Baumann inheriting new set of responsibilities

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.

Left-hander Danny Coulombe was tied for 10th with 22, Bryan Baker was tied for 13th with 21, and Yennier Cano was 25th with 18.

Mayza entered Thursday with two outs in the sixth inning, threw one pitch, which Gunnar Henderson grounded to short, and stranded two runners. Made it look easy. Baumann had the day off after his back-to-back appearances, an easier afternoon.

The break was over yesterday. Baumann replaced Cole Irvin with a runner on first base and no outs in the fifth, raising his total to 28, and got a force at second base after Anthony Santander failed to make a sliding catch, and a fly ball that Santander caught. He allowed a single and induced another fly ball to keep the deficit at one run.

Baumann replaced Coulombe Wednesday with two on and no outs in the eighth inning and coaxed a ground ball from George Springer to shortstop Gunnar Henderson that the Orioles turned into a 6-4-2 double play, after Whit Merrifield broke late for the plate.

Don’t see many of those.

“I think that was the first one,” Baumann said. “I didn’t know if he was going to go home or not, but it was a nice little surprise for me.

“He kind of froze when he saw Gunnar, and then took off once he threw it to second, and (Adam) Frazier saw that and was able to get him out with a nice throw.”

Unfortunately for Baumann and the Orioles, Bo Bichette followed with an RBI double in a 3-1 loss.

“I just had to do a better job of finishing the inning,” Baumann said.

The fielder’s choice in the previous at-bat that allowed Springer to reach still made the runner Coulombe’s responsibility, and he was charged with the run.

“I’m not quite sure how that went down,” Baumann said.

One of those weird rules.

Anyway, Baumann had no idea that he was among the leaders in inherited runners. Twelve have scored.

“It’s definitely new, and that’s actually one of my favorite parts of it, is just the thrill of going in and getting that adrenaline going and kind of blowing it out for a few pitches, an inning or an inning-plus. That’s a fun, new challenge for me,” said Baumann, who began yesterday 4-0 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.160 WHIP in 31 outings and averaged a career-high 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

Baumann put two runners on base yesterday in the sixth inning and they both scored against Cionel Pérez, raising his ERA to 4.21. His 32 appearances lead the team.

“A situation like that is kind of what we live for," Baumann continued. "A challenge that we want to be able to take on.”

Manager Brandon Hyde faces his own challenges on a daily or nightly basis. More day lately with so many early games on the schedule.

The bullpen as a whole has been good again in 2023, looking past yesterday's meltdown, with one of the lowest ERAs in baseball despite the missing pieces and the shuttling of relievers with options. The usage can be heavy when starters aren’t working deep in games. And sometimes, when leads shrink for either team and Hyde gets guys warming.

That’s a downside of playing so many close games.

Hyde will have double-barrel action in the ‘pen or call for a reliever to begin warming again, just in case.

“I had Cano up twice (Wednesday),” Hyde said. “The game situation dictates a lot of times that, but you try to stay away from getting a guy up and not getting him into the game. I try my best to not have a guy get up and not get him in the game. A situation changes in a game, the score changes quickly, those things happen.

“Like (Wednesday) night, I was going to use Cano if we cut it to one, I was going to use (Félix) Bautista with a tie or the lead, I was going to use (Reed) Garrett if we were down three. So, I needed three mounds in the eighth. But yeah, you’d definitely love not to have those guys get up, but I don’t want to tie the game and not have Bautista, so I’ve got to get him going.”

New rules, like the implementation of the pitch clock, aren’t making it any easier on Hyde.

“It’s a hitter early for me now,” he said. “I noticed that the first series of the year. It’s so much different now with the three-batter minimum in so many ways. With the three-batter minimum and the pitch clock, I try to be about a hitter earlier than I was.”

* Pitcher Spenser Watkins is joining the Orioles in Chicago, per a source. They need a fresh arm.

Reed Garrett threw 38 pitches yesterday in 1 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and five hits, and could be the corresponding move because he won't be available for a few days.

* Infielder Terrin Vavra was placed on Norfolk's injured list yesterday with a right shoulder strain.

Vavra is batting .333/.382/.524 in 14 games, with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and nine RBIs.

* Catcher Mark Kolozsvary cleared outright waivers and elected free agency instead of accepting an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Kolozsvary had his contract selected and was designated for assignment the following day.