Rodriguez records quality start and Orioles hit three homers to snap losing streak at five games (updated)

The relentless schedule and intense heat led the Orioles to implement a “breather day,” as manager Brandon Hyde called it. They treated it as a getaway game, with players allowed to report later and no batting practice held on the field. Dial back the intensity a smidge.

“Hopefully have lunch somewhere and be able to relax a little bit,” Hyde said this afternoon. “You do that periodically to try to keep guys as fresh as possible and not have them at the ballpark for 11 hours a day like normal.”

Freshness in these sweltering conditions didn’t seem possible, but tweaking the routine made sense for a team unable to find another gear and riding its longest losing streak in two years.

Credit the plan, Grayson Rodriguez, Gunnar Henderson or Cedric Mullins. All that matters is the result.

Henderson tied the game in the fifth inning with his 26^th home run and Mullins provided a late lead with his shot onto Eutaw Street in the seventh in the Orioles’ 4-2 victory over the Guardians before an announced crowd of 17,965 at Camden Yards.

Rodriguez surrendered multiple home runs for the first time since April 5, but he also snapped a string of eight games in a row without a quality start from the rotation. He allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, didn’t walk a batter and condensed his strikeouts into the last four batters faced.

The losing streak expired at five games and the Orioles avoided back-to-back sweeps while posting their 50^th win, a total they reached last season on July 5 at Yankee Stadium.

Cleveland’s winning streak ended at seven games.

Next for the Orioles are the world-champion Texas Rangers, the team that swept them in the Division Series.

"It's huge," Mullins said of the victory. "Just in the midst of where we're at right now in the schedule. Some guys are beat up, some guys are tired, but it's a matter of being able to push through that. Got some rest days coming, but we can't stop."

"Had some unlucky breaks for us over the last week," Rodriguez said. "Obviously been swinging the bat well. I really don't think we struggled all that much. But thankful to get the win."

Mullins led off the seventh with his second career Eutaw Street home run, the first on April 26, 2021, and the 126^th in the ballpark’s history. He launched a curveball from reliever Xzavion Curry and watched its flight at home plate.

Two of Mullins’ eight homers have been hit this month. His sixth came on April 26.

"I thought I was seeing the ball pretty well," he said. "Just trying to get some good swings off. Kind of saw how he pitched a couple guys leading up to my at-bat. Just took that approach and put a good swing on it."

Mullins is slashing .378/.404/.644 (17-for-45) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, four RBIs, two walks and 11 runs scored in 13 games since June 12.

"I'm feeling solid," he said. "Continuing to get my work in when possible. The schedule's been kind of weird lately coming off the road, but staying diligent and getting some results.

"Pitch recognition, making sure I'm swinging at good pitches. Just making sure my body's in a strong position to do damage. I think that's what was missing from before a little bit."

Ryan O’Hearn provided some insurance against Curry with his 10^th homer leading off the eighth. Seven Orioles have double-digit home run totals, most in the majors.

"We did a good job swinging the bat when we needed it," Hyde said. "Nice to see Ced really contributing. Swinging the bat much better these last couple weeks."

Jhonkensy Noel homered in his first major league at-bat in the second inning, joining three other Cleveland players to accomplish the feat. He parked a 97.3 mph fastball into the home bullpen at 413 feet for a 1-0 lead.

Tyler Freeman had grounded into a double play after Daniel Schneemann’s leadoff single, but Noel wouldn’t let the inning go to waste.

"Threw a good heater up and away," Rodriguez said. "I mean, if he's going to hit that for a homer, you've just got to tip your cap to him."

Rodriguez retired seven of eight after Gabriel Arias’ single in the second. He got through the fourth in six pitches, but Arias led off the fifth by lining a first-pitch slider inside the left field foul pole for a 2-1 lead.

The last eight batters were retired, a sweet rebound from his start against the Astros when he allowed seven runs and nine hits in five frames.

"Kind of back on track," Hyde said. "Had a little hiccup there in Houston, but pitched like he did a couple starts before that. Once again, learning how to pitch. The changeup got better. He was executing well, getting ahead of hitters. Just a couple solo homers there. Besides that, not a whole lot of traffic. Outstanding job going seven innings for us.

"Six-pitch inning, I love that. Executing pitches early in the count to get you weak ground balls, weak outs, and he did that tonight."

Rodriguez earned his team-leading ninth win, logging 97 pitches and relying less on strikeouts.

"Knew they were going to swing the bat," he said. "They're a good two-strike team. Really wasn't expecting a lot of strikeouts coming into it. I was going to hopefully use that to my advantage. ... We had a good plan."

Henderson led off the bottom of the first with a single into left field that extended his on-base streak to 33 games, longest for an Orioles batter since Nick Markakis (38) in 2009. Adley Rutschman walked after falling behind 0-2 and Ryan Mountcastle walked with one out, but Anthony Santander fouled out and Jordan Westburg took a called third strike in Carlos Carrasco’s 30-pitch inning.

Jorge Mateo doubled into the left field corner with two outs in the second and scored the tying run on Henderson’s bouncer up the middle.

Austin Hedges threw out Mullins trying to steal in the fourth after a two-out single and Mateo in the fifth after a leadoff single. Henderson followed with his 424-foot home run to center field, leaving him four behind Aaron Judge for the major league lead.

From @SlangsOnSports, the most home runs by a shortstop in his team’s first 80 games of a season:

2024 Gunnar Henderson: 26
1998 Alex Rodriguez: 26
1960 Ernie Banks: 26

"I'm running out of things to say about him," Hyde said.

Cionel Pérez retired the side in order in the eighth and Craig Kimbrel, in his first appearance since June 19 at Yankee Stadium, notched his 17^th save and 434^th of his career. Kimbrel struck out the first two batters, walked pinch-hitter Josh Naylor and struck out Noel.

"He's been doing this for so long that he knows how to stay ready," Hyde said. "I was going to try to get him in the game regardless. But when days like this happen, usually I'll go up to him and say if he needs an inning. He's been up a few times, too, and that's always helpful. But he knows himself and has been doing this for so long, he knows how to stay ready."

* Four fans displaying a “Free Palestine” flag in the front rows behind home plate were escorted out of the ballpark by security in the second inning.

Political signage is a violation of club policy and the fans weren’t in their paid seats.

* The Orioles are listing Corbin Burnes, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Cole Irvin as starters for the Rangers series. Texas is starting Jon Gray, Max Scherzer, Michael Lorenzen and Andrew Heaney.

Four games with four different starting times: 6:35 p.m., 7:05 p.m., 7:15 p.m. (FOX) and 7:10 p.m. (ESPN).

* Triple-A Norfolk’s Jackson Holliday singled in the fourth inning tonight while serving again as designated hitter. The Virginian-Pilot reported that he started a throwing program today.

“I’m going to take some time and get it all healed up to hopefully make a run at the big league team after the All-Star break,” he told the paper.

Coby Mayo had an RBI single and hit his 16th homer.

Brandon Young was removed after the third inning due to illness. He allowed four runs and two hits with four walks and four strikeouts.