Leftovers for breakfast

The third at-bat ended much like the first two, except the last strike was called.

Austin Hays fell behind 0-2 yesterday in the seventh inning, worked the count full and watched an 89 mph fastball from Astros reliever Phil Maton catch the outside half of the plate. Hays threw back his head in frustration, compounded by Adam Frazier running on the pitch and being thrown out at second base.

The opposite-field two-run homer Wednesday night didn’t unlock Hays, but it offered some relief and encouragement.

Hays is 16-for-90 (.178) in the second half. The home run off Crístian Javier was his first since July 9 in Minnesota, before starting in left field in the All-Star Game.

“Felt good,” he said. “He’s got a good heater, so just trying to get on top of that thing. It was a heater up in the zone, so I was able to center it up and drive it to the right side of the field.”

To use more of it than just left or left-center could be a sign that Hays is figuring a way out of his slump, which followed a .314/.355/.498 line with 22 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 36 RBIs in 310 plate appearances in the first half. Maybe he just ran into more tough pitching yesterday.

He’s got to hope that's it.

“Anytime I’m not getting around the ball or smothering ground balls pull side, that’s when my swing’s at its best, when I’m centering balls, especially heaters, through the right-center gap, and I’m able to pull off-speed on a line. That’s when I’m going good,” he said.

“When I’m not going good, not putting up numbers, I’m just hitting too many ground balls.”

There might not be a harder task in sports than hitting a baseball – round bat to round ball with velocity and movement, and a split second to decipher pitchers and react. Hays spent much of the first half leading the league in average. He was making it look too easy.

The Orioles are known for their aggression, posting the majors’ highest average on first pitches. Hays is crushing them, recording a .455 average and .691 slugging percentage before yesterday. The whiff percentage is 23.3 percent, according to STATS.

“I know what I need to do to be successful, and I prepare the right way every day, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to go out there and get the results that you want,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep focusing on the right things, keep doing the right things on a daily basis to prepare yourself, and things just turn around quick. That’s just how the game goes, it’s ebbs and flows. I wish we could be hot from start to finish and never had a 1-for-whatever or 0-for-whatever, but sometimes that just happens. It’s a tough game.”

Hays’ defense isn’t impacted by his failings at the plate. Good players don't let it happen.

He made a sliding catch in foul territory last Friday night in the ninth inning of a game that the Orioles led 10-3 and sat out the next two with general soreness. He made a leaping catch in front of the bullpen Wednesday night to rob Chas McCormick of a home run in the eighth and spare Shintaro Fujinami, and almost produced a spectacular grab against the left field wall yesterday to deny José Altuve – the ball flicking off the top of his glove for a double.

Give Hays the choice between hitting a home run and stealing one, he’s going with the glove every time.

“I’ll always say taking one away, just because you always hit way more than what you’re going to rob from somebody,” he said, smiling. “I get pretty excited, especially if it’s a close game. Late in the game, you get to take one away, that’s a good feeling.”

* Left-hander John Means made his first rehab start with Double-A Bowie last night, returning to the mound for the first time since April 2022.

Means retired the first six Richmond batters, allowed a single and exited at 28 pitches with 17 strikes. He struck out two.

The Orioles are hoping to reinstate Means from the 60-day injured list by early September, after rosters expand to 28 players.

* Adley Rutschman’s leadoff home run yesterday was the first in Orioles history by a primary catcher.

Rutschman is only the second left-handed hitter to drive a ball over the new left field wall, joining the Dodgers’ James Outman on July 19.

* Ramón Urías has delivered two of his three career triples in the past two games.

Urías is the first Orioles player to triple in consecutive games since Jonathan Villar on Aug. 5-6, 2019.

* The Orioles are expected to make at least one roster move prior to Friday night's game in Seattle. Center fielder Cedric Mullins is supposed to join the team, with Ryan McKenna optioned.

The bullpen could undergo another change, as well.

Cionel Pérez, who's pitched on back-to-back days, is the only left-hander. Danny Coulombe was placed on the injured list yesterday with left biceps tendinitis, and Cole Irvin is starting Saturday night.

Joey Krehbiel was recalled yesterday after the Orioles optioned him Monday night. He was a convenient counter move to Coulombe.

* Steve Melewski is in Seattle. I'm joining the team in San Diego and Oakland.