Early walks hurt Young in second major league start, Orioles fall 4-3 in Game 1

DETROIT – The Orioles began the day with an injury update that removed a second outfielder from the roster. They sent a rookie to the mound for his second major league start in the first game of a doubleheader and watched him walk five batters in two innings.

A tall order against the first-place Tigers kept growing, along with an organization’s collective frustration.

Brandon Young battled through 4 2/3 innings in a 4-3 loss in Game 1 at Comerica Park. He gave the Orioles a chance with a later departure than anticipated and only two runs on the board when he left, but the bullpen had to shoulder another heavy load.

Bryan Baker let his first inherited runner score and the Orioles, unable to win back-to-back games for a second time, fell to 10-15.

Young was charged with three runs to give him a 6.23 ERA in 8 2/3 major league innings. He allowed four hits and struck out six, and his walk total held at five with all of them condensed into 1 2/3.

“I thought his misses were really close,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I thought he got squeezed a little bit. He had good stuff, he did a nice job pitching out of a jam only giving up a couple runs. He left a runner on base, and Bake, who’s been so good for us, gives up an end-of-the-bat single unfortunately. I thought B.Y. did a nice job.”

Ryan O’Hearn hit an opposite-field home run off Casey Mize in the fourth to reduce the Tigers’ lead to 2-1. Jordan Westburg’s third single, an infield hit in the seventh, got the Orioles within 3-2, but Spencer Torkelson homered off Cionel Pérez in the bottom half. Ramón Urías’ third hit of the day was a home run off left-hander Tyler Holton in the eighth that trimmed the lead to 4-3.

Hyde stuck with Pérez for 1 1/3 innings because of the doubleheader and with Keegan Akin starting Game 2 as an opener. Charlie Morton will follow him – news that Hyde didn’t share in his pregame scrum.

“With us being down, I’m not going to go to a few guys there in the bullpen,” Hyde said. “So we’re down a run, he punches out (Riley) Greene, I got (Matt) Bowman ready in case they pinch-hit (Andy) Ibañez if Torkelson gets on base. Unfortunately, he hits the ball out of the ballpark. It’s just unlucky again.”

Jackson Holliday came within a few feet of an opposite-field, three-run homer in the second inning after O’Hearn and Urías singled. Greene made the catch on the track. This happened after Cedric Mullins led off the first by reaching on an error, Gunnar Henderson grounded into a double play, and Westburg reached on an infield single and was thrown out trying to steal.

Urías and Holliday singled with two outs in the fourth and were stranded. The Orioles got another chance in the sixth when Westburg and O’Hearn singled, but Torkelson fielded Heston Kjerstad’s ground ball and threw home for the out. Former Orioles minor league Brenan Hanifee replaced Mize, and a popup and strikeout ended the threat.

Greene made a leaping catch at the left field fence to rob Ramón Laureano of a solo home run in the seventh. Mullins walked, Henderson dumped a single into left-center, with Greene almost making a diving grab, and Westburg reached after Jace Jung’s diving backhand stop and late throw along the third base line.

Urías finished with three hits after his home run and is batting .340 with an .837 OPS. O’Hearn also had three hits but Ryan Mountcastle pinch-hit for him in the seventh and flied to the left field track.

The Orioles were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.

“Laureano almost went deep, Mountcastle almost went deep, Jackson almost went deep,” Hyde said. “We were just a few inches away from that game being totally different. It’s tough when you’re losing in a doubleheader type of situation with bullpens. It was a little bit of an unfortunate first game.”

The Orioles have fallen behind first in the last six games. Young stranded two in the first after a two-out walk and double, but he walked four batters in the second. Javier Báez had an RBI double and Gleyber Torres produced a sacrifice fly.

A key moment in the inning came when catcher Gary Sánchez appeared to pick off Dillon Dingler at first base after a force play. The ball arrived in plenty of time but Dingler reached with his left arm while diving back to the bag and O’Hearn couldn’t slap the tag. The rally continued instead of no one on base and two outs.

Young walked three batters over four innings in his debut and followed with five today. The only time in the minors that he walked more than four was in 2021 with High-A Aberdeen.

A start that could have gotten away from Young stayed in his possession. He threw 53 pitches through the second inning but retired the side in order, striking out two, on 11 pitches in the third. His count stood at 80 after the fourth, when he collected two more strikeouts.

The fifth inning with Young on the mound consisted of Zach McKinstry’s infield single, a groundout and Torkelson’s strikeout. Hyde made the change with Young at 95 pitches, and Jung grounded a ball up the middle at 76.1 mph for a 3-1 lead.

“Felt more confident this time,” Young said. “A little more comfortable out there. Kind of settled into a groove after the second. Again, I mean, it’s a blessing to just pitch out there, but I’m glad I got a little more comfortable, made some more competitive pitches this time. Can’t walk five guys. I noticed that in the box score. But overall, it’s tough, I’m going to learn from it, but I made some competitive pitches and I kept the team a chance to win today.”

Baker stranded all eight inherited runners before today.

“With Baker, who’s been really good in the middle innings for us and with runners in scoring position, and Bake getting lefties and righties out this year, I went with Bake, and an end-of-the-bat single,” Hyde said.

Akin hasn’t started since May 31, 2023. He also started once in 2022.