Orioles

Orioles find unlikely hero in Urias as they win Game 2 over Mariners in last of 7th

BALTIMORE — Orioles utility man Ramon Urias had only seven at-bats entering a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

He certainly put himself in position for more playing time moving forward.

Urias delivered a game-winning single with two outs in the seventh inning to give the Orioles a 7-6 victory in the second game to earn a split. It was the Orioles’ first home win of the season and snapped a four-game losing streak.

Urias also homered and drove in a pair of runs in a 4-3 loss in the opener.

“Today, I think I had some pretty good swings and I was able to make some hard contact,” Urias said through a translator. “I am very happy that I was able to contribute to the victory for my team. I’m looking forward to receiving more opportunities to show what I can do out there.”

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said his players need to take a better approach at the plate and stop putting so much pressure on themselves. After struggling on offense in the first game, Hyde was proud of the way the players responded in the nightcap.

“We’re just trying to get better,” Hyde said. “We got some guys off to slow starts offensively. We see a lot of pressing going on with our hitters.

“Hopefully, the rallies that we had and wins like this can kind of relax some guys. We have a lot of guys pressing at the plate right now. So to get a win and to get some big hits in big spots, something we haven’t done in the last couple of days … it was huge for us.

“Hopefully, we can get some momentum going from an at-bat standpoint and be a little tougher at the plate. Grind out our at-bats a little bit more. I thought we took better at-bats in the second game than the first game. We just have to build on that.”

Orioles starter Dean Kremer has struggled to go deep into games. For the second time in as many starts, he didn’t pitch past the third inning after allowing four runs and four hits with three strikeouts and a walk over 54 pitches.

After impressing initially when he was called up by the Orioles in 2020, Kremer ended last season by allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings to Boston, boosting his ERA from 1.69 to 4.82.

“I need to stick with my curveball, have trust in it and really hammer everything out,” Kremer said.

After winning Game 1 of the double header, 4-3, in eighth innings, the Mariners took a 4-0 lead in the second inning of Game 2 on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Seager and a three-run homer by Jose Marmolejos.

The Orioles were much more aggressive against Seattle left-hander Nick Margevicius after managing just five hits in the opener.

Maikel Franco set the tone with a three-run double with two outs in the third. Ryan Mountcastle followed with an RBI single that tied the game, 4-4.

Hyde wanted to take some pressure off Mountcastle by moving him down the lineup from the cleanup hitter to the No. 6 spot and the rookie responded with two hits and an RBI.

The bats stayed hot as centerfielder Cedric Mullins extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI double in the fifth. A sacrifice fly by Anthony Santander later that inning provided a 6-4 lead.

After Wade LeBlanc threw a scoreless fourth, Adam Plutko shut down the Mariners until the seventh, when he allowed a towering two-run homer to Sam Haggerty that landed on Eutaw Street and tied the game at 6. Before that, Plutko had allowed just three hits over six innings of relief.

“The guy hasn’t given up a run for us,” Hyde said. “With a doubleheader and some question marks tomorrow, I just decided that he was throwing the ball so well. I had [César Valdez] for the top of the order. Last thing I was expecting was a two-run homer from the guy at the bottom of the order.”

Mariners reliever Casey Sadler retired the first two batters in the seventh before Franco drew a walk. Ryan McKenna, who had replaced Mountcastle in left field, reached on a throwing error by Sadler. The runners advanced on a wild pitch by Sadler before Urías delivered the game-winning single.

“I just want our guys to have success, and I’m trying to put guys in a position to have success,” Hyde said. “It’s hard for me to watch our guys grind.

“I like the character of our guys. I really like our players. They work hard every day and their struggles are coming from trying too hard and trying to do it instead of just kind of relaxing and letting the game come, which sometimes happens when you get older.”

Note: After the second game, the Orioles returned Travis Lakins Sr. to the alternate training site at Bowie.

Todd Karpovich

View Comments

    • A positive comment to start the day! This is gonna be a super Wednesday!! Lakins looking good!

  • Read Orioles alternate site played and did well yesterday. Hope to see something about it here at BB!

  • Hyde’s mismanagement almost cost this team
    another game. Why would you let Plutko face the lineup for a third inning? That was a situation for the closer. It was six to four and ended up six to six due the mismanagement. The runner on second base to start the extra innings is just stupid. Without that rule the orioles could’ve one the first game. It automatically puts the pitcher in a terrible situation. Mountcastle seems to hit better in left then at dh. He has eight more at bats in lf then at dh but three less strikeouts. He had two hits while in left at the second game yesterday. He seems more engaged in the game when in left. Dh isn’t for everyone. Maybe he overthinks dh. I’ve noticed adley has the same problem.

    • You found your forever home here on BB Orioles20

      Mountcastle career OPS by position:
      LF 0.853
      DH 0.788 (not bad at all IMO)
      1B 0.731

    • Only reason I can see them leaving Plutko in the game was to stretch him out. With Lopez and Kremer struggling to give them innings, they may be looking to give Plutko a shot in the rotation. That would be the only rationale for keeping him in. I have a suspicion that the Orioles are going to be making some moves in the next couple weeks especially in the infield and pitching staff

      • I would hope. I think as the minor league season gets started and guys down there get going we will see guys like Jones, Diaz, and Baumann.

      • The stretching out reason makes sense to me, had the same thought.
        Wish Hyde had left LeBlanc in to start another inning, he only had thrown 11 pitches, 7 for strikes.

  • I was rooting for Kremer as we need the young guns to perform for any noticeable improvement in this team. I noticed his fastball was being clocked at 92 MPH. Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t he throwing 94 , 95 last year

    • Not sure if this helps, but Baseball Savant shows Kremer with a 4 pitch mix this season so far and a 5 pitch mix last season. 4 pitch mix: 4 seam FB, cutter, curve, change up, with sinker being listed for 2020 but not for 2021 yet. Savant has average MPH 4 seam FB at 92.2 for 2021 and 92.8 for 2020. 2020 sinker avg MPH is listed at 93.3.

  • I m just glad to take one game of the double header.
    Ramon Urias team MVP.
    And I’m not minding a 7 inning double header game, either.
    The times they are a changin’

  • I have trouble understanding how players on a team with zero expectations beyond losing a lot of games can be paralyzed by pressure. I have no problem with moving players around in the lineup because I don't think it really makes much difference. I know there's a mystique about batting cleanup, but this is the Orioles. I don't see an opposing pitcher sitting down with a catcher and coach to target the four hitter as "someone we're not going to let beat us." If there's too much tension on the team, find the cause and correct it. Manager? GM? Coaches? Can't blame the media or the fans: they're not allowed to be around.

  • Tie game, bottom 7, last inning of game 2 of doubleheader. 2 outs, no one on base. A walk, an error by the pitcher, an ensuing wild pitch then a single to lose the game. Sound familiar? I imagine all throughout the northwest on a Seattle baseball site the comments are exactly the same, only the players and team name has changed.

Share
Published by
Todd Karpovich

Recent Posts

  • Midday Mailbag

Should Orioles use 6-man rotation? | MAILBAG

Question: Do you think the O's are considering a six-man rotation? There doesn't seem to…

December 23, 2024
  • Minors

With Basallo’s big league debut nearing, Orioles’ international program showing strength

The Orioles haven’t signed a player from the Dominican Republic who played for them since…

December 23, 2024
  • Peter Schmuck

Peter Schmuck: A Corbin Burnes cautionary tale

Way back at the turn of this century, a venture capital guy named Tom Hicks,…

December 22, 2024
  • Minors

Orioles stocking up on players with major league experience for camp invites

While the signings of players with major league experience to minor league contracts might not…

December 21, 2024
  • Midday Mailbag

Should Orioles sign Scherzer and Verlander? | MAILBAG

Question: Why wouldn't the O's grab both Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander since they could…

December 20, 2024
  • Rich Dubroff

Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano explains his decision to join Orioles and what he expects

Tomoyuki Sugano, the 35-year-old Japanese right-hander who signed with the Orioles on Monday, appeared on…

December 20, 2024