BALTIMORE-What happened?-It began to unravel with a popup in the second inning that shortstop Gunnar Henderson called for but when third baseman Ramón Urías didn’t yield, the two came together, and the ball fell from Urías’ glove. Two runs scored and the Orioles went on to lose for the 10th time in 14 games, 9-4 to the San Diego Padres on Saturday.
“We haven’t played well defensively for a few weeks,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s going to be really important for us going forward. Just been inconsistent in a lot of areas right now. Just got to battle through it.”
Henderson was asked about the play and the Orioles’ play of late. Since June 21st, they’re 12-18.
“Thought I called it loud enough,” Henderson said about the popup by Kyle Higashioka. “But, yeah, I guess he didn’t hear me. I gotta do a better job of calling it, I guess.”
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Henderson has committed errors in each of the last three games, all losses, and doesn’t have an RBI in eight games since the All-Star break. Catcher Adley Rutschman, who started along with Henderson in the All-Star Game, is just 9-for-68 (.132) in July.
It’s hard when the Orioles’ best players aren’t playing their best.
“You just keep going and supporting,” Hyde said. “There’s a lot of frustration going on right now with a lot of guys. It’s carrying over a little bit, I think.
“Sometimes you have to have honest conversations as well as being supportive and positive. They’re really good players and they’re gonna get through it.”
What does Henderson see? Besides the miscommunication, Henderson’s charged error came when he threw wildly on a relay to first, leading to a third run caused by a miscue.
“I haven’t been playing well,” he said. “That’s pretty obvious. Just going out there and trying to work my butt off every day. It’s obviously not how I want to play, but stuff like this happens. So, just trying to work my butt off every day to get back to helping the team.”
“We’re all trying to do our best to win and, obviously, it’s not going our way right now. We feel like we’ve got the right mindset. It’s just getting over that hump, and once we do that, I feel like we’ll be in a good spot.”
Henderson isn’t used to a prolonged slide like this one.
“This is my first time going through it,” he said. “You just have to buy in together, just trust each other and just try to play for the guy who’s behind you and the guy that’s next to you. It’s just one of those things that’s — baseball’s weird. It’s just one of those things that happen. Just continue to play for each other, and I feel like that’ll be the best option.”
What does Mullins see? Centerfielder Cedric Mullins had all four RBIs, equaling a career high, for the Orioles on a two-run double in the seventh and a two-run home run in the ninth.
“I think we’re getting in our own way a little bit out there,” Mullins said. “We just need to get back to the brand of baseball we know we can produce every single day. I have full confidence in that. We’re starting to pick it up a little bit. I know I can help contribute.”
Mullins first played with the Orioles in 2018 when they lost a franchise record 115 games and played in 2019 and 2021 when they dropped 218 games.
“These things happen and you go through a really good stretch for a long time throughout the year,” Mullins said. “Sometimes, it’s one of those things where it’s a matter of time before you struggle a little bit. But it’s about continuing to pick yourselves up every day and lean on your teammates to continue to build that confidence and keep putting your best foot forward out there.”
Mullins doesn’t think these struggles will last.
“I think a lot of the frustration is due to the fact that we are a good team,” he said. “It’s one of those things where we go through these rough stretches and it’s not us as a whole. That’s what kind of builds that frustration. It’s a matter of taking a step back, understanding who we are as a team, getting back to that.”
Mullins parted with Austin Hays, his longtime teammate on Friday.
“It’s part of the business. I think my first real experience with that was when were were close with Trey [Mancini] when he was here,” Mullins said. “I have his cellphone number. I can reach out to him whenever.”
How did Kremer pitch? Dean Kremer allowed four runs, but just one earned on seven hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking one.
“I think that might have been Dean’s best start of the year,” Hyde said. “I thought he was absolutely outstanding. On a normal day for us he’s maybe going seven, maybe even eight innings. I thought his stuff was really good.
Kremer also contends the Orioles will pull it together.
“I think things are going to start turning around here pretty soon,” he said. “Guys are realizing it’s just a part of the game and the way we break out of it is we have to be comfortable.”
He was undermined by poor defense, but he’s not blaming his fielders.
“It’s not just the defense. I think every part of the game we’re kind of down right now — pitching, hitting, defense, all of it,” Kremer said. “And it’s kind of all at once. I think that’s what’s attributing to what’s been going on. But this hasn’t happened in three years? Four years? So things like these do happen. We are human. Things will start looking up here pretty soon.”
When will Eflin pitch? Zach Eflin, a 30-year-old right-hander starter who was acquired on Friday from Tampa Bay, was scheduled to arrive on Saturday night.
“We’ll have him throw and discuss when he’s most comfortable pitching,” Hyde said.
The Orioles have a doubleheader on Monday, and Eflin would be pitching on four days’ rest.
“If it’s Monday, it’s Monday. If it’s Tuesday or Wednesday, it’s Tuesday or Wednesday. He’ll be in the rotation.”
Hyde is glad to have Eflin.
“The two-seam command, the way he command the ball to both sides of the plate, our hitters were really excited,” Hyde said. “Because he’s such a tough at-bat. The heartbeat is super low on the mound. He’s pitched in huge spots and huge times, big games. That experience is going to be invaluable for us … Having a really good major league starter locked up for next year, that’s great.”
What’s the latest in trade talks? Hyde knows that executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is still working on possible deals in advance of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. deadline.
“I know Mike and his group are working really hard right now, locked in the room, they’re charging their cellphones,” Hyde said. “They’re on the phone a lot. We’ll see what happens. I can’t worry about that.”
What’s the latest on Mateo? Jorge Mateo doesn’t know when he’ll play again. He dislocated his left elbow playing second base in a collision with Henderson.
“It was a difficult moment when I saw and felt my arm bend that way,” Mateo said through an interpreter. “A difficult moment for me, for the team, for my family.”
Mateo isn’t sure what’s next.
“We still don’t have anything concrete,” he said. “I’m waiting for the team to ultimately make a decision, see what happens from there.”
Mateo hopes to play again this season.
“I do have that confidence,” he said. “Ultimately, we’ll have to see what’s going to happen and what the final decision is going to be. I do want to play again this season.”
What’s the word? “I don’t think the deadline has anything to do with it. I just think we have some guys that have no chance of getting moved at deadline just really kind of pressing right now and trying to put it all together. There’s some frustration that we haven’t seen here in a couple years.”–Hyde on the Orioles’ struggles
What does it mean? While the Orioles have been able to maintain a lead in the American League East despite their poor play, they won’t be able to keep it for much longer if they don’t play better.
What’s the stat of the day? 8-12. The Orioles are 8-12 in July and must win their final five games this month to avoid their first losing month since September 2022.
What’s next? Albert Suárez (5-4, 3.48) will face Randy Vásquez (3-5, 4.17) on Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
Call for questions: Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. Please send yours to: [email protected]