Orioles bullpen folds again in eighth in 9-6 loss (updated)

The Orioles closed out their series against the Rays today trying to dodge a sweep and keep the runs allowed under 10 for the first time in five games, with one of their best hitters removed from the active roster and a couple other starters banged up on the bench.

A volatile bullpen received a fresh arm. The Orioles needed a fresh start.

Cedric Mullins gave them a hot one with his leadoff home run in the first inning, making him the seventh player in Orioles history with a 20/20 season including stolen bases. Anthony Santander also homered, Austin Hays singled twice and had two RBIs and Jorge López completed the sixth again, but more bullpen hijinks ensued.

There's just no relief for the Orioles.

Brett Phillips hit a solo home run off Cole Sulser in the seventh and a grand slam off Dillon Tate in the eighth and the Rays defeated the Orioles 9-6 before an announced crowd of 10,576 at Camden Yards.

Tampa Bay scored six runs in the inning on two hits and four walks, the trouble starting when Paul Fry loaded the bases with no outs, and the Orioles fell to 38-72 overall and 1-11 versus the Rays. Santander's two-out RBI double in the ninth only delayed the final outcome.

Fry faced eight batters in the series and retired one. He filled the bases today on a single and two walks, Austin Meadows popped up and Wander Franco walked. Tate inherited his second bases-loaded mess from Fry in three games and pinch-hitter Yandy Díaz's fly ball tied the score.

Manuel Margot walked and Phillips cleared the left-center field fence on a 1-2 sinker.

Put in a similar predicament Friday night, Tate let three inherited runners score in the eighth, plus two of his own. The Rays scored 16 runs in the eighth in the series.

"Just the whole room in there is disappointed, discouraged, just because we are so inconsistent in our bullpen," said manager Brandon Hyde. "It's just disappointing. Sometimes our guys are pretty good out there and sometimes we're not. Just can't be afraid of the strike zone. You've got to be able to attack hitters. Like I've been saying for three years, sometimes our guys do it and sometimes they don't and that's why we have a ton of losses like this."

Asked about Fry, Hyde said, "Just not throwing strikes. But he'll go on a run where three or four games he does. First couple months of the year pretty good and then he goes in periods when he misses off the edges and loading the bases up, not attacking guys he should."

Mullins drove the first pitch from Michael Wacha onto the flag court in right, the ninth time that an Orioles player has produced a 20/20 season. Brady Anderson did it three times. Jonathan Villar was the most recent in 2019.

Paul Blair was the first in 1969, followed by Don Baylor in 1975, Reggie Jackson in 1976, Anderson in 1992, '96 and '99, and Manny Machado in 2015.

"It means everything," Mullins said. "To join a prestigious group in the 20/20 club at the big league level, it's something I'm going to cherish forever, and I'm just working on progressing from here."

Mullins, who should be a unanimous selection as Most Valuable Oriole next month, needs 10 homers and nine steals to become the club's first 30/30 player. Today's leadoff shot extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.

"He's like the MVP for us," López said. "He's that guy where he's got all the tools and just keeps doing it every day, every day. It's so fun."

López allowed two runs and four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings to lower his ERA to 5.75. He retired the side in order in the sixth on 10 pitches to reach 100.

Over his last two starts, López has surrendered three runs and five hits in 12 innings.

"I just trusted the process the last two outings and focused better and tried to get my mindset a little different," López said. "Just tried to be the best I can out there with all my pitches."

"Love the way he threw the ball," Hyde said, "love the emotion, love the composure, love the presence on the mound his last two starts. Great presence, looked like an AL East starter, legitimate guy that can go through the lineup three times and with a normal bullpen give you a chance to win the game."

The day began with Ryan Mountcastle going on the seven-day concussion injured list, but he's feeling "a lot better today," Hyde said earlier.

"He's trending in the right direction there, but concussions are serious and we're taking it seriously and we're making sure he's going to be OK. So, he's going to follow the protocol with the tests and checking every day and making sure the symptoms are going down, and hopefully he's going to be OK soon."

Meanwhile, Hyde was hoping that Austin Wynns could make it through the game without a mishap, such as a foul ball off the mask that might put him in concussion protocol, while Pedro Severino nursed a sore right knee. A third catcher hasn't been identified on the roster, though infielder Ramón Urías caught Dusten Knight's warmup tosses in the ninth.

Urías couldn't play last night due to soreness in his upper leg and Hyde wanted to avoid using him today.

Outfielder Ryan McKenna was the only healthy player on a three-man bench, its reduction linked to the arrival of left-hander Alexander Wells from Triple-A Norfolk.

Braced for the worst because their luck is prone to bullying, the Orioles had one of their best days before the eighth and again flashed the speed that's now spliced into their lineup.

Jorge Mateo was hit by a pitch leading off the second inning, stole second base and scored on Richie Martin's bouncer into shallow right field. Mateo dived across the plate, making it look much easier than the distance implied.

Martin went first to third on Wynns' single into left field after diving into second base on his stolen base attempt. Mullins lined into a 4-3 double play, but Martin scored on Hays' single for a 3-0 lead.

Umpire interference wiped out Hays' stolen base, which brought Hyde out of the dugout to confer and provided a reminder about the Orioles' luck.

They had a chance to score more than one run in the first inning after the Mullins homer. Trey Mancini reached on Joey Wendle's error and was thrown out at third base on Santander's single into left field. Maikel Franco also singled.

The Orioles had six hits through the second. They had a 4-1 lead in the third after the Rays' Francisco Mejía tripled and scored on Brandon Lowe's single and Santander led off the bottom half with his seventh homer.

Santander carried a 94 mph fastball from Wacha 422 feet to center field for his first homer since July 6. But Meadows led off the fourth with his 21st on a towering fly ball to right.

Wynns doubled in the fourth inning for his first multi-hit game since June 29 and scored with two outs on Hays' single, which came on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. Martin led off with an infield hit and was caught stealing.

Reliever DJ Johnson replaced Wacha in the sixth, retired the first two batters, fired a pitch behind Mullins and left with shoulder discomfort.

The real pain was felt by the Orioles. Phillips' two-out homer off Sulser in the seventh reduced the lead to 5-3, and it imploded in the eighth, the bullpen again pushing down on the lever.

The Orioles didn't become the first team in American League history to allow double figures in runs in five consecutive games, with Knight stranding two in scoring position in the ninth. Such an achievement wasn't going to ease the anger and frustration over another late collapse.

"It's unfortunate for the guys," López said. "They've been doing a really good job before with me and pretty much all the starters. This game is tough. You just have to be strong and together and go day-by-day. I've been there many times before and the last thing you want to do is give up. Keep trusting the process."

"I don't really know the answer because I have a ton of guys up here right now in our 'pen that are struggling," Hyde said.

"We're missing veterans, we're missing a couple guys right now on the IL who might shorten the game a little bit. But it's the big leagues, too. You've got to perform."

Note: Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson fell at his home recently and was hospitalized. The family issued a statement that read:

"Just over a week ago, Brooks Robinson fell at his home and broke his left arm. After a successful surgery at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, he is on his way to a full recovery. His spirits are high as he continues his rehabilitation. He thanks everyone for their well wishes."

The Orioles also issued a statement:

"Brooks is doing well after a fall at home and a successful surgery. We request privacy for him and his family, and wish him the best as he recuperates."