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CLEVELAND—Coby Mayo’s debut wasn’t a great success for the Orioles, who played a sloppy game and managed just one hit in the first six innings on their way to their second straight loss to the Cleveland Guardians, 8-4, before an announced attendance of 35,137 at Progressive Field on Friday night.
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Mayo started at third base, walked twice and struck out twice. In the first five innings, he had only one ball hit to him, a grounder by David Fry. Mayo threw to second for a forceout on Josh Naylor to end the third.
In the fifth inning with runners on first and second, Naylor popped a ball to short left field, Mayo ran back and pulled up and the ball skidded by Colton Cowser.
The Guardians had scored two runs in the second when Oriole starter Dean Kremer gave up singles to Naylor, Fry and Angel Martinez, and walked Bryan Rocchio to score Naylor. Fry scored on Austin Hedges’ sacrifice fly.
The Orioles’ only hit was a second-inning single to Adley Rutschman that followed Ryan O’Hearn’s walk. O’Hearn scored from third when Ryan Mountcastle hit into a fielder’s choice.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco was pulled after 4 1/3 inning. He walked three in the second inning, and struck out Cowser, who chased two pitches out of the strike zone, with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Kremer (4-8) allowed four runs on six hits in five innings.
In his first appearance with the Orioles, left-handed reliever Gregory Soto allowed his first five batters to reach on three singles and two walks. His only out came when Len Thomas field to Anthony Santander in right. Santander’s throw home sailed over Rutschman’s head, but Soto was backing up the play.
Ramirez flied to Mullins in center, and Martinez scored. Jacob Webb, who replaced Soto, cut off the ball and threw to second as Steven Kwan was caught in a rundown. As Kwan headed back to first, Webb threw home, and Hedges scored on the play to give Cleveland (67-42) an 8-1 lead.
Cade Smith (6-1) relieved Carrasco and retired all five batters he faced, striking out three.
The Orioles (65-46) scored three runs in the seventh against Scott Barlow. Mullins and Mayo walked, and Jackson Holliday’s single to left scored Mullins. Cowser’s RBI single, which scored Mayo, extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Santander’s sacrifice fly to right scored Holliday to cut the lead to 8-4.