Early production from Stewart and Urías leads Orioles to win

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told the media prior to the break that DJ Stewart would get more chances to play, that their conversation included instructions to keep his head up. A crowded outfield wouldn't push Stewart out the door or too far down the bench.

"It's a long season left," Hyde said, "and he's going to get plenty of at-bats here in the second half."

In the lineup for only the third time this month, Stewart singled twice and had an RBI and two runs scored by the third inning. The decision to put him in left field and bat him in the cleanup spot proved to be wise, if not obvious.

Everyone wanted to get in on the act, another development that couldn't be predicted.

The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in the third and scored five runs, Jorge López again couldn't finish the fifth and the bullpen blanked the Royals for 4 1/3 innings in an 8-4 victory.

Ramón Urías, making another start at shortstop with Freddy Galvis on the injured list, had two run-scoring singles through the third and walked in the seventh, and the Orioles ended their five-game losing streak. They won for only the second time in 10 games and the seventh in 31.

Royals starter Brady Singer didn't record an out in the third and was charged with seven runs. Let the opponent experience a rotation crisis for one night.

Cedric Mullins had a leadoff double, Trey Mancini reached on an infield hit and Ryan Mountcastle, Stewart, Anthony Santander and Urías produced run-scoring singles. Pedro Severino had an RBI single against reliever Richard Lovelady.

Mancini tripled in the fourth inning, his first since June 12, 2019, and scored on Mountcastle's fly ball. The eight runs on the board were the most since a 13-3 win on June 29 in Houston.

The Orioles wouldn't get anything else.

"It was nice the way we strung some hits together," Hyde said. "I loved the way we ran the bases. That was our best baserunning game by far, going first to third multiple times, putting pressure on the defense, running the bases hard. Really good at-bats off Singer top to bottom. It was nice to see us keep the line moving and taking competitive at-bat after competitive at-bat. Scoring those eight runs early, that was really nice."

López was making his first career start against the Royals but owned a 7.93 ERA in 21 games at Kauffman Stadium. His last win there came against the Orioles on Sept 2, 2018, when he allowed one run in seven innings, walked none and struck out seven.

That game launched López to an even more dominant start against the Twins, when he allowed one run and one hit in eight innings. His ceiling since that night has been seven innings with the Orioles on Sept. 14, 2020 against the Braves. He's completed the sixth only three times this season and hasn't made it through the fifth in six of his last seven appearances.

A bases-loaded, no-out jam tonight in the fifth with an 8-1 lead again tested Hyde's patience and enabled the Royals to score three runs.

Efficiency has been lacking for López, who runs up high pitch counts early and needs to be rescued. Hyde doesn't want López going through an order for a third time by the fourth or fifth inning.

There are much more important issues for López at home. He went on the bereavement list Wednesday to be with his son Mikael, who has been receiving chemotherapy treatments for 14 days and needed a bone marrow transplant.

Struggles in a particular inning are meaningless by comparison.

"I think that's first always," he said. "He's such a strong kid. I feel I have to be there. I'm a strong part of his life. Hopefully, he can get a new life in the next couple months and just be a normal kid, you know? He loves baseball, he loves to come to the ballpark, come here and watch and that's his big thing. He watches us every day playing. This is something, I have to be there no matter what."

The Orioles gave López a 2-0 lead in the top half of the second, beginning with Stewart's leadoff single and continuing with a walk to Santander, Urías' run-scoring single and Domingo Leyba's RBI grounder.

Urías has eliminated the toe tap as part of his timing at the plate.

"It's a great opportunity, it's a blessing," Urías said via translator Ramón Alarcón. "I'm trying to work as hard as I can and trying to take advantage of this situation so I can help my team win."

"He's done a great job," Hyde said. "Taking really good at-bats. You see him getting the barrel out in front. When he gets the barrel out in front, he hits the ball hard. He's getting big hits for us."

Stewart was 4-for-27 with 15 strikeouts in his last 10 games with an at-bat since hitting a home run on June 19.

"I was telling some of our coaches today I've been so impressed with DJ, just his attitude," Hyde said. "Kind of a tough season for him and playing time has been limited as of late with all these outfielders being healthy. He's kept a great attitude and comes to work, comes to play, he supports his teammates in the dugout when he's not playing, has life on the bench. So, it was really nice to see him contribute tonight the way he did. Really impressed with how he's dealt with this year."

Carlos Santana had an RBI double in the third, which the Orioles countered in the fourth with the Mancini triple and Mountcastle sacrifice fly. But López filled the bases in the fifth, walking Nicky Lopez with a questionable full-count curveball.

A wild pitch scored Ryan O'Hearn and Whit Merrifield followed with a sacrifice fly. At gut-check time, López got a called third strike on Santana and surrendered an RBI single to Salvador Perez on another curveball that cut the lead to 8-4 and ended his night.

Shying away from his upper-90s fastball didn't prove to be wise.

"I have to go back and watch the fifth inning. We need to figure this out," Hyde said. "His stuff is too good. I don't know if he got unaggressive there. It seems like there was a lot of off-speed stuff. ... Lopie's stuff is really good and he's having a tough time in that fifth inning the third time through, and I don't know if his mentality changed. I know our guys are working hard with him and he's aware, obviously, and that's why he was disappointed when he came out that inning."

Paul Fry stranded a runner and López was charged with four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings with a walk and four strikeouts. He threw 80 pitches and his ERA is 6.04.

López has allowed 22 runs in the fifth inning.

"It's been happening since the beginning," López said. "I can't say I should do this, I should do that. But at the end of the day I have to make three outs, I have to concentrate better. Sometimes, like we talk about, I would say bad luck. It wasn't hard contact or anything like that. Things just didn't go my way. It's something, I have to keep working. They have a really good team. I know them. But it's just a thing where I have to find a way, I have to find a way."

Fry retired the four batters he faced. Dillon Tate had a scoreless seventh, with Pat Valaika making a diving stop and throw to rob Merrifield and prevent a run. Tanner Scott was handed the eighth, put the first two runners on base and escaped the jam, with a little help from plate umpire Bill Welke's elastic strike zone. Rule 5 pick Tyler Wells stranded a runner in the ninth.

Mullins had two doubles, the last off left-hander Kris Bubic.

Santander had his first multi-walk game of the season.

Notes: John Means said on a MASN interview that he was pleased with today's bullpen session and his shoulder feels great. He's scheduled to start Tuesday night against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Means said "the leash is off" when asked how long he could pitch.

"I should be good for 85-90, hopefully more," he said.

Shortstop Jean Carmona hit his first two home runs tonight for Single-A Delmarva. Darell Hernaiz had three hits and stole his 11th base. Andrew Martinez homered.

Zach Peek struck out seven batters in 4 2/3 innings but also allowed two runs and five hits with four walks, a wild pitch and a hit batter. Reliever Houston Roth earned the win with one run and two hits allowed in four innings.

Triple-A Norfolk left-hander Kevin Smith lasted only two-thirds of an inning and was removed after 33 pitches, 13 for strikes. He allowed three runs on one hit and three walks.

Jahmai Jones hit his sixth home run. Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis logged 4 1/3 scoreless innings.