Grayson Rodriguez learned a valuable lesson after his start last week.
Pitching against the lowly Kansas City Royals, Rodriguez had the worst outing of his nascent big league career, as a lineup with few recognizable major leaguers tagged the top prospect for eight hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings.
“Really it doesn’t matter who you face, what their record is,” Rodriguez said last week. “They’re all big league hitters.”
Rodriguez didn’t have those same problems Tuesday.
Substitute the Royals for the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays and the ineffective version of Rodriguez for a resolute one, as the right-hander battled through a career-high 5 2/3 solid innings to lead the Orioles to a 4-2 win over their division foe.
“That was his best start, for me,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Thought he really competed well. Gave up the homer there early, but then the fastball had really good life throughout today, and I thought the secondary [stuff] was good. It was nice to see him get into the sixth inning. … Really gave us a chance to win and competed outstanding.”
Rodriguez (2-0) wasn’t as dominant as he was in Detroit in late April or throughout his minor league career, but he also didn’t unravel in any inning as he did in most of his previous starts this season. The 23-year-old scattered seven hits, two walks and two solo home runs while striking out four and recording an out in the sixth inning for the first time in his big league career, earning his first victory at Camden Yards and a standing ovation from the announced 10,017 in attendance.
“It’s been a short window, but we’re learning as we go, learning after every start,” Rodriguez said. “I think a lot of the mistakes are good. They’re helping me out to have them early, and then we can tighten it up, get better down the stretch.”
One night after getting shut out in a 3-0 loss, the Orioles’ bats woke up, as Adley Rutschman burst out of his slump with a two-run home run in the third inning that propelled the offense and provided Baltimore’s pitching staff with enough support to end the club’s season-worst three-game losing streak.
The series against Tampa Bay (29-8) began as one between the two best teams in the American League, and it will remain so for the rubber match Wednesday. The Orioles (23-13) will go for the series win with Dean Kremer on the mound.
Rodriguez, who had a 5.46 ERA coming into Tuesday, began his start with a first. He got the leadoff hitter out for the first time in seven starts, striking out Yandy Díaz. But he then allowed the first of two solo home runs, as Wander Franco hit a well-placed 98.6 mph fastball just past the leaping glove of center fielder Cedric Mullins. Rodriguez also surrendered a solo blast to Taylor Walls on a changeup down the middle in the fifth inning.
Rodriguez picked off a runner to end the first, got double plays to end the second and third and didn’t crumble when the Rays got two runners on in the fourth and fifth. After back-to-back singles with two outs in the fifth, Rodriguez got out of the jam by blowing a 98.3 mph fastball by star left fielder Randy Arozarena, who entered Tuesday with a 1.137 OPS against the Orioles in his career. Rodriguez showed perhaps the most emotion he’s displayed this season after the punchout, spinning around and screaming into his glove.
“Yeah, I think the adrenaline was pretty high,” Rodriguez said. “A little mad at myself, kind of for letting that snowball a little bit. Next time, we’ll get a little bit better there and better with two outs.”
He struck out Luke Raley on his 100th pitch for the second out in the sixth inning, but he allowed a single on the next pitch and was pulled after a career-high 101 pitches — his first time topping 100 pitches since 2019 with Low-A Delmarva — to a standing ovation.
Mike Baumann, Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista followed Rodriguez and combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Cano continued his remarkable start to the season with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He still hasn’t given up a run in 17 2/3 innings and has an eye-popping 0.17 WHIP.
Bautista was shaky with three walks, but he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his eighth save of the season. It was his first four-out save of the season, as he got his final three outs with runners in scoring position. Orioles pitchers held the Rays to 0-for-7 in such situations.
Bats bounce back
The Orioles entered Tuesday two for their last 31 with runners in scoring position. Their first three at-bats in those moments are why they won.
Gunnar Henderson led off the third inning with a triple, as his line drive got past a diving Manuel Margot in center field. Jorge Mateo then grounded out to score Henderson to break the Orioles’ streak of 13 innings without a run — and 19 frames without one if not including the automatic runner in extra innings Sunday.
Cedric Mullins then doubled with two outs to bring up the Orioles’ coldest hitter. Rutschman was 0-for-19 going into his third-inning at-bat, and he took out his frustration on a cutter from Rays starter Zach Eflin, launching the pitch 407 feet over the right field wall for his first home run onto Eutaw Street.
“No better feeling in baseball,” Rutschman said. “It was nice to square one up, get a good swing off.”
At 111.1 mph, the home run was the hardest-hit ball of Rutschman’s career, according to Statcast tracking data. The Eutaw Street home run was the 119th in Oriole Park history and 56th by an Oriole.
“I’d like to see a lot more of that,” Hyde said about the Rodriguez-Rutschman duo that led the Orioles to victory. “I think everybody, all the fans, would. … They’re gonna be fun to watch going forward in the future.”
Baltimore’s third at-bat with runners in scoring position ended in an RBI single for Austin Hays, whose ground ball between third and short scored Ryan Mountcastle.
The Orioles had scored just six runs in their previous three games while facing a gantlet of starting pitchers. Eflin was the fifth straight pitcher the Orioles faced who owned a sub-3.00 ERA entering the game.
Around the horn
- Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said reliever Mychal Givens (left knee inflammation) will throw on back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday during his minor league rehabilitation assignment in Double-A Bowie. Elias said Givens pitching two straight days does could “put him in a position” to be ready to come off the injured list. Givens hasn’t allowed a run in his three innings with the Baysox. Elias also said it’s possible Dillon Tate (right forearm strain) rejoins the Orioles later this month; however, Tate hasn’t had the same success as Givens, allowing eight runs in four innings during his rehab stint.
- Terrin Vavra, one of the six players involved in the roster shuffle before Tuesday’s game, said he’s prepared to serve as the Orioles’ emergency catcher if needed. The utilityman caught four innings in Triple-A Norfolk last week. “It was the first time I’ve been back there in a game situation in a while,” Vavra said. “Definitely wasn’t ultra comfortable. Think I did alright, think I opened some eyes and made people realize it’s something I can actually do. It’s something I’m excited about.”
Rays at Orioles
Wednesday, 6:35 p.m.
TV: MASN
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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