Orioles hit four homers to cover for Bradish's short start in 9-5 win (updated)

The second batter that Kyle Bradish faced today singled into right field, the ball glancing off Jorge Mateo’s glove as he attempted to make a sliding stop. A cleaner single followed. The no-hit stuff and the breaks were left back in Chicago.

Bradish lasted only 2 2/3 innings after losing his command and issuing three consecutive walks, the last with the bases loaded that broke a 4-4 tie. But a game was won again.

Hitting four home runs and getting strong work out of the bullpen made it happen. This is a team that will find a way.

Ryan Mountcastle cleared the center field fence twice within the first four innings, going back-to-back with Anthony Santander in the first, Jacob Webb came to the rescue with 2 1/3 scoreless, and the Orioles claimed another series against a division opponent with a 9-5 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 36,958 at Camden Yards.

Jordan Westburg marked his return to the lineup by homering in the second inning, and the Orioles moved a season-high 18 games above .500 at 37-19. They’re 14-0-5 in their last 19 series against the American League East and go for the sweep Sunday before flying to Toronto.

Five relievers combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings.

"Just an amazing job," said manager Brandon Hyde. "For me, Jacob Webb, pitcher of the game. Comes in way earlier than he normally does. ... Allowed our offense to continue to swing the bat well. Great job by our bullpen today and our offense."

"There's not enough focus being put on what our bullpen did today," Westburg said. "Scored some runs, yeah, but they came in and put up zeroes for the rest of the game. Those guys kind of saved the game for us."

Santander’s ball in the first gave the Orioles a 3-0 lead and landed on Eutaw Street, the first by an Oriole this season and the 10^th of his career to leave him one behind all-time leader Chris Davis.

The 401-foot shot off Taj Bradley, on a two-strike cutter, happened on Santander’s bobblehead day. He admired the likeness this afternoon after opening it at his locker, some of the Styrofoam packaging clinging to his shirt.

"That's awesome, especially hitting it on Eutaw Street," he said. "I think it's been a long time since I hit a homer over there, but it felt great on my bobblehead day. It's special. I think I'm second, one behind Chris Davis? That's pretty special."

How did Santander know about Davis?

"(Colton) Cowser told me in center field," he said, smiling.

How did Cowser know? He read it on the scoreboard.

The Orioles twice lost their grip on a lead, but Bradley walked the first two batters in the third inning, the game dragging so much that it could have smoothed out the infield dirt, and Westburg singled to bring home Mountcastle. Kyle Stowers followed with an RBI double and Mateo lifted a sacrifice fly to center.

Bradley was charged with nine runs in 3 1/3, the last bit of damage being Mountcastle’s 431-foot blast into the bullpen after Ryan O’Hearn singled for a 9-5 lead. Mountcastle has nine career multi-homer games.

"He's driving the baseball the other way," Hyde said. "He's letting the ball travel, staying on the ball so well. When he doesn't try to do too much and uses the middle-of-the-field approach, it's a special hitter. And you saw that today."

"Just trying to stay in the middle of the field, not pull off anything," Mountcastle said. "Just sort of hit it where it's pitched."

Mountcastle has collected 17 hits in his last nine starts. He almost had a third homer today but flied to deep center.

"Felt good today," he said. "The last one I got a little under it, but it was a good day. Glad to get the win."

Tampa Bay scored three times in the second, the last two runs on Yandy Díaz’s triple on a ball that took a wicked bounce off the out-of-town scoreboard. Bradish also gave up three singles, including another grounder that eluded Mateo.

Westburg led off the bottom of the second by launching a fastball 414 feet to center field at 107.4 mph off the bat. His bruised right hand, covered earlier today by a soft brace, appeared to be fine.

"It's doing fine," Westburg said. "Just glad to be back in the lineup. Those two, three days feels like forever, but happy to contribute today."

Bradish didn’t allow a hit for seven innings Sunday in Chicago, but a combined attempt at history failed when Danny Coulombe surrendered a home run in the eighth. The Rays had six hits through two innings, but left Díaz at third base in the second after Brandon Lowe and Isaac Paredes struck out.

Jonathan Aranda struck out leading off the third but reached on a wild pitch, and he scored the tying run with two outs on Jose Siri’s single. The next three batters walked, with Díaz forcing in a run.

"I thought they had really good at-bats against him," Hyde said. "A lot of foul balls. Thought the stuff was good. Think he got tired there in the third. But I thought the stuff was good. The pitch count was up. A lot of deep counts, a lot of foul balls. He grinded. I just thought they took really good at-bats against him."

"Felt fine," Bradish said. "The command just wasn't there today."

"That's not a typical Bradish start," Westburg said. "You expect him to go out there and give us a quality start every time. Sometimes it doesn't go your way, and the bullpen had his back today."

Bradish allowed five runs and seven hits and saw his ERA rise from 1.75 to 3.18. Webb kept it from getting worse by retiring Lowe on a fly ball to strand three runners.

"Just a bad day," Bradish said. "It was a bad day to be a starting pitcher in Baltimore today."

On the plus side, Bradish hasn't surrendered a home run in nine consecutive starts, the longest streak by an Orioles starter since Adam Loewen's 12 in 2006.

Plate umpire Chad Fairchild called a strike on José Caballero on a pitch that missed high, turned to the Rays dugout and ejected manager Kevin Cash, who didn’t heed the warnings to stop yelling.

The Orioles are glad that Webb struck around for 2 1/3, his longest outing since Sept. 26, 2020 with the Braves.

"I'm just trying to come in, chew up innings," Webb said. "That's really it. Throw strikes, try to get as many outs as I can.

"When I'm coming out of the bullpen, I'm not coming in the game thinking about giving up runs. Just trying to shut them down, throw strikes and go as far as I can until they take the ball from me. ... I pride myself on being available as much as I possibly can and whatever he needs from me."

Dillon Tate retired the side in order in the sixth and allowed back-to-back singles to begin the seventh. Cionel Pérez stranded the runners with two strikeouts and a weak ground ball.

Yennier Cano produced two strikeouts and a ground ball in the eighth and Keegan Akin worked around a one-out single in the ninth.

The last 14 Orioles were retired, but they’ve won eight of their last nine games.

"This offense is a powerhouse," Bradish said. "Put up nine runs and kind of erased the five I gave up, and we took another series from an AL East opponent."

"It's unbelievable what we've got one through nine," Mountcastle said, "and when we're all hitting, we're pretty dangerous and a fun team to be around."

* Triple-A Norfolk third baseman Coby Mayo took some swings in the cage today for the first time since fracturing a rib on May 16. He posted video on his Instagram account.