Thoughts on yesterday's game, Castro, Andreoli, Núñez, Davis and more

How many pieces of a season can fit into a nutshell?

The Orioles put runners on second and third base yesterday with no outs in the top of the seventh inning of a scoreless tie in Toronto and came up empty. Two ground balls and a pop up. Couldn't get the ball out of the infield.

David Hess, cruising along with a one-hitter, served up a long home run to Kendrys Morales in the bottom half of the inning to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead.

Rookie left-hander Thomas Pannone carried a no-hitter into the seventh and held the Orioles to a Trey Mancini single over seven innings. In his first major league start. His previous claim to fame: the 80-game suspension he served earlier this year for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug called "Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone" (DHCMT), also known as "Turinabol," used by East German athletes in the 1960s.

(I accidentally typed "performance-enhancing drub," which could describe what happened yesterday if I had a wicked sense of humor.)

This isn't the first time, of course, that the Orioles squandered a chance to score and perhaps break open a game and were burned by the long ball. And were manhandled by a pitcher with a skimpy resume. Rinse and repeat.

If we're compiling a list of individual disappointments, pitcher Miguel Castro would be near the top of mine.

I know that he's only 23 and still learning at this level, but Castro was viewed as a possible starter while in spring training. It was decided that he should return to his 2017 role, a guy who could consume multiple innings in the middle of games, stop the bleeding and allow for the possibility of a late rally.

Castro was charged with five runs yesterday in the eighth inning after entering with the Orioles down 1-0. Mixed in the rubble were three wild pitches. He's 2-7 with a 4.39 ERA and has walked 46 batters in 69 2/3 innings.

Maybe the spring was an omen. You might recall that Castro got a late start due to soreness in his knees and back. He started a March 2 B game against the Pirates while eased into competition.

Castro has been scored upon in six of eight outings this month, though the Aug. 14 run against the Mets was unearned.

New outfielder John Andreoli was the designated hitter yesterday with Mark Trumbo on the disabled list and Chris Davis on the bench. Andreoli started in left Tuesday night and had a few rocky moments, but he needs to be evaluated as a possible backup in 2019.

He definitely brings speed to the table. The Orioles are getting more athletic before our eyes. But he's no kid at 28.

He needs more starts in the outfield, but may be confined to left with Cedric Mullins deserving of all the innings in center field and Adam Jones handling right.

Renato Núñez made two diving stops and throws to record outs in the seventh inning. He isn't a plus defender at third base, but he does have his moments.

Núñez is benefitting from the rebuild. He's a regular in the lineup. The Orioles will have a thorough impression of him as the season closes, and an idea of whether he should hold onto the position.

The .356 on-base percentage before yesterday's game catches the eye. But sample sizes remain modest since the Orioles selected his contract after the break.

Davis was out of yesterday's lineup and the Orioles are facing another left-hander Friday night in CC Sabathia.

Davis has amassed 33 strikeouts in 66 at-bats over his last 18 games. He's 12-for-100 (.120) with four home runs and 42 strikeouts this season versus lefties and is 12-for-54 (.222) with two home runs and 22 strikeouts lifetime against Sabathia.

Does Davis sit again Friday night? It would give the club a chance to further evaluate Andreoli while Mancini shifts to first base. But someone has to be the designated hitter, and Jace Peterson is needed to back up the infield spots.

Alex Cobb starts Friday for the Orioles and manager Buck Showalter appears to be deciding between Yefry Ramírez and Jimmy Yacabonis for one game of Saturday's doubleheader. Yacabonis could be recalled again as the 26th player.

Brunch is the best meal invented and I'll fight anyone who disagrees. OK, I won't go that far, but it's my favorite - the food, the bottomless drinks - and the Orioles are providing a new twist to it.

The club is hosting "Brunch at the Ballpark" on Sunday, Sept. 16 before its game against the White Sox.

A limited number of ticket packages are available featuring an exclusive pregame brunch on the Center Field Roof Deck from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., an Orioles coffee mug, a $10 gift card to the Orioles Team Store and a game ticket. The pregame brunch includes breakfast biscuits, a build-your-own scrambled egg station, cinnamon French toast, home fries, muffins, fruit, coffee and bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys.

I'll stop by to ... greet fans. Yeah, that's why.

Fans can purchase the all-inclusive package with bottomless drinks and a left field lower box seat for $65 or an upper reserve seat for $50. Also, fans can purchase a non-alcoholic ticket package with a left field lower box seat for $45, or with an upper reserve ticket for $35.

Ticket packages are exclusively available for purchase at www.orioles.com/brunch.