A day after the Orioles broke their 20-game road losing streak, they suffered another lopsided defeat and lost their shortstop.
In the second inning of their 12-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo on Saturday, shortstop Freddy Galvis left the game after he reached first on a bunt single. He was diagnosed with a right quadriceps injury and taken for an MRI.
“I’m concerned,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “The way it happened and how it felt … The MRI results are pending. We’ll find out here shortly.”
Galvis needed assistance to get back to the dugout, was placed on a cart and later needed help to get into a car so he could be taken for the MRI. He was clearly in pain.
If the Orioles are without Galvis for a significant amount of time, they’ll suffer yet another key loss. They’ve been playing without a true second baseman this season, and Galvis has brought the kind of stability to the infield that Cedric Mullins has brought to the outfield.
Even though they’ve been struggling, the impact could be substantial. Their starting rotation has been reeling since John Means went on the 10-day injured list because of a left shoulder injury.
Hyde said the Orioles were making plans to add another infielder for Sunday’s game.
“It’s pretty upsetting, very good defender, veteran guy, you don’t want to see him go down like that,” starter Keegan Akin said. “Hopefully, he’s all right. We should know a little more tomorrow.”
Pat Valaika, who started at second, moved to short and Stevie Wilkerson played second. Both can play shortstop, but the team needs another infielder.
The Orioles have Domingo Leyba and Ramón Urias on the 40-man roster. Leyba, who was claimed on waivers from Arizona on June 4, has hit well at Triple-A but was hitless in 22 at-bats with the Diamondbacks.
Urias hit .248 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 25 games the Orioles earlier this season.
Akin (0-4) allowed six runs, including the two he left on base, on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Akin gave up four runs in the third. Bo Bichette’s RBI double accounted for the first run. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run home run, and Teoscar Hernández followed with a homer.
Guerrero has 26 home runs and has hit one in each of the three games against the Orioles.
“He threw the ball well for the first couple of innings and, in the third inning, he had a little trouble again,” Hyde said. “He’s got to be able to maintain that command throughout his outing.”
In the fifth, George Springer’s RBI single and Randal Grichuk’s three-run home run — off Konner Wade — put the Orioles behind, 8-0.
“I feel like I’m staying in one spot too much,” Akin said. “I’ve got to mix it up, back-and-forth, up-and-down. I made a couple of bad pitches and paid for it today. I’ve got to get better and get through that third inning. It seems like a common theme lately.’
Akin was replaced in the fifth by Wade, the 29-year-old journeyman whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. Wade, like another seasoned rookie, Mickey Jannis, had a rough debut. He allowed six runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. Jannis gave up seven runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings on Wednesday against Houston.
In the sixth, Toronto (39-36) scored four runs against Wade on a two-run single by Hernández and run-scoring singles by Springer and Grichuk.
Hyun Jin Ryu (7-4) picked up his second win against the Orioles(24-53) this week. On Sunday, he was the winner in a 7-4 Toronto win.
He allowed just two hits in the first six innings, singles by Austin Hays and Galvis’ bunt in the second.
Ryu gave up four runs in the seventh. Pedro Severino had a two-run single and Cedric Mullins had a two-run double.
Alexander Wells also made his major league debut, pitching two scoreless innings, giving up one hit.
Each of Toronto’s runs were scored with two outs.
Notes: Right-hander Mac Sceroler, who was chosen by the Orioles in December’s Rule 5 draft and was designated for assignment on Tuesday, has cleared waivers and been returned to the Cincinnati Reds. … Jorge López will face Ross Stripling on Sunday. … Wells is the third Australian to play for the Orioles. Right-handed pitcher John Stephens (2002) and left-hander Damian Holmes (2003) are the others. … The Orioles have used 43 players this season. … A report in The Athletic said that Trey Mancini had been invited to the Home Run Derby the night before the All-Star Game. “That would be a great experience for Trey,” Hyde said. “If he does have that opportunity, it would be a really cool moment.”
Who are these guys? Hyde has used several pitchers this year with whom he wasn’t familiar. He had little knowledge about Jannis or Wade. He knows Wells, who has been in spring training with the Orioles the last two years, though Wells didn’t pitch in Grapefruit League games because of injuries.
“I don’t think it’s that abnormal,” Hyde said. “Guys come up from Triple-A sometimes that you haven’t seen in the big leagues, and you’re going on the reports down there as well as.”
Orioles pitching coach Chris Holt talks regularly with Norfolk pitching coach Kennie Steenstra, and that helps.
“I’m going to throw them in there, and see what happens,” Hyde said.
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I hope these plans include Cadyn Grenier. I'd suggest J Jones but he isn't a SS and I don't think Wilkerson or Valaika will do playing there every game. I'll even live with McCory getting the call but Ramon Urias is NOT an answer ... dump him from the 40 if you have to. But please, no more Ramon Urias.
Ken, Cadyn Grenier is currently at Double-A Bowie. Because of this season's health and safety protocols, Triple-A teams are following the same rules that MLB teams are. Double-A teams are not. As a result, players cannot be called up directly from Double-A. They would have to go to Triple-A for intake before they're called up, so you won't be seeing Grenier tomorrow. You may be seeing either Leyba or Urias. Neither Leyba or Urias is in Norfolk's lineup tonight. Mason McCoy, who's batting .224, and is not on the 40-man roster, is playing shortstop for the Tides.
Thanks Rich. Stupid virus strikes again.
Urias is an allstar compared to Wilkerson!
And any trade value Galvis had drops dramatically...go O’s...
Well add Mason to the 40 man roster and remove Uranus. I’m
Not saying he is the answer but we know what the other guy can do already. I wish Rich you could be a little more positive about giving guys a chance instead of reverting back to the same guys who have failed already like Urias and Wilkerson who wasn’t on the forty man roster and is useless exempt that he plays a few positions poorly
Bruce, I don’t make the decisions on who is called up. I simply report. I love when new players are called up. It gives me more to write about.
The Orioles added three new pitchers this week instead of guys who’ve been there before, and I wrote about them.
I don’t usually criticize a player but Keegan Akin made one the most stupid but obvious statements in his press conference quote I’m staying in one area to much . Ya think ! If you watched the game in the first and second inning he mixed his pitches particularly the curve ball for some reason in the third the curve ball went out the window as did the change and they tatooed his fast ball . Now Rich I have a question that somebody should ask this guy WHY did you stop throwing the breaking ball . Who is calling the game ? A rookie pitcher a 4 year catcher is it Holt or Hyde . Nice to see Palmer call out quick hook Hyde . Look your not winning games let alone playing in October LET THE KIDS pitch obviously they have learned zero on pitching or as Palmer says reading the bat in the minors either they don’t want to or the constant turnover of coaches has stunted them or frankly I’m starting to think the majority of players have a very low baseball IQ and maybe for some another form of IQ they seem to repeat the same mistakes time and time and time and time again .
Losing Galvis--that' a a tough one. Hyde loved him. Seems players loved him. Kinda hard to even get mad or make fun of this team anymore. Hard to put an inexperienced rookie at a "field general" position like SS. This is probably not the time to even look but any journeyman/veteran SS recently put on the waiver-wire? Tough times. I repeat- bashing this team at this point almost seems cruel/senseless..
It's the management that deserves bashing. The players are at least trying.
Wilkerson still being here is a joke! This is the 3rd time he's proven he's not ml material. Has gone unclaimed TWICE, says it all!
Management deserves bashing for leaving players like Wilkerson still on the roster!!!
With due respect to Boog I’m not sure all of them are . The litany of repeated mistakes such as but by no means limited to failing to hit the cutoff man , framing and blocking balls in the dirt, base running blunders . Not mixing pitches , evidently not reading scouting reports on opposing hitters .
Now either these guys have no baseball IQ such as throwing Siemen fastballs when according to Palmer he can’t hit a breaking pitch, or the manager and staff doesn’t or they can’t communicate it to the players or there is a complete lack of discipline on this team .
On a positive but unrelated matter, my daughter and her boyfriend drove to Buffalo for the Orioles game yesterday and her BF proposed to her prior to game time. The game was their first “event” as an engaged couple. A rough game couldn’t wipe the smiles from their faces.
Congratulations, I knew something awesome would come out of the game...go O’s...
Contratulations Tex! Does his mean you can officially take her off your payroll? :)
Thanks CP and Boog! My older daughter was married just 2 weeks ago and I’m learning my payroll has expanded instead of decreased! I have to pay for Two people to come visit me in Dallas now instead of one!
They did tell me there were a lot of Orioles fans at the game yesterday in Buffalo. I wish they had more to cheer about. Instead of bringing brooms to games maybe we should start bringing tanks!
“I’m going to throw them in there and see what happens.” We should have a day of remembrance for the young pitchers who have been thrown to the wolves. Let’s think about this. I spend my whole young life chasing a dream and then have it turned into a nightmare. What happened to trying to put guys in a position so they stood a chance to succeed? Mickey Jannis gets a shot in a blowout game with an Astro team that is ripping the cover off the ball. There is no second chance. Cut. There may be a market in Baltimore for PPTSD (Pitcher’s PTSD) psychiatrists. Wade gets a bad break because a couple of innings before Galvis goes down. Valaika, a below average shortstop, drops a pop up, and things go south. Jay Flaa, Brandon Waddell, Mac Sceroler (OK, Rule 5), and Isaac Matson have been sacrificed. Zac Lowther has proven he’s not ready. Alexander Wells survived. Is there a long term strategy here? I’d rather see Wilkerson on the mound than sacrifice any more dreams and talent.