Orioles trade Fry, Lyles goes long in 3-2 loss (updated)

Less than a week after the Orioles designated Paul Fry for assignment, they found a trade partner for him and severed ties with their longest tenured pitcher.

Fry was sent to the Diamondbacks tonight for 19-year-old pitcher Luis Osorio, who spent his only professional season in 2021 in the Dominican Summer League.

Osorio, a native of Venezuela, posted a 5.83 ERA and 1.272 WHIP in 15 games, including six starts. He walked 20 batters and struck out 54 in 41 2/3 innings.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has a fondness for acquiring young talent to stock the DSL rosters, moves he’s orchestrated multiple times at the trade deadline.

Osorio faced the Orioles’ DSL1 team on Sept. 16 and earned the win with four scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and struck out eight.

The Orioles optioned Fry to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday to create a roster spot for infielder Rylan Bannon, who received the same treatment yesterday. Fry was designated for assignment two days later after the Orioles claimed pitcher Beau Sulser off waivers from the Pirates.

Arizona promptly optioned Fry to Triple-A Reno.

Fry posted a 6.00 ERA in 12 games this season, but he didn’t allow a run in five innings this month, surrendering two hits while working in some lower-leverage situations.

Teams inquired about Fry at last summer’s deadline, but Elias wasn’t motivated to move a reliever under team control with a track record, and for little in return.

Fry fell into a bad slump, his confidence shaken, and never returned to the club after a late-August option. He broke camp with the Orioles this year but didn’t make it through two months.

A 19-year-old, high-strikeout pitcher was viewed as a proper return.

Tonight’s news arrived as the Yankees were in the midst of a three-run first inning that propelled them to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles, who have lost six games in a row.

Jordan Lyles was charged with two earned runs and three total, with five hits, no walks and a season-high eight strikeouts in seven innings. He retired 14 of 15 batters and 16 of 18 through the seventh, and manager Brandon Hyde let him come back out for the eighth at 96 pitches.

Smart move. Lyles struck out Joey Gallo, induced two more ground balls and exited with 13 in a row retired, 17 of 18 and 19 of 21. He was extended to 106 pitches, five more than his previous high.

Tough way to get a loss.

"I thought he got better as the game went on," Hyde said. "Command improved, I thought he kept guys off balance, really good breaking balls, some really good sinkers. After that first inning, he kind of cruised there for the next six.

"He wanted to come back out there for the eighth. He was trying to talk me into coming back out there for the eighth. Still got four-plus months to go."

Lyles didn't know whether Hyde would let him return for the seventh. There was no conversation about it.

"I'm looking into the dugout to see where Hyder is and see his face and see what he's thinking," Lyles said. "He never looked at me, and in the dugout he never came up to me, so it was game time, to go back out there. I'm thankful.

"I asked him nicely to let me go back out for the eighth, but he had his mind on Bautista in the eighth."

Lyles is motivated by the desire to keep relievers idle.

"Always tell the guys, 'It's for the boys,' and that means for the boys out in the bullpen," he said. "When in doubt, try to scratch out another one. That means so much. I spent a year or two in the bullpen. When a starter's able to scratch out another one ... it means the world to those guys. It's such a long season. When they can count on you to get deep into games, just wear one for the boys out there. It means a lot. And I've always taken it to heart."

The Orioles scored twice off Gerrit Cole in the bottom of the sixth to reduce the lead to 3-2. Nick Vespi was warming in the bullpen, about to become the sixth player to make his major league debut this season, but the rally prompted Hyde to get Félix Bautista ready.

Lyles retired the first two batters of the game on ground balls, but Anthony Rizzo and Josh Donaldson singled, Gleyber Torres doubled to right-center field for a 1-0 lead, and two more runs scored on a wild pitch and throwing error by catcher Anthony Bemboom.

"I'm pretty happy with what Anthony and I did tonight, bouncing back after that weird first inning," Lyles said. "Two quick outs and a soft hit and then through the shift, and I made a bad pitch to Torres for a double. We settled in and Anthony and I got on the same page and we were able to kind of cruise after that."

The Orioles threatened early. Austin Hays doubled and Trey Mancini reached on an infield hit in the first inning. Rougned Odor led off the second with a single, and Jorge Mateo was robbed on a sliding catch by right fielder Marwin Gonzalez.

Cole struck out five batters in a row, beginning with Santander leading off the fourth. Cedric Mullins opened the sixth with a single and scored on Hays’ double to left field. Hays moved to third on Santander’s ground ball and beat the throw home on Mancini’s grounder to Torres.

Cionel Pérez replaced Bautista with two outs in the eighth and a runner on second base, and he struck out Rizzo.

Hays was 0-for-18 before tonight. He added an infield hit with one out in the eighth after Clay Holmes replaced Cole, but he was doubled off the bag on Santander’s liner to Rizzo.

"We've been throwing the ball good," Hyde said. "We're just a hit or two away from kind of breaking out a little bit."

Down on the farm, Adley Rutschman was behind the plate again for Norfolk, only the second time he’s caught on back-to-back nights, and he homered again. Rutschman also singled and walked.

Left-hander Zac Lowther allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. Robert Neustrom hit a grand slam and Jacob Nottingham delivered a two-run homer.

Dean Kremer made his first injury rehab start at Double-A Bowie and tossed two scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and five strikeouts. He threw 25 pitches, 19 strikes.

Kremer had an immaculate first inning with three strikeouts on nine pitches.

Gunnar Henderson hit his seventh home run. He homered twice last night.

Colton Cowser hit his second home run for high Single-A Aberdeen. Shed Long Jr. had a triple, single and two walks through seven innings.

Single-A Delmarva’s Creed Willems had two hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs.