BALTIMORE — There couldn’t have been a more ideal place in the batting order for the Orioles to find themselves in. There were so few chances to be had, but Baltimore had the right players at the plate for both opportunities.
Second baseman Rougned Odor and center fielder Ryan McKenna reached base consecutively twice, first in the fifth and again in the seventh, to provide run-scoring opportunities with fewer than two outs. The fifth inning was especially promising, with a McKenna double placing two in scoring position with no outs.
And yet, with a combination of Austin Hays and Trey Mancini — the best hitters on the Orioles — they were left stranded in the fifth. And with Cedric Mullins pinch hitting in the seventh, consecutive popouts from Mullins and Hays squandered that chance to level a one-run deficit and bail out right-hander Dean Kremer, making his first start of the season.
Those issues with runners in scoring position haven’t been so glaring as they were to begin the season, but they materialized again in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Guardians, which sealed a series win for Cleveland at Camden Yards. The Guardians had done all their damage in the first inning, unable to break through against Baltimore’s bullpen and leaving an avenue for the Orioles to overtake a narrow deficit.
But Baltimore (23-33) finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle’s third home run in seven games provided the only offense in the fourth. It was an impressive blast, sending an opposite-field shot 437 feet — one foot shy of Mancini’s bomb Saturday afternoon, which registered as the longest by an Oriole this season.
Guardians right-hander Zach Plesac faced few other issues, allowing four hits while striking out eight in his six innings. And the Orioles never managed much of a threat to Cleveland’s bullpen, either, even after left-hander Sam Hentges walked Odor and McKenna to begin the seventh or catcher Adley Rutschman reached on a drop-third strike to begin the ninth.
Guess who’s back
Kremer was expected to play a larger part in the Orioles’ staff out of spring training, but as he warmed up in the bullpen during the season-opening series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Kremer suffered an oblique injury.
He began his path back here last month, blowing through hitters at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. In his nine innings across three appearances, Kremer allowed two hits, two walks and no runs. He struck out 18 batters and held hitters to a .069 average.
But life for Kremer in the major leagues hasn’t been nearly so routine, finishing 2021 with a 7.55 ERA in 13 starts. He averaged 2.9 home runs allowed per nine innings last season, and that propensity to allow the long ball struck again in the first inning Sunday, when Andrés Giménez sent a ball to the flag court for a three-run homer.
Despite needing 42 pitches to get through two innings, Kremer settled in the third and fourth, combining for 16 pitches before he was pulled for right-hander Logan Gillaspie one out into the fifth inning. That length — even with three runs attached — was about as good of a scenario as manager Brandon Hyde could’ve hoped for before the game.
Hard contact, hard outs
So much of the slump for Rutschman has come down to hard-hit balls finding gloves. The most egregious example came Thursday, when the top prospect smashed a liner into the shift that had an expected batting average of .960, according to Statcast.
There have been others, too, including a liner off right-hander Shane Bieber down the left field line Friday that was caught, or the sharply hit ball right at the right fielder Sunday. Those knocks are outs in the box score yet give Hyde confidence that Rutschman isn’t far off from a breakout.
Still, the beginning of Rutschman’s major league career has been difficult. That’s not much of a surprise — even the highest-regarded prospects need time to adapt to the highest level. But it’s led Rutschman to a cold streak with two hits in his last 31 at-bats, with 11 strikeouts in that span. In his first 20 at-bats, he struck out just four times and managed five hits.
At some point, those hard-hit balls will find grass. But for the time being, Rutschman scuffles, and the Orioles preach patience.
Around the horn
— Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said outfielder Heston Kjerstad is nearing the completion of his hamstring injury rehab, but there’s no exact timeline on when Kjerstad will return to the field. Kjerstad, selected second overall in the 2020 draft, has faced major health-related impediments to his career thus far, including a heart condition. He ranks as the No. 10 prospect in Baltimore’s organization, per Baseball America. “Assuming that continues to go well, I think he’s going to play pretty soon this summer,” Elias said. “Assuming we get good medical progress there, I think it’s going to wind up with him in Delmarva.”
— Right-hander Spenser Watkins is on track to be reinstated from the injured list Tuesday. Watkins said he’s thrown off the mound three times and has felt good, a positive sign after he recovers from a right arm contusion he suffered from a comebacker.
