Rutschman's big day, Nevin's big swing lead O's to win in Kansas City

He is still looking for his first big league homer and RBI. But Adley Rutschman now has his first three-hit game, and it came during Saturday’s 6-4 win over Kansas City. It helped to give the Orioles a much-needed victory and a chance to split the four-game series with a win this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.

Rutschman began the game batting .153/.231/.220/.451. Despite that, the Orioles were simply not worried yet about baseball’s top-rated prospect. They knew how common it has always been for big-name prospects to struggle at the outset of their big league careers. Some O’s fans can remember how Earl Weaver once stuck with Cal Ripken Jr. when he was batting .117 in early May of 1982. Ripken ended that year as the American League Rookie of the Year and ended the next catching the final out of a World Series win.

But more than that, the Orioles knew the player and his makeup. It is off-the-charts good, always has been, and they simply knew Rutschman could handle some struggles. It would not beat him or overwhelm him. When Rutschman smoked a double at 100 mph in the eighth inning on Friday night, maybe that well-struck ball would be a turning point for him, some in the clubhouse and dugout might have thought.

That could prove to be exactly right.

On Saturday, Rutschman lined out in the second inning, and that ball was struck at 106.2 mph. His double in the fourth was hit at 95.3 mph, a sixth-inning single at 110.0 and a double in the eighth at 108.0. Not a bloop or flare among them.

He was 2-for-24 his past seven games heading into Saturday and then went 3-for-4 with his first career three-hit day. He had two extra-base hits through Thursday over 62 plate appearances through that game. Now he has gone 4-for-7 in his past two games with three doubles. Rutschman also scored two runs in a game for the first time in the majors in Saturday's victory.

Rutschman actually ranked fifth on the Orioles in average exit velocity, at 89.5 mph, going into Saturday’s game. Ryan Mountcastle leads the team in that category at 91.6. Rutschman's number will take a jump after yesterday’s game.

Other O’s notes:

* Rutschman may have had the most hits Saturday, but fellow rookie Tyler Nevin had the biggest hit. His three-run homer to center field gave the Orioles a 4-3 lead in the sixth. He swung over the top on a 2-0 slider but got another one on the next pitch that was up in the zone, and he didn’t miss it. It was Nevin’s third career home run. It had a 103 mph exit velocity, and the blast traveled 425 feet.

* Right-hander Tyler Wells gave the O’s a big outing on the mound in the win. He allowed three runs over six innings, producing the club’s first quality start since he had one at Boston on May 30. Wells threw 84 pitches and is now 3-4 with a 3.86 ERA. This was his third career QS.

The Orioles had gone nine games without a quality start with a rotation ERA of 7.78 in that span. And their starters in the first two games of this series allowed 13 runs in 9 2/3 innings. Wells has pitched to a 3.00 ERA over his past four starts.

* The Orioles have scored 21 runs the past four games (5.25 per game), 114 the last 22 games (5.18 per game) and 212 runs the last 48 games (4.42 per game). The league average for runs per game is 4.11.

* The Orioles overcame a three-run deficit to claim their 14th comeback win in their 60th game of the season, after recording 24 comeback wins in 162 games in 2021. Baltimore has played 20 games this season against teams who currently own a losing record, and with this win they improved to 8-12 in those games.

* The Orioles are just 10-20 in road games but are 4-4 over their last eight on the road.

* Heading into play on Saturday, the Orioles ranked 10th in the majors with 17 defensive runs saved this season, according to Sports Info Solutions. Baltimore ranked 24th with -30 DRS in 2021. And O's outfielders are tied for seventh in the big leagues with 11 outfield assists, which has helped the team accumulate six DRS from outfielders, ninth-most in the majors in 2022, per FanGraphs. The Orioles' 63 double plays are the most in the majors.