Updating Mountcastle and reviewing 2-0 loss

Ryan Mountcastle was supposed to make the trip to Fort Myers and play left field tonight for the Orioles. It said so on the first lineup card posted in the afternoon.

The second card an hour later had Tyler Nevin in left field, also batting third.

An explanation on Mountcastle's removal sort of came after a brisk 2-0 loss to the Red Sox.

Manager Brandon Hyde explained on his Zoom call that Mountcastle was scratched with "a non-physical injury."

"It's just something that I can't disclose right now," he said. "Hopefully, he's out there tomorrow."

The offense could have used Mountcastle. Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi blanked the Orioles on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The last 13 Orioles were retired.

Pace of game wasn't an issue tonight.

Nevin grounded into a double play in the first after Yolmer Sánchez's leadoff single. Yusniel Diaz walked to lead off the third and was stranded. Nevin and Rio Ruiz had back-to-back singles with one out in the fourth and Pat Valaika grounded into a double play.

Stevie Wilkerson singled with two outs in the fifth and advanced on a wild pitch, but Richie Martin struck out after fouling a ball off his leg.

Dean Kremer reached his pitch count with two outs in the fifth inning, an Alex Verdugo single bringing Eric Hanhold into the game. Kremer allowed two runs and five hits with one walk and five strikeouts, and turned in the longest outing by an Orioles pitcher this spring.

"Slowly but surely starting to execute more and more and getting a better feel for all my stuff," Kremer said in his Zoom call, noting that he took a step forward.

Kremer stranded three runners in the first two innings. Three singles and a balk didn't produce a run. Turning his right ankle while delivering a pitch, which caused the balk, also didn't hurt.

A leadoff walk to Enrique Hernández in the third was followed one out later by Hunter Renfroe's opposite-field home run for a 2-0 lead.

Kremer came back strong in the fourth, retiring the side in order and striking out Marwin Gonzalez and Michael Chavis. He got a fly ball and ground ball in the fifth before Verdugo's single. Hanhold stranded the runner to complete Kremer's line.

Hyde wanted to see better command of Kremer's fastball.

"It was good early and then wavered and then got back to good," Kremer said, "so definitely finished on a high note and I like where I'm at."

Said Hyde: "I thought Dean threw the ball extremely well. Just really excited and happy with the amount of strikes he threw. Was landing breaking balls tonight, I thought he was more aggressive with his fastball in the strike zone. Some putaway breaking balls as well. Just one blip with the leadoff walk and the two-run homer to Renfroe. Besides that, I thought he threw an outstanding ballgame."

The Red Sox loaded the bases against Hanhold with no outs in the sixth and Hyde handed the mess to Zac Lowther, who came over from the Twin Lakes camp. Franchy Cordero lined to Sánchez and Chavis grounded into a double play.

Hanhold was making his ninth appearance. Six of the nine earned runs (10 total) he's allowed in eight innings came in a March 16 game against the Rays.

Lowther retired the side in order in the seventh on a popup, fly ball and grounder, and in the eighth on a strikeout, fly ball and bouncer to short. Eight batters faced, nine outs recorded on 34 pitches.

He tossed a scoreless inning, with a hit and walk, in his only Grapefruit League appearance on March 1 in Clearwater.

"First time I've really seen him for an extended period in game action and I thought he really threw the ball well," Hyde said. "Came in in a really tough spot, got a nice ground ball double play with one out with the bases loaded and then threw two really, really good innings after that.

"I like the way he commanded his fastball, attacked hitters. Threw some changeups for strikes. I like the amount of strikes that he threw and he went out there without fear and attacked their hitters."