of the launch angle lovers this afternoon while breaking the final tie of the day. The four combined home runs from the Orioles and Blue Jays would have to satisfy those cravings.

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. raised his mitt in an attempt to knock down Santander’s 103.9 mph one-hopper with two outs in the sixth inning and could only deflect it, allowing Austin Hays score on the third consecutive single against reliever Yimi García.

Four degrees of separation between a tie and lead.

García was saddled with two losses last month in Toronto, and he earned another today. Tyler Wells turned in his third quality start in his last four outings, surviving two home runs from Danny Jansen, and Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista handled the last seven outs in a 4-2 victory before an announced crowd of 22,555 at Camden Yards.

Hays hit a 439-foot home run off Erik Swanson in the eighth, and the 24th comeback win of the season improved the Orioles to 43-25. They secured their 15^th series and pushed the Blue Jays six games behind them in the standings.

Ramón Urías is making his second career start at first base this afternoon, as the Orioles concluded their homestand.

Manager Brandon Hyde is stacking his lineup with right-handed bats, including James McCann catching, Ryan McKenna in left field and Joey Ortiz at second base.

Austin Hays is leading off, with Gunnar Henderson in the cleanup spot.

Tyler Wells has posted a 3.24 ERA in 13 games (12 starts), and his 0.853 WHIP leads the majors. He’s allowed five runs in his last three starts over 18 innings.

Wells has made eight career appearances against the Blue Jays, including two starts, and allowed 10 runs and 18 hits in 14 2/3 innings.

Austin Hays got past the illness that kept him out of the Orioles lineup prior to the last road trip. The bottle of Pedialyte in his locker yesterday was gulped more as a preventative measure with four day games in a row. Restore fluids and prevent dehydration.

Hays is trying to remain upright while teammates keep dropping around him.

Cedric Mullins is in Sarasota rehabbing from a strained groin. Ryan Mountcastle went on the injured list Tuesday with vertigo. Austin Voth went on the IL yesterday with elbow discomfort.

Reliever Danny Coulombe was unavailable recently due to illness, going eight days between appearances. Two other relievers, Mychal Givens and Dillon Tate, are on injury rehab assignments this week.

The tale would be much sadder except that the Orioles are winning. Five in a row before last night’s 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays. More than every team other than the Rays when the night began.

To get his first career win in his own division and finally slay the Blue Jays, who battered him last season, Kyle Bradish needed to outduel the pitcher who hadn’t lost to the Orioles in 12 starts.

A pitcher who was perfect through four innings and unhittable until the seventh.

Bradish had good stuff and bad timing.

José Berríos retired the first 13 batters and was still eyeing history when Adley Rutschman singled into center field leading off the seventh. Just a minor glitch for Berríos, who again brought his best against the Orioles.

George Springer homered off Bradish with one out in the sixth, a changeup traveling 437 feet to left field, and the Blue Jays didn’t seem to need anything else in a 3-1 win before an announced crowd of 16,083 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles weren’t finished with their roster moves this afternoon.

Unfortunate business as usual.

Reliever Austin Voth was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. Reliever Reed Garrett had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk to fill the gap in the bullpen.

To make room for Garrett on the 40-man, Mark Kolozsvary was designated for assignment less than 24 hours after the Orioles selected his contract and let him catch the ninth inning.

Voth retired only one batter last night and allowed two runs and three hits with one walk. His homerless streak ended at 17 appearances when pinch-hitter Cavan Biggio took him deep leading off the eighth.

Joey Ortiz is back with the Orioles for the third time.

The Orioles recalled Ortiz from Triple-A Norfolk this afternoon and optioned Mark Kolozsvary, who joined the active roster yesterday and caught the ninth inning.

The move is another response to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle going on the 10-day injured list yesterday with vertigo.

Ortiz’s last game with the Orioles was May 24 in New York. He was optioned two days later and didn’t play for Norfolk again until June 8 due to illness, but he’s gone 9-for-25 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs this month.

Ortiz is 7-for-27 with the Orioles. He’s on the bench tonight.

Ryan O’Hearn fouled off a changeup last night in the third inning, got the barrel on a slider and deposited the ball into the home bullpen.

Home is where O’Hearn is hardest to contain.

He began last night batting .462 with a 1.362 OPS in nine games at Camden Yards and .237 with a .722 OPS in 15 games on the road, though his three-run homer on May 20 at Rogers Centre qualifies as one of the season’s biggest hits.

I wrote yesterday that O’Hearn’s OPS was the highest mark for any Orioles player in his first nine home games with a minimum of 30 plate appearances, per STATS.

There’s more, of course.

Ryan Mountcastle has lost his day-to-day status with the Orioles.

The club announced a few minutes before first pitch that Mountcastle was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Saturday with vertigo.

Catcher Mark Kolozsvary had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, and he reported to the club today.

The Orioles designated pitcher Noah Denoyer for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Mountcastle hasn’t played since Tuesday, with the club explaining his absence as an illness. Manager Brandon Hyde said Mountcastle came to the ballpark yesterday to take some swings and was going to be a full participant this afternoon in batting practice.  

Two veteran Orioles relievers will begin injury rehab assignments this week.

Mychal Givens will pitch for Double-A Bowie on Wednesday and Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. Dillon Tate is scheduled to pitch for Norfolk Thursday and Saturday.

Givens began the season on the injured list with left knee inflammation, made six appearances with the Orioles and returned to the IL on June 2 with right shoulder inflammation. He allowed five earned runs and six total with six walks in four innings.

Tate is waiting to make his 2023 debut. He completed a rehab assignment and went back on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain. The Orioles transferred him to the 60-day IL to create a spot for infielder Josh Lester.

The latest injury is unrelated to the strained right forearm that kept him from pitching in spring training.