Orioles head to All-Star break with another series loss at Tropicana Field (updated)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – This isn’t how the Orioles planned to enter the All-Star break, a .500 team that just lost another series at Tropicana Field.

The record should satisfy an organization without a winning season since 2016, and that’s picking first tonight in the MLB Draft. But the 2022 Orioles aren’t wired that way.

They wanted more. And unlike past years, they expected it.

Randy Arozarena hit a two-run homer off Jordan Lyles in the first inning, Brett Phillips bolted out of his slump with a three-run shot in the third, and the Orioles couldn’t complete their rally in a 7-5 loss to the Rays.

The Orioles are 46-46 as they scatter for a few days, players rushing to get home or back to Baltimore. They’ll regroup and host the first-place Yankees next weekend.

"I think we're in a good spot," Lyles said. "We're a couple games out of one of the last wild card spots. No one would have signed us up for that. I think in spring training we would have signed up for it ourselves, but I think we're better than that. I think a lot of guys in the clubhouse after the last few weeks know we're better than that.

"I don't think we're here to go away. We're here to stay."

Rougned Odor hit a two-run homer off Corey Kluber in the sixth inning to slice the lead to 6-4. Francisco Mejía lined a first-pitch slider from Keegan Akin over the left field fence in the bottom half, but Austin Hays led off the eighth inning with his 12^th home run and Adley Rutschman doubled.

Given multiple chances to tie the game, the Orioles ran out of steam.

"You've got keep staying positive," Anthony Santander said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. "We've got to enjoy this little break, get these four days of rest, and when we come back we've got to be aggressive and keep playing hard and keep winning some ballgames."

Lyles turned in his shortest start since April 26, 2021, lasting only 2 2/3 innings and leaving after Phillips’ high fly ball to right field kept carrying until it landed in the seats. Lyles allowed six runs and six hits, threw 70 pitches, and watched his ERA rise to 4.76 in 19 outings.

"He just didn't have his normal command today," said manager Brandon Hyde. "He's gotten off to a couple slow starts the last few starts, but kind of waiting for him to pick it up there in the third and his command just wasn't there today. He was behind in the count. Just didn't see the fastball command like I normally do."

Phillips began the day 1-for-34 and 3-for-47, and his last home run was May 17, a stretch of 41 games and 101 at-bats. He drew a leadoff walk in the second inning, Lyles struck out the next two batters, and Josh Lowe followed with a run-scoring double.

Arozarena led off the third with a single, tried to score on Lowe’s double over Cedric Mullins’ head and was an easy out at the plate. Only a temporary break for the Orioles. Taylor Walls walked with two outs and Phillips homered for a 6-0 lead.

The Orioles haven’t won a series at Tropicana Field since June 2017, losing 14 in a row, but they tried to fight back. A reflex they’ve developed this season.

Rutschman and Ramón Urías had back-to-back, run-scoring singles in the fourth inning after Kluber nailed Santander on the right knee and Ryan Mountcastle singled.

Odor lined a single into right field to load the bases with one out, but Jorge Mateo flied to right, with Rutschman holding at third base, and Mullins popped up.

Mullins broke his bat over his knee yesterday. He flung his bat and helmet toward the dugout today.

Lyles drilled Harold Ramírez on the right hand in the first inning, and Arozarena sent a curveball 415 feet to center field for his 13^th career home run against the Orioles in 30 games. Lyles threw 27 pitches, surrendering a double to Lowe and striking out the next two batters.

The curveball wasn't in a poor location. Where it landed was the issue.

"I wouldn't change too much about that pitch," Lyles said. "A good hitter made me pay on it."

Ramírez was diagnosed with a right thumb fracture and will be re-evaluated in a few weeks. As if the Rays needed one more injury.

Lyles struck out three in the second, giving him five for the game, but nothing else fell his way.

The veteran right-handed has totaled 107 2/3 innings, the most by an Orioles pitcher at the break since Kevin Gausman's 112 1/3 in 2018.

"He's been unbelievable," Hyde said. "For me, this is a small blip in what he's done for us, which is pitch every fifth day, give us a chance almost every time out, stays out there as long as possible, wants to save the bullpen, ultra competitive. Today wasn't his best day, but he's been great for us the first half."

Asked to rate his first half, Lyles replied, "A couple ups and downs."

"I think for the most part we were decent," he said. "I had a job to do here and that's to do what I did not do today, and that's help the guys out in the bullpen and then the guys starting before and after me, days before and after. Usually, I can help the guys in the bullpen and let them rely on me, but I didn't have my stuff. I had to rely on them. 

"I'm going to chalk it up to one of those days. Last start before the break, take some days off, get some rest. ... Chalk this up to a bad one and then come back after the break and get on another good streak."

Bryan Baker struck out all five batters he faced after replacing Lyles. Joey Krehbiel retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the eighth.

"We're confident," Lyles said. "One series slide for us after a good streak, it is what it is. We're going to take some days off, resettle, and we're bringing that confidence back after the break."

"I feel really good," Hyde said. "Even today, we get down a ton early and we battle back in the game. We load the bases, we don't come through there. We had the tying run at the plate in the eighth. So, I think we have a lot of fight. We've been playing really good baseball past the first three weeks of the season.

"We lost this series, that's disappointing, but we're playing good baseball and everybody's getting a much deserved All-Star break, and come back ready to go."

Said Santander: "It's been unfortunate having to deal with a couple seasons with so many different losses, but thankfully this year we came out with a new mindset. Trying to compete, work hard and win games. And it's really helped us so far."