More known about Orioles pitching as camp closes with 8-3 loss

The rotation names and order are done.

Now, we find out how the Orioles plan on monitoring their pitchers' innings with the season stretching back to 162 games.

Dean Kremer goes to the end of the line as the youngest member at 25, providing a peek into the club's strategy.

Bruce Zimmermann is a year older and tabbed as the No. 3 starter. He took the mound first for today's exhibition finale against the Rays and surrendered three home runs over 4 1/3 innings in an 8-3 loss to the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium.

The game lasted only seven innings. That was plenty.

Zimmermann hadn't been scored upon in nine innings this spring and allowed only one hit, but Yoshi Tsutsugo led off the top of the first with a home run. The next two batters were retired, with Austin Meadows striking out, but Yandy Díaz tripled and Francisco Mejia singled for a quick 2-0 lead.

Willy Adames led off the second with a home run after the Orioles tied the score and he hit another solo shot with two outs in the fourth. Zimmermann was charged with seven runs and nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts to leave his ERA at 4.73.

Three singles and Rio Ruiz's throwing error at third base gave Tampa Bay a 5-3 lead in the fifth and removed Zimmermann from the game. Wade LeBlanc let both inherited runners score and one of his own.

"I'd say not too happy with it, but we still went in there with a goal in mind of some things to accomplish," Zimmermann said on his Zoom call. "Obviously, I've got to do a better job with some 0-2 pitches. Besides that, it took a little bit to kind of get in a rhythm today as opposed to the other outings that I had.

"Besides that first inning and last inning, I felt like I got back in a rhythm and did all right, but obviously I need to do a whole lot better job of getting ahead because that was where I fell behind today. A lot of 2-0s and obviously you just can't put yourself in that position in the big leagues. So just do a better job of getting back to what I was doing successfully, which was going through the zone hard and working ahead and putting guys away."

Caution is a necessary tool for a pitching staff that must be eased back into a regular workload following the pandemic restrictions of 2020. The Orioles are settling for a three-man bench to provide more coverage on the mound. But Hyde isn't ready to lay concrete limits.

"Totally depends on the game and how they're pitching," Hyde said earlier today in his Zoom call. "If they're pitching well, I'm going to leave them in there. As long as they're continuing to throw the ball well. So we are going to monitor innings and we might be cutting down later in the summer. Probably will be. But I'm not going to be on an innings limit with guys early."

The bullpen has been constructed to provide length and protect the starters. Adam Plutko was acquired in a trade with the Indians for that purpose. LeBlanc was re-signed after opting out of his contract and assigned to bulk relief duties. César Valdez can work in any role. And the Orioles are taking Rule 5 pitchers Mac Sceroler and Tyler Wells to Boston for opening day, according to sources.

Sceroler, 25, and Wells, 26, started in the minors and are easier fits on a rebuilding club with an expanded pitching staff. Sceroler, the nephew of former Orioles pitcher and MASN broadcaster Ben McDonald, registered four scoreless appearances out of five - the exception a brutal day in Dunedin with five runs in one-third of an inning. Wells permitted only one run and struck out 12 batters in nine frames, and his velocity and attack mode impressed Hyde.

There are the usual risks. Wells, chosen from the Twins organization, hasn't pitched above Double-A and missed the 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Sceroler, selected from the Reds, hasn't risen above high Single-A. But the Orioles will pick their spots and try to hold onto them.

A nine-man bullpen is going to be missing a couple of optionable relievers if the team, and this is unconfirmed, is carrying LeBlanc, Plutko, Valdez, Sceroler, Wells, Shawn Armstrong, Tanner Scott and Paul Fry. Only one can stay from a group of Travis Lakins Sr., Dillon Tate and Cole Sulser.

Lakins has allowed seven runs with eight walks and 16 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings, Tate has allowed six runs with one walk and seven strikeouts in six innings, and Sulser has surrendered two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts in five innings.

There's also the possibility of the club finding a reliever on the waiver wire or in free agency after an opt-out.

Austin Hays homered today leading off the bottom of the first and Ruiz did the same in the second. That made four home runs by the teams from the first batter of an inning.

Pedro Severino had an RBI single in the first after Trey Mancini singled and Maikel Franco walked.

Update: Hyde announced postgame that Sceroler and Wells made the club. He mentioned how infielder Richie Martin was able to stay in the organization as a Rule 5 pick in 2019 and hopes the same is true with the two right-handers.

"I really like both their stuffs," Hyde said. "They both have different weapons, in that Sceroler's more of a starter profile, four-pitch mix, hasn't pitched much at the upper levels. Like the shape of his pitches. So he's going to go in the 'pen and be a long man for us.

"Tyler Wells has really pitched well in camp with an overpowering fastball at the top of the zone, showed really good secondary stuff his last time out against New York. Talking to him this afternoon, that was kind of an over-the-hump moment for him, going in to face some good middle-of-the-order bats with the Yankees and realizing that he can pitch against those guys and his fastball plays against them.

"Excited to have both those guys and see how it goes."

Hyde also said infielders Pat Valaika and Ramón Urías are on the opening day roster.