BALTIMORE — The Orioles are all about hydrating.
Baltimore hit three home runs Monday in its 5-1 win over the Oakland Athletics — ample opportunity to debut its new home run celebration.
A week after introducing the sprinkler and dugout water streaming as their doubles tradition, the Orioles (5-5) celebrated the three blasts — from Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman and Austin Hays — by chugging water from a snake funnel.
The victory also showcased the impact of Camden Yards’ left field wall.
One day after the Orioles had two would-be home runs robbed by the wall, they had three more likely blasts taken away by Camden Yards’ new configurations.
But instead of shying away from the behemoth in deep left field, Mountcastle and Rutschman took the beast head-on and conquered it. Both sluggers blasted homers over the wall after previously being robbed — Mountcastle on Sunday and Rutschman in the first inning Monday — to lead an Orioles offense that was stymied by the New York Yankees in two losses over the weekend.
The first home run gobbled up by the new dimensions — a wall pushed back about 30 feet and raised more than five feet in some areas — was off the bat of Rutschman in the first inning. Rutschman, hitting right-handed Monday against left-handed starter JP Sears, roped a pitch 372 feet to left field — a ball that would have likely been a homer at the old Oriole Park.
But Mountcastle avenged Rutschman by clobbering a low changeup 421 feet over the 398-foot sign at the farthest-right portion of the wall for a two-run homer. In Baltimore’s loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday, Mountcastle had a 363-foot flyout that was corralled by the wall. Mountcastle also had a lineout to the warning track in right field for two tough-luck outs — a season after the first baseman was one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball.
Two batters later, Austin Hays then crushed a ball off Sears that traveled 382 feet, but instead of clearing the wall, it came just short. It would’ve been a home run in all 29 other MLB ballparks, according to Statcast.
Like Mountcastle, though, Rutschman and Hays both bounced back with blasts later in the game. Rutschman launched a middle-in fastball 399 feet for a solo homer.
Three innings later, Hays chose a different path. Rather than go right at the wall, the outfielder lined a Jeurys Familia sinker 107.3 mph over the center field fence.
While the home runs and the new celebration were the highlights, starting pitcher Kyle Gibson was the throughline in Monday’s win. After an inefficient first inning, the 35-year-old right-hander was lights out the rest of the way, tossing 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He labored through the first, throwing 30 pitches, walking two batters and allowing an RBI triple to Ramón Laureano.
Gibson, who went seven innings against the Texas Rangers last week, is the only Orioles pitcher to record more than 18 outs in any of their 10 games this season. Baltimore signed the 11-year veteran to a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason, largely because of his ability to go deep in games and provide stability to a young rotation.
Despite the cheery vibes to Monday’s win, Cedric Mullins and manager Brandon Hyde were ejected in the seventh inning after the center fielder argued with a home-plate umpire Malachi Moore after being rung up on a high breaking ball.
The Orioles added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single from Ramón Urías to score Hays, who doubled to end his night 2-for-4.
Right-hander Bryan Baker, lefty Cionel Pérez and closer Félix Bautista followed Gibson with scoreless appearances out of the bullpen. Bautista struck out the side in the non-save situation.
Around the horn
— Hyde said before the game that starting pitcher Kyle Bradish will begin his minor league rehabilitation assignment this week. The plan is for Bradish, who went on the 15-day injured list last week with a bruised right foot after taking a line drive off it, to throw “a few innings,” Hyde said. The right-hander is eligible to come off the IL on April 19 while the club is in Washington to face the Nationals.
— Infielder Gunnar Henderson wasn’t in the lineup Monday for just the second time this season, with Hyde saying it was a normal day off for the youngster. The 21-year-old is hitting .148. Instead, left-handed hitter Adam Frazier played second base.
•Before his ejection, Mullins stole second base in the first inning for his fifth swipe of the season. The Orioles entered Monday tied for first in the American League with 15 stolen bases.
Athletics at Orioles
Tuesday, 6:35 p.m.
