Latest defensive lapse costs Orioles in 4-1 loss to Royals (updated)

KANSAS CITY – The subject already came up in the series. The Orioles must tighten their defense and keep pitch counts from escalating. Be more supportive in the field. Be more like they were in the past.

A blue sky, reduced winds and temperatures in the low 50s this afternoon made the weather more tolerable at Kauffman Stadium, but another breakdown led to a three-run first inning against Cade Povich.

The bats couldn’t compensate for it and the Orioles lost 4-1 to remain in search of their first series win.

Povich scattered a career-high 13 hits in six innings, and his start began to crumble after Tyler O’Neill made a diving catch to rob leadoff hitter Jonathan India in the first. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a ball into right-center that Jorge Mateo tracked, reached for and missed. Statcast calculated the catch probability at 99 percent.

Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a sacrifice fly, Salvador Perez and Mark Canha singled, and they scored on Michael Massey’s double down the right field line.

“I thought I had it," Mateo said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. "The ball was hit a little harder than I thought it was at first, but then after I was able to recover as the game went on.”

Mateo was making his first start in center field, halfway to his totals in 2023 and 2024. The Orioles broke out a more right-handed heavy lineup against Royals reverse-splits southpaw Kris Bubic, and they also wanted to give Cedric Mullins his first breather.

Ramón Laureano can back up in center, but he started in left while Heston Kjerstad joined Mullins on the bench. Colton Cowser’s fractured left thumb has a major influence on these decisions.

“I feel comfortable and I’m getting a lot of those repetitions," Mateo said. "Honestly, just getting repetitions to play wherever they need me.”

Kjerstad pinch-hit in the eighth and played left, with Laureano shifting to center. By then, the Orioles were down 4-1 and about to lower their record to 4-6.

"He works on it every single day, especially with the Cowser injury," manager Brandon Hyde said of Mateo. "I was staying away from Cedric today. It was an opportunity. The first ball I thought he probably misjudged it with the wind a little bit. Kind of a tough play. The second one, amazing he could even get to with his speed. Kind of overran it a little bit, I think. But it’s something that Jorgie works on every single day. Even in spring training he works on it. But with the Cowser injury, we’ve been having him out there a lot, and in drills he looks good. But kind of a tough day today.”

Mateo focused on shortstop and second base while rushing to get ready for Opening Day after recovering from his reconstructive left elbow surgery, "but we always do shag reps and do stuff with our outfield guys," Hyde said.

Mullins started every game, batting in seven of the ninth spots in the order, and he's healthy. This simply was a rest day for a player who's dealt with multiple injuries over the past few seasons.

“This is just one of 162 for him," Hyde said. "He’s had leg stuff in the past and we’re managing it. He’s been playing his absolute butt off, playing unbelievable baseball. So with three righties going the next three nights (in Arizona), he’s gonna be in there.”

Povich threw 22 pitches in the first and 17 more in the second, when the Royals scored again on Maikel Garcia’s leadoff single, a wild pitch and Freddy Fermin’s single. Laureano chased down the ball in left-center and easily threw out Fermin at second base.

India reached on an infield hit, with third baseman Ramón Urías making a diving stop and wide throw from his knees, and Witt doubled to left, but a popup and strikeout got Povich back in the dugout.

Povich allowed nine hits through the third inning, one short of his career high at Dodger Stadium. Witt singled in the fourth to move within a home run of the cycle. Perez led off the fifth with a double in left-center and Canha singled to put runners on the corners and give Kansas City 12 hits, but a foul popup and Hunter Renfroe double play prevented more damage.

"I think after the second inning, four runs, obviously, more hits than you want in two innings, it was kind of one of those where a lot of balls put in play," Povich said. "A team like that, they do that. You saw that the last two days. It was kind of one of those days everything put in play seemed to find a hole. I think it’s kind of one of those situations, you look at it and say, ‘You can either kind of either give in and die here or figure out something to get through.’

"We’ve used our bullpen, I know going in that going deeper in the game would be beneficial for some of the guys in the bullpen. Really just thought about what can we change and let’s do what we can to get through six at least."

Garcia’s leadoff single in the sixth didn’t hurt Povich, who picked him off second base after Fermin grounded out. Only Zach Eflin (twice) had completed six innings among Orioles starters.

“I thought he threw the ball really well," Hyde said. "I know he gave up some runs there early, some hard contact, but besides that I thought he competed extremely well. Huge for him to go six innings for us. I thought he was really, really competitive. I thought they took some good swings off him, but being able to go six innings for us today, that’s huge for us.

"Thought his stuff was really good. Thought the breaking ball was good, he was locating his fastball pretty well. Kind of where we are in this little road trip right here, to be able to go six innings for us was huge.”

Bubic allowed one run and five hits with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Ryan Mountcastle singled twice and he led off the seventh with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. Adley Rutschman reached on an infield single in the first, with the ball caroming off Bubic’s leg, but Witt made a diving stop of Jordan Westburg’s grounder up the middle and flipped to second base for the force.

Left-handers were hitting .305/.388/.513 against Bubic in his career, but it didn't influence the composition of the lineup.

"It’s more of we acquired and signed right-handed guys to face left-handed starters and we’re gonna give them an opportunity, especially early in the year here, to hopefully handle left-handed pitching for us," Hyde said.

Seranthony Domínguez (two strikeouts) and Yennier Cano (one) each tossed a scoreless and hitless inning.

Royals' pitching struck out 12.

"Up and down," Hydes said to describe the early season. "I mean it’s only 10 games. We’ve had definitely opportunities to win some of the games that we’ve lost, so that’s frustrating. Today’s frustrating. First game of the series here was frustrating. We can play a lot better baseball. We scored one run and that was on a wild pitch. So we've gotta do a better job offensively from a consistency standpoint of taking good at-bats.

"I thought Mounty had really good at-bats all day. Westy had good at-bats all day. Gunnar (Henderson) hasn’t gotten going yet and you take away ... without Gunnar, going 4-6, we’re gonna be a better team going forward.”

* Kyle Bradish is throwing on flat ground in his comeback from Tommy John surgery and he’s making good progress, according to pitching coach Drew French.

“Kyle’s doing awesome,” French said this morning. “He’s touching 90s in his pull-down phase on flat ground, so he’s right where he needs to be and we’re really excited about the next step for him.

“So much of this is day-to-day. It’s just like, we just want to get through today and take it into tomorrow. He’s got some mound stuff upcoming, but obviously not putting the cart before the horse.”

Tyler Wells went home for the birth of his daughter and is heading back to Baltimore.

Grayson Rodriguez threw another light bullpen session last week and will participate in a full side session on Monday.

“It’s gonna be fastballs and changeups,” French said, “and he’s moving in the right direction.”

Kyle Gibson got three ups at about 45 pitches in live batting practice at Twin Lakes Park.

“The next thing for him is gonna be a bullpen and ultimately joining the Norfolk rotation,” French said.

* Here are the starters for the Diamondbacks series in Arizona:

Monday: RHP Zach Eflin vs. RHP Zac Gallen
Tuesday: RHP Charlie Morton vs. RHP Merrill Kelly
Wednesday: RHP Dean Kremer vs. RHP Brandon Pfaadt

* Jud Fabian hit his third home run for Triple-A Norfolk. Vimael Machín hit his first and also had an RBI single.

Machín is batting .429 with a 1.107 OPS.