O's game blog: Lyles makes Orioles debut

The Orioles lost 2-1 to Tampa Bay in their season opener on Friday afternoon, and today they are out to break a 13-game losing streak against the Rays on day two of the 2022 season.
 
In going 1-18 versus Tampa Bay last year the Orioles lost the last 12 games between the teams after their only win against the eventual American League East champs, on July 19. While the Orioles lost a few blowout games in the season series and were outscored 150-71, they also lost five of those games last year by one or two runs.
 
In falling on Friday at the Trop, they held Tampa Bay’s offense to eight hits and two sac flies. O’s batters went 7-for-33, and Anthony Santander’s solo homer was the only run-scoring hit for the visitors. O’s batters fanned 14 times as they went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
 
Right-hander Jordan Lyles (10-13 with a 5.15 ERA in 2021 for Texas) will make his O’s debut. Lyles threw 180 innings last season, among the most for any pitcher in the majors, and recorded a career-high 13 quality starts.
 
Lyles went 3-2 with a 2.87 ERA in five September starts, and the Rangers were 13-17 in his 30 starts.
 
He used his fastball 49 percent of the time with an average velocity of 92.8 mph while using his slider 26 percent, curveball 18 percent and changeup seven percent.
 
For Tampa Bay, righty Drew Rasmussen (4-1, 2.84 ERA in 2021) makes the start. He pitched in 35 games, 10 as a starter between Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. For the Rays only, in 20 games, he went 4-0 with a 2.44 ERA. Over 59 innings he allowed 44 hits and produced a WHIP of 0.966 with a 2.0 walk rate with a 7.3 strikeout rate.
 
The Rays drafted him in round one (No. 31 overall) in 2017 after his sophomore year at Oregon State. But injury concerns after Tommy John surgery led to his not signing with the Rays. He was then later drafted in 2018 in round six by the Milwaukee Brewers after a second Tommy John procedure. But despite the surgeries, his velocity would increase later.
 
Last season he averaged 97 mph on a fastball he threw 65 percent. He used his slider 30 percent and his curveball and change just 2.5 percent each.
 
He had a strong finish to the 2021 season, going 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in five September starts. In 14 games in the second half, Rasmussen went 4-0 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.894 WHIP.