Milone makes nice recovery in 4-2 loss (updated)

Wade LeBlanc fell off the trade table with an elbow injury that brought a premature end to his season. Alex Cobb stays on it if the right team comes along that's willing to absorb the $15 million owed in 2021 or if the Orioles provide some salary relief.

Then there's Tommy Milone, who could interest a contender as a back-of-the-rotation starter or swingman, though the return wouldn't necessarily accelerate the rebuild process.

The veteran lefty has been a pretty solid addition this year, averaging fewer than two walks per nine innings and striking out a career-high 9.4 heading into tonight's game against the Rays.

Any start, relief appearance or at-bat tends to be viewed now through the deadline lens and Milone is no exception.

He looked pretty good again.

Milone served up back-to-back homers to Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot in the second inning, ran up his pitch count and abruptly settled down, working into the sixth and giving his team a chance to win.

Rays starter Tyler Glasnow wouldn't permit it, with his 13 strikeouts in seven innings leading the Rays to a 4-2 victory at Tropicana Field.

The Orioles fell to 14-15 overall and 8-2 on the road. The Rays are 20-11 and fully recovered from the three-game sweep at Camden Yards.

Shortstop Pat Valaika's second throwing error of the game led to Milone's removal with one out in the sixth and his pitch count at 94. He was charged with four runs (two earned) and four hits, walked one batter, struck out six and lowered his ERA to 3.99.

Travis Lakins Sr. let an inherited runner score after issuing a walk and allowing a single and pinch-hitter Ji-Man Choi's sacrifice fly.

Ryan Mountcastle walked in the second inning and collected his first major league RBI in the fourth with an opposite-field single off Glasnow that scored Hanser Alberto and reduced the Rays' lead to 3-2.

Renato Núñez gave Milone a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a two-out home run, the ball sneaking over the short fence in the left field corner. A cheapie for sure, but it counted as much as a majestic blast.

This is especially true for a player who hadn't homered since Aug. 7, a span of 15 games.

Valaika's high throw in the second was followed by Renfroe's 436-foot shot to left field with a 112 mph exit velocity, according to Statcast. An 86 mph four-seam fastball was obliterated.

Margot was the weakling in the group, his ball traveling a mere 417 feet with a 105 mph exit velo.

Milone threw 32 pitches in the inning and a 1-2-3 third still left him at 63. He struck out the side in the fourth on 13 pitches and completed the fifth at 86.

Anthony Santander's hitting streak ended at 18 games.

Alberto had two hits, including a leadoff single in the ninth that enabled the Orioles to bring the tying run to the plate. Jalen Beeks left the game with an injury after getting an 0-2 count on Mountcastle and Edgar Garcia recorded the strikeout.

The Orioles are starting Asher Wojciechowski and John Means in the last two games of the series and Cobb lines up for Friday night against the Blue Jays in Buffalo. Manager Brandon Hyde will check on his available arms for Saturday, with the list of candidates consisting of Thomas Eshelman, Keegan Akin and Jorge López.

López pitched the bottom of the eighth tonight because he needed the work.

"You're going to see three of those guys in the bullpen right now," Hyde said earlier today, "and then we'll make that decision later on."

Milone's next turn is Sunday in Buffalo. He'll find out whether he's shuffling off to another team.

Hyde on Glasnow: "We had a tough time with Glasnow. The Noonie homer, that was a big hit for us early, but he was really on his game tonight. When you're facing a starter like that with the 97-98 (mph) working and just a hammer of a breaking ball, it makes it tough offensively. We had a tough time getting any sort of rally going or making a whole lot of contact off Glasnow."

Hyde on Milone: "I thought Tommy threw the ball really well, besides the back-to-back homers after the mistake. He did a really nice job, pitching into the sixth inning. Changed speeds once again, just made a couple mistakes on the homers. Gave up two earned runs into the sixth inning, kept us in the game. It was a nice start."

Milone on start: "Obviously, that second inning was little bit of a battle. Left some pitches over the plate, falling behind. Once I got out of that, I kind of had to put myself in check and tell myself I needed to get ahead, throw more strikes and just keep us in the game. Sometimes after an in like that, a long inning, give up three runs, it's easy to kind of check out and just go back out there and go through the motions. But I'm happy with going back out there and battling and keeping us in the game for as long as I could."

Milone on whether error in second impacts pitcher mentally: "Certain pitchers are different with throwing out of the windup and the stretch, so sometimes it can throw you off a little bit, but errors are a part of the game. I just have to make better pitches when guys are on base in that instance. The home run to Renfroe was 0-2 fastball right down the middle and he did exactly what he should do with it."

Núñez on whether he thought ball would clear fence: "No, not really. I knew when I hit it I hit it well, but I think I got a little lucky with the short wall in left field. It was great to have a homer. It had been a while since I hit a homer."