Cabrera homers twice and Orioles lose 6-2 (updated)

Over the past few hours, the Orioles attempted to win a game in Detroit, find a trade partner and gain more clarity on their roster heading into the weekend.

They went 0-for-3.

Casey Mize was only partially to blame.

Rookie Alexander Wells surrendered four runs in five innings, Mize carried a shutout into the seventh, the Tigers won 6-2 and manager Brandon Hyde concluded his postgame Zoom call with the same players who made the ride from the team hotel to Comerica Park earlier in the day.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 496th career home run in the fifth and his 497th in the seventh, and the Orioles fell to 35-66.

Hyde referred to a "crowded week" with pitcher Keegan Akin and outfielder Anthony Santander on the COVID-19 injured list but making it through the protocol period. He knows that a deal before the Friday afternoon deadline can clear a spot on the 40-man roster, which currently holds 39 players. The 26-man roster is about to undergo its latest adjustments, whether by trade or options.

Wells is just trying to earn another start. Ryan McKenna is attempting to stay away from Triple-A Norfolk. They're on the club because Akin and Santander had to leave it.

McKenna scored the winning run Sunday and had a walk-off walk last night. His speed produced an infield hit tonight in the fourth inning, he singled and scored an unearned run in the seventh, and made a diving catch in left field.

Wells left the bases loaded in the third inning but surrendered his third run. He was done after the fifth, extended to 90 pitches with the Orioles behind 4-0.

The Australia native allowed seven hits, walked three batters and struck out four. If he stays in the rotation, he's bringing a 5.28 ERA into New York for the next leg of the road trip.

"I've got to be better early on in the game," Wells said on his Zoom. "Coming off my start in Tampa, I had a long first inning there and a long first inning here tonight. So I've got to be better coming out early and have a shutdown inning in the first and I've just got to be better."

Wells could use a normal five-day schedule after his short-notice start against the Rays and a longer wait until tonight.

"I was aching to get out on the mound tonight with those days off," he said. "Now, hopefully getting to that five-day routine and be on a more consistent routine and get back to what we were doing in Norfolk, yeah, just developing that routine again and get ready for my next start."

The Orioles were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in the first inning after Cedric Mullins' leadoff triple. Austin Hays grounded out, Mullins was caught in a rundown on Trey Mancini's bouncer to Mize, DJ Stewart walked and Ramón Urías grounded out.

The Tigers were 1-for-1 after two batters.

Wells issued his seventh major league walk in 10 1/3 innings, an unusual development for a pitcher known for his pinpoint control. His two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt moved Akil Baddoo to third and former Oriole Jonathan Schoop singled into left field.

Schoop scored on an Eric Haase fly ball after going from first to third on Cabrera's single into left field, and the Tigers led 2-0.

Haase singled with two outs in the third to score Schoop, who doubled and took third base on a ground ball. Cabrera walked before Haase poked an 89 mph fastball into left.

"Kind of got off to a tough start there in the first after we didn't score with a runner on third and nobody out, set the tone a little bit," Hyde said on his Zoom call. "And a leadoff walk and errant pickoff throw, wasn't a good start for us tonight. But he still did OK, got through five innings. I thought they were aggressive and kind of played into Wells' hands a little bit. But he went five innings for us and kept it close."

Mize, the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, allowed only the Mullins triple and McKenna's infield hit prior to the seventh. McKenna and Maikel Franco singled with one out, Domingo Leyba flied to left and Baddoo made the head-scratching decision to throw home as McKenna held - the ball sailing up the first base line to cut the lead to 4-1.

"I'm disappointed in our approach tonight a little bit," Hyde said. "It's something we talked about before the game. Casey Mize's got a really good arm, he's got good stuff. He really runs the ball into right-handers. I think for the most part our approaches have been pretty good, but tonight we chased balls in. Something he likes to do, crowd hitters. We kept on swinging at it there and a lot of jammed balls to the right side.

"Hats off to him, he pitched well. He's got a really good arm. He got taken in the draft where he did for a reason. But especially that first inning, the Mullins triple and we swing at two balls in ... Just kind of set the tone for the evening.

"That's what one-ones look like."

Urías was nailed on the left elbow before McKenna batted in the fourth but stayed in the game. McKenna's knack for manufacturing runs and the energy he brings could keep him in the majors.

Adam Plutko served up Cabrera's second home run, the ball again driven to right field. Haase singled and Jeimer Candelario tripled to increase the lead to 6-1.

Plutko, who's out of minor league options, has allowed five runs in four innings in his last three appearances. He's carrying a 5.19 ERA.

Cabrera is inching closer to his 500th homer, with the total updated similar to the numbers hung on the warehouse during Cal Ripken Jr.'s pursuit of Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record.

"I grew up watching him play," Wells said, "so I got a bit star-struck when he first went into the box and the crowd was cheering, but I knew my job was to be locked in and attack him just like any other hitter in the box. But it's pretty cool to face a guy like that.

"As I was walking out to the bullpen today, I saw the numbers up there and I saw the milestones he's chasing."

José Cisnero walked three batters in the eighth and threw a wild pitch that sailed behind Urías' head to score a run.

Austin Wynns threw out Derek Hill attempting to steal in the sixth. Wynns is 8-for-14.

Notes: Richie Martin batted leadoff and played shortstop tonight with Double-A Bowie on his injury rehab assignment and went 1-for-4 with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base. Kyle Brnovich allowed two runs and two hits in four innings. Patrick Dorrian hit his 14th and 15th home runs and Zach Watson hit his second.

Jordan Westburg hit his sixth home run tonight for Single-A Aberdeen.