More on Povich's debut, Rutschman's two-homer game and the Toronto series

TORONTO – For an Orioles team that hit seven homers and scored 17 runs in the first two games of the Toronto series, it was disappointing when the team then went a stretch of 12 innings without a run until the sixth inning yesterday.

Four late runs – two in the eighth and ninth innings – turned a 6-1 loss into one where the score was 6-5, Toronto. So the Birds lost a pair of one-run games to split the four-game series.

After the game they flew back to the United States, destination Tampa-St. Pete, for four games with the Rays beginning tonight.

The Orioles are now 39-22 overall. They are 13-6 versus AL East opponents and they are now 6-4 during a 14-game stretch against division opponents that ends with the series in Tampa.

The postgame comments yesterday showed the Orioles heaping plenty of praise on lefty Cade Povich after his MLB debut. The box score showed he gave up six runs over 5 1/3 innings. But the club knows that a three-run homer just made it out, a couple of bloops led to another run and two runs scored charged to his record after he left the game.

Manager Brandon Hyde said he was impressed, liked his poise and composure and would not hesitate to use him again.

James McCann was the catcher for his O’s debut.

“Shoot, first and foremost, his poise, his demeanor coming in, first big league start, I was impressed. He threw the ball a lot better than what his final line says he did. He’s got really good stuff and I’m looking forward to seeing his maturation process here in the big leagues.”

McCann said Povich showed few, if any, nerves.

“Not really. I haven’t been around him a ton except during spring training. He was pretty calm and collected for the most part. I’m sure there are a lot of nerves and I’m sure he’d tell you he was feeling them. But he did a heckuva job going out there competing and not showing those nerves.”

Povich has made improvement from last season when he pitched to an ERA of 5.04 at two levels and this year when his ERA was 3.18 over his first 11 Triple-A starts. He was the Orioles Pitcher of the Month along with taking that honor in the International League in April when his ERA was 1.03.

He said he has made a real solid improvement in the last year.

“Yeah 100 percent. I’ve been attacking the strikezone,” he said. “Getting weak contact for the most part. Getting deeper into games. That third inning where I had a couple of walks, not something I like doing and not something that has happened too much this year. I’m not too worried overall, honestly. Just come back next time and be better. Limit those and the results would show much better if it wasn’t for that.

“There were definitely some nerves. Wasn’t a lot of sleep the last couple of days. You know, tough to eat this morning. But it’s a great experience. I’ve been told by a bunch of guys to just slow it down and really try to take it all in. Because this only happens once. I definitely stepped back and tried to keep breathing and make sure I looked around as much as possible to take everything in."

Adley Rutschman watched from the dugout with McCann catching Povich yesterday. He was asked about seeing two O’s debut in the series at Rogers Centre with Connor Norby Monday and Povich Thursday. He said it was uplifting for the clubhouse.

“Absolutely. It is such a special moment,” Rutschman said. “To witness that, you can feel all the emotion and stuff that they are going through. It is so cool to see, and both are phenomenal guys. Everyone is just there to support and cheer them on. A cool moment they get to experience, and we get to watch.

“I thought his composure and everything was phenomenal. Stuff looked great as always. I thought he did a great job today. Super proud of him and glad he had his family here to see it. He was super composed.”

Rutschman’s homers: The O’s had quite the series in Toronto in that Austin Hays hit two homers there Monday, Ryan Mountcastle hit two on Tuesday and Rutschman did that yesterday.

It is all part of a recent homer barrage where the O’s have hit 16 in the last six games, getting three or more in four of those games.

Rutschman’s two-homer game was his second of the year and of his career and both have come versus Toronto.

“He’s been so consistent,” said Hyde. “Takes good at-bats almost every time out. Good from the right and left. Great from right this year. Hits another homer right-handed. Gives you a great at-bat every time, competes and he can really hit.”

Rutschman extended his hitting streak to 10 games, and his on-base streak to 14 games Thursday. During the hitting streak, he has gone 15-for-42 (.357) with a double, three homers, 10 RBIs, and a .987 OPS.

He homered from both sides of the plate for the first time in the big leagues. This year he has an OPS of 1.164 and six of 12 homers versus lefty pitching and .637 against right handers.

“I feel like switch hitting kind of comes in waves a little bit. Just one of those things where, usually one side feels good and the other one doesn’t feel as good. Kind of goes back and forth,” he said.

And last year, Rutschman’s OPS was .895 against lefties and .777 versus right-handers.

As a new series begins tonight, we now know, as of last night when the club announced it, that lefty Cole Irvin (5-2, 2.84 ERA) gets tonight's start versus the Rays Aaron Civale (2-4, 5.37).