One of the worst stretches in recent years continued for the Orioles on Thursday night when they struck out 16 times, were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and their bullpen allowed four runs, leading to a 10th straight loss, 5-1, to the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
They also lost first baseman Trey Mancini in the first inning when he was hit by a pitch from Chicago starter Dylan Cease.
Mancini was hit in the right elbow and took first after dropping to the ground in the batter’s box. He removed himself from the game when he had difficulty throwing after he took the field in the bottom of the first.
The Orioles said Mancini suffered a bruise after X-rays and an examination found no fracture. No additional tests are scheduled, but Mancini will be re-evaluated on Friday.
“It’s really sore. It got him in a tender spot by the elbow,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
The Orioles (17-33) were already missing Ryan Mountcastle, whose left hand was bruised by a pitch on Tuesday night. Pat Valaika replaced Mancini.
Starter Bruce Zimmermann gave the Orioles an effective start, allowing a run on six hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked one walking one.
“I was able to attack the zone most of the night,” Zimmermann said. “I felt I had good command of all four of my pitches tonight. When that happens, usually good things happen.
Zimmerman threw 82 pitches, the same number he threw in three innings against Washington on Saturday.
“I thought Zimmermann threw the ball really well,” Hyde said. “I was really happy with his start. He went five really good innings. He kept us in the game.”
Zimmermann was in the bullpen when Mancini was hit.
“It was a very silent bullpen when we saw that happen,” Zimmermann said. “Trey is the leader on this team, and a sparkplug on the offense as well. I talked to him a little bit in the clubhouse when I came in, and he’s in good spirits. Hopefully, it’s nothing more than a contusion, and he gets back on the playing field as soon as possible because he’s such an integral part of this team and a key to our offense, and the lifeline of this team.”
Yermin Mercedes homered against Zimmermann in the second, and the Orioles tied it on Freddy Galvis’ seventh homer in the fourth.
Dillon Tate (0-2), who was activated from the 10-day injured list before the game, left with Andrew Vaughn on second, and Tanner Scott allowed an RBI single in the sixth by Billy Hamilton.
César Valdez, whose struggles continue, allowed three runs in the seventh on an RBI double by José Abreu and a single by Mercedes that scored two to put Chicago (29-20) ahead, 5-1.
Catcher Chance Sisco had four of the Orioles’ 16 strikeouts. Anthony Santander had two of the Orioles’ five hits.
“We played solid defensively, but we didn’t do much offensively,” Hyde said. “Tough to win when you get one run on five hits.”
Cease (3-1) allowed a run on four hits in six innings, striking out 10 and walking one.
The Orioles’ 10-game losing streak is their first since June 12-21, 2019, and is their longest since a 13-game skid from September 17-30, 2009.
They’ve lost 17 of their last 19.
With Mancini and Mountcastle missing and Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list because of a strained left hamstring, the Orioles’ offense was notably weakened. The bottom four in the order — DJ Stewart, Stevie Wilkerson, Sisco and Ryan McKenna — were hitless in 14-at bats and struck out a combined 10 times.
“We’re finding out about our other position players that need to hit,” Hyde said. “We’re facing some real good competition and struggling offensively some nights.
“I don’t have a special sauce to fix it. We’ve just got to start taking better at-bats, guys have to start swinging the bat.”
Notes: First base coach Anthony Sanders is away from the club to attend his son’s graduation. Assistant hitting coach José Hernández filled in. … Matt Harvey (3-5, 6.31 ERA) will face Dallas Keuchel (3-1, 4.28) on Friday. …The start of the game was delayed 19 minutes by rain. … The 16 strikeouts were the most by the Orioles in a nine-inning game this season.
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23 yr old Vaughn 2/4, not bad, Valdez, time to go, bring on the youngens...go O’s...
Ryan Ripken? Come on up for your cup o’ Joe! Billy Hamilton? Wtf
Hamilton isn't there for his bat. When you're down 3 outfielders (4 briefly), a great defender is enough.
And his "lousy" bat is great against a middle middle FB sitting on a room service platter. Great Scott!
82 pitches--was Zimmerman really done? Gotta let these starters gut 'em out(one more inning?) or stop complaining about a burnt out bullpen Mr. Hyde. Sisco's "big chance" is here--ouch and then he turns into Chris Davis. Austin Wynns-anybody seen Austin Wynns? If Yusniel Diaz wasn't such a klutz himself he too might be getting his 'big chance". This is now turning into the team of Stevie Wilkerson. Yes we've come a long way. 115 losses?---no problem! By replacing Severino the Warehouse showed they had a heartbeat,now sadly release Valdez and show you have a brain.
:)....go O’s....
Zimmerman was only done if there was someone better and since the O's have NO bullpen, they didn't, but nobody is allowed to pitch past the 5/6th inning. In 1971, the O's four 20 game winners (can you imagine such a thing?) had 70 complete games. Has baseball changed that much and if so, WHY? Are all these players so fragile that a complete game is very rare along with 20 game winners? Maybe it's just a case of over-managing.
Someone mentioned the other day about Cal Ripken buying the O’s, serious question, who might join him in partnership to do so & if he’s got any business sense does he even entertain it?....go O’s...
I've got a couple hundred lying around ... who else is in?
Million?
I’ll match you!
Me too...go O’s...
OK ... I'll hold the funds. Make checks out and send to:
Boog's Retirement Fund
555 Ponzi Street
Reno Tx 75462
Humor in the morning, and with this team, is in great need.
Thanks Boog
Hmmm, Ponzi street, sounds legit...LMAO...go O’s...
Hallbe, not contributing? My check is in the mail, please don’t cash until 2025, thx...go O’s...
Yeah, I can find a couple of c notes to contribute
Will they take bitcoin? I have like $300 worth. Should be worth a billion any minute now lol
Awesome, think we’re getting closer every minute, I think Boog has a plan...lol...go O’s...
No plan ... it's more of a process.
Why do we pull our pitchers so early? No wonder our bullpen gets burnt out. Zimmermann threw eighty two pitches against a team these rakes against lefties and you pull. Hyde has no feel for managing a pitching staff. How much longer can we roll with Sisco and severino? They’re bad at everything. We need to pick up a defensive minded catcher. One that comes to mind is jeff Mathis who could be dfa by the braves once they get their regular catchers back. I understand we’re rebuilding but at some point a message needs to be sent to these guys and throughout the organization that if you don’t perform you’re gone. Sisco, Severino, Stewart, Valdez, Armstrong need to go. The feel good story of Valdez is over.
Can’t argue with you, bottom line, gotta perform...go O’s...
Hyde's a bum manager who we got because he was the CAR. For you analytics nerds, that's "Cheapest Against Replacement". That's the Angelos family's most important analytic factor. I thought the Orioles should have hired Adam Jones to be a player-manager after Buck, but what the hell do I know?
You sir ... have vision!
It's Hyde and Severino. It couldn't be because the team, as a whole, has little talent. The two players who are the real deal haven't been offered extensions. There's yet another shortcoming of the manager and catcher.
spot on Os'20
Tampa had an 11 game winning streak earlier this month, maybe the O’s can follow that up with an 11 game losing streak. Only 1 more to go boys.
On another note, I drove over to Salisbury from my Delaware home last night to watch the Shorebirds play the Lynchburg Hillcats, a Braves affiliate. I wanted to see Henderson and Westburg, specifically, and check out Anthony Servideo. While Henderson and Westburg went hitless (Gunnar was the DH, Westburg at SS), I was impressed by Gunnar’s size and speed. My take away from the night, however, was the roster comparison of the two teams. The Braves affiliate had 10 international free agents (all signed as 16-17 year olds, now in Low A ball as 21 years olds). The Orioles affiliate had 0.
I know the Elias era is in full force and this will change in the coming years. I’m sure next year, and in 2022, the Shorebirds roster makeup will look more like the Hillcats. But it’s startling to see in person. We read about it, but when you actually see the difference on the field, it gives it more meaning. At least to me.
Yes - hopefully some of the DR, VZ players start arriving next year. Good report! Mundy mashing! Did Handley catch?
No. He’s at Bowie. Last night’s catcher was Jordan Cannon. He’s a 10th round pick and, at 24 years old, one of the oldest players on the Low A roster. That’s a reality check into how difficult it is to make it to the big leagues, right?
Ok yeah good for Handley - my hope for future backup to Adley. I forgot where he was.
Interesting observation about the international players ... helps explain why building the O's "talent pipeline" takes so long.
Guys, for those who want the O's to sell the team, that will not happen until two pending situations are resolved. One, MASN issue resolved completely and two...A bit morbid and sad to actually note...The passing of PA.
True but on the other side of that PA is closest guarantee we have that the O's will never leave town.
Great points, Phil. The Orioles remind of the Buffalo Bills and Ralph Wilson.
Careful what you wish for… if those boys sell the team to an outsider… kiss the Os goodbye.
Rich, In the past, you promptly replied to all expressed fears of the Orioles flying away with soothing assurances that MLB would not allow them to move. Your silence here is unsettling to those of us who still have nightmares involving Mayflower moving vans.
WV, thought the same exact thing...go O’s...
Someone mentioned ( as well as Hyde) that the team has to pick up offensively. Not sure some of them can cut it in the bigs to be honest.They have had many opportunities but a few guys are going backward on a daily basis. Not good for the team, especially when key players are going down frequently as this team cannot afford to lose its best player or players with this roster. Pitching has also digressed to a point where Hyde cannot possibly trust anyone.Right now the team is going through some dire times when you would think there would be some sort of uptick at this stage of the rebuild. I certainly don’t have an answer but hopefully Elias and company have a plan ( as they have alluded to many times).I am sure we will all continue to watch but it is getting increasingly difficult to watch.
Take an abysmal bullpen, add in an 0-12 RISP including a black hole at the back end of the order (featuring Not-a-Chance Sisco) and a slew of others who can’t hit their way out of a wet paper bag and what do you get?? Pure dreck - and an embarrassment of ridiculous proportions for those of us who still care about Oriole baseball. And btw, what idiot pitches to a .335 hitter with an open base and a guy on the hill who is throwing soft bp? It all is too much. Someone please put me out of my misery.
Bang!
Have to agree with you on that one as I try to continue to support Hyde. Palmer mentioned that they probably don’t pitch to him, then when they did said he said he did not agree with that decision.Just as he finished his last sentence to quote Boog, “Bang”.
Well, we know they’re not gonna continue to lose every game right? So I’m thinking they’re gonna go on a hot streak starting tonight and win 8 of their next 10 to match last seasons 25-35 after 60 games. Then all will be rosy in Birdland again. On a side note, gotta go, I’ve run out of my meds.
Hyde put out a lineup that had 5 major leaguers in it and after Mancini you had 4 . Then we get to the actual game Zimmerman throws 82 pitches come on you gotta go at least 90-95 .
Please the Valdez experience is over . The book on him is out make him throw strikes and wait . Good organization get on the same page and you see that with the twins and Sox.
If it was our guys we’d say heck with the scouting report heck with patience let’s just flail away and try to pull everything.
Something is not working at the major league level and it goes past the lack of talent I don’t know if they don’t have good scouting or don’t use it or the position players haven’t bought in but frankly except for Mancini Santander Mountcastle Mullens Hays Galvis is just clean house maybe the umpires behind the plate would give you a better call if they weren’t scared to death the catcher was going to completely miss the ball .
It seems like Elias is waiting for the perfect moment to start bringing up the great prospects as if they are all going to conform at the same time.Just an amateurs opinion but I believe that is basically what the plan is for the most part.
Unfortunately, with our woeful pitching staff, the perfect moment won't be until 2024 at the earliest. In the meantime, our best hope is three years-running of a bountiful waiver wire and lots of DFAs who sign on the cheap. The reliance on other teams' rejects has not worked so far, but like a true O's fan, I'm cool with Elias's call for patience, lots of patience, for a long time.
All good comments by the way; totally agree Valdez’s ERA is almost six now, good time to get a youngster up here.
Is it me or have our hitters been getting hit quite a bit; might be time for some retaliation
Orioles have been hit by a pitch 15 times this year, 12th in the American League.