Notes on Pérez's improvement, Baumann's contribution, Givens' return to Baltimore and more

The bar is lowered in the aftermath of a 13-1 loss. An at-bat or outing might be lauded only because it wasn’t part of the problem. Sift through the scraps and treat them like gold.

However, manager Brandon Hyde offered lots of legitimate praise for Cionel Pérez after the reliever’s two scoreless innings Friday night.

They were bigger than the game.

Pérez turned in his first clean inning since May 16, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts in the top of the sixth. The nine appearances that followed were marred by runs, hits, walks or a combination, pushing his ERA to 5.55 heading into the Mariners series.

Ty France led off the seventh with a single that concluded a nine-pitch at-bat. He fouled off four and grounded a single into left field.

A fastball that was 96-97 mph in the sixth jumped to 99 against Teoscar Hernández, who fouled off seven of the 11 pitches during his at-bat and struck out on a curveball. Cal Raleigh was in a hurry, swinging at the first pitch and grounding into a double play.

"That was definitely the positive for me," Hyde said afterward. "There weren't many tonight, but Cionel going two scoreless, hopefully that gets his confidence going a little bit.

“He had great stuff. His fastball was up to 99, he had really good slider. That was one bright spot tonight."

Pérez needed it. His ERA has increased from 1.40 in 66 appearances last season to 5.13 in 29, and his WHIP from 1.162 to 1.937. The walks are up, the strikeouts down.

The Mariners worked Pérez for 32 pitches, but 26 were strikes.

“Aside from locating my pitches really well, overall my body felt really good and my slider was working really well,” he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “I think everything was going good.”

Pérez noted the increase in velocity and was pleased that it didn’t come and go.

“Definitely touched 99,” he said. “It was up, but it also was just a lot more consistent. The velo was consistently up more than it was the last few outings.”

The Orioles are staying patient with Pérez, trusting that last summer wasn’t a fluke and knowing they have few options because he’s out of them.

Right-handed hitters are batting .400/.452/.523 against Pérez this season, and the three-batter rule makes it harder to use him in a specialist role.

France bats from the right side, but so does Hernández. José Caballero and Julio Rodríguez, who grounded out and struck out, respectively, in the sixth, also are right-handed hitters.

Ryan O’Hearn watched Pérez from his position at first base.

“The stuff was there. He was throwing strikes and competing,” O’Hearn said.

“One of those guys (Hernández) fouled off a ton of pitches and it was a long at-bat, and he just kept coming at him, coming at him, and eventually got him. So yeah, I think that’s a really good sign for us.

“Tough game, for sure, but if you can find some positives from it, then that would definitely be one of them, for sure. Hopefully, he can take that outing and continue to build on it. He’s got the stuff, his stuff is electric, and when he’s in the zone, it’s tough to hit. Definitely a good thing for C.”

* Mike Baumann didn’t get the hero treatment yesterday after Ryan McKenna hit a walk-off home run in the 10^th. No Gatorade shower at home plate, no sip from the hose. But the stranded automatic runner in the top half of the inning also played a major role in the dramatic outcome.

Baumann improved to 5-0 after he fielded a comebacker and struck out two batters on pitches identified as knuckle curves. The top third of the Mariners order was putty in his right hand.

The five wins were tied for second-most among relievers yesterday. The Giants’ Scott Alexander was the only other reliever who’s 5-0.

“Michael flashes that kind of stuff and he’s got that kind of ability,” Hyde said. “It’s an upper-90s fastball with a good curveball and a 93 mph slider. Really just finding his way in the bullpen this year.

“Coming off a couple days rest, that was electric, and that was huge to go through the heart of their order to leave a runner at second base.”

* Mychal Givens was supposed to pitch for Triple-A Norfolk today in his latest injury rehab game. However, the plan suddenly has changed.

Givens has returned to Baltimore for a follow-up evaluation, presumably on his right shoulder. Unless the club is evaluating his results.

I’ll assume it’s his shoulder. And that might be bad news.

We’ll find out later today whether he’s had a setback in his recovery, and his eventual return to the Orioles bullpen.

* Norfolk second baseman Connor Norby exited last night’s game in the top of the fifth inning after fouling a ball off his left shin.

Josh Lester, who was optioned yesterday, batted for Norby and played third base. Jordan Westburg moved to second.