Busted series against Blue Jays leads to big weekend vs. Red Sox

This is where the Orioles get up, brush off the dirt and go back to work.

The first two steps probably were completed before today. Otherwise, an off-day was wasted.

The last-place Red Sox are in town for three games, an unexpected 5 ½ behind the Orioles in the division standings. They lost three in a row, won five straight and just got swept in a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

The Orioles are 7-5 against the Red Sox this season, going 4-2 at home. They took two of three on April 29-May 1, and on Aug. 19-21.

The last game was played in Williamsport, Pa. for the annual Little League Classic, but it counts on the home side of the ledger.

The first game of the series ended with the Orioles winning 15-10 – the scoring for both teams between the second and sixth innings. The Orioles didn’t score after the fifth. One of the strangest nights of the season but completed in a tidy 4 hours and six minutes.

Nick Vespi got the win in relief to improve his record to 5-0. He’s in Triple-A Norfolk’s bullpen after the Oriole optioned him for a fifth time.

(I made the mistaken assumption that Vespi led Orioles relievers in wins, but Cionel Pérez is 7-1.)

The Orioles can’t seem to get their rotation set, with changes made in both ends of Monday’s doubleheader against the Blue Jays and again Wednesday. They were in control of the latter, deciding to activate Tyler Wells and build him up as a starter in the majors, and using Dean Kremer in bulk relief for one night.

Jordan Lyles’ stomach virus wrecked the Monday plans, and he’s a possibility to start Saturday afternoon. The spot opened after Spenser Watkins was optioned to Norfolk.

Austin Voth is listed for tonight and Kyle Bradish for Sunday afternoon. Lyles was scheduled to throw a bullpen session yesterday.

The Red Sox are starting right-handers Brayan Bello and Michael Wacha and left-hander Rich Hill, who made 13 starts for the Orioles in 2009.

If you told me back then that he’d still be pitching in the majors in 2022, I would have been as wide-eyed as he appeared at spring training in Fort Lauderdale.

He didn’t exude confidence.

For the Orioles to get back on track and make a hard run at the wild card, their three losses to the Blue Jays this week damaging but not destroying their season, they’ll need Ryan Mountcastle to stay hot. He’s batting .290/.333/.645 this month in eight games, going 9-for-31 with two doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs.

Mountcastle is batting .195/.262/.354 in 43 games since the All-Star break after slashing .273/.310/.476 in the first half.

He’s been living in the middle of the order – 25 starts batting third, 51 batting fourth and 28 batting fifth.

Austin Hays wasn’t in Wednesday’s lineup. He batted seventh on Tuesday and eighth in Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader, going to be bench for Game 2. He hit seventh on Sunday.

Adley Rutschman pinch-hit for Hays last Friday with the bases loaded.

Manager Brandon Hyde is trying to get Hays going while also crafting lineups that give a contending team the best chance to win.

Hays delivered an RBI single in the ninth inning of an Aug. 28 loss in Houston, the only run scored by the Orioles. He has three hits in his last 25 at-bats.

The break also cooled Hays. He hit .270/.325/.454 with 22 doubles, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs in the first half and is batting .197/.252/.326 with eight doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs in the second.  

Kyle Stowers is a left-handed option, but he’s 10-for-42 with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 14 games. He’s still adjusting.

Ramón Urías could be heating up after slashing .221/.262/.368 in August. He’s 7-for-23 this month, and his three walks are one fewer than his August total.

The Orioles will take whatever offense is available to them. Trying to keep it from flickering like a weak bulb.

They need to get stronger this weekend before their playoff hopes burn out.