I think the Orioles need better starting pitching.
It was back to reality tonight as the Orioles lost the first game of the series to the Detroit Tigers. Cade Povich struggled again, the offense couldn’t get in a groove, and the Tigers took advantage to win the game, 5-3.
With Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg back with the team, tonight’s lineup looked as close to complete as it has in a long time. I almost felt optimistic about it. That was dumb of me. Westburg did get on base twice, including with a 9th-inning home run, but one decent night by one player won’t solve this team.
As for Mullins, he had a rough May before his trip to the IL. He had started to heat up just before his injury, but tonight, nothing was going right for him. He went 0-for-4 as the DH in the nine hole.
I don’t mean to single out Mullins; I was happy to see him back. Most of the offense was disappointing. The Tigers opted to start the game with a lefty opener, which was frustrating but smart. More frustrating, in my opinion, is what happened later in the game with Sawyer Gipson-Long.
Brant Hurter did his job as the opener tonight. The Orioles managed just two hits off of him, but luckily, they both came in the same inning. Holliday singled with one out in the third, then stole second base. After Adley Rutschman flew out to center, Henderson singled Holliday in for the first Orioles’ run of the game.
Cade Povich had given up a run in the previous inning thanks to a triple and a sac fly, so the Henderson RBI tied the game, 1-1. Povich responded by immediately giving up another run. In the top of the fourth, Wenceel Pérez doubled off the left field wall, then scored on a line drive single from Javier Báez. 2-1, Tigers.
That wasn’t the end of the troubles for Povich. He started the fifth with two outs, but things went south in a hurry after that. A Riley Greene double set the table for Dillon Dingler, who singled him home. Spencer Torkleson worked the count full before sending a fastball to centerfield. Colton Cowser timed his leap at the wall, but came just a bit short and couldn’t rob it. 5-1, Tigers. Seranthony Domínguez took over to get the final out of the inning.
The originally scheduled Tigers’ starter, Gipson-Long, came in to start the fourth inning. Gipson-Long had only appeared in one game this year, when he gave up three runs in 3.2 innings. The rest of his major league experience, four games, occurred in 2023. His minor league numbers are nothing to write home about, and he’s 27 years old.
He shut down the Orioles, of course. He retired the first eight Orioles he faced until Laureano singled with two outs in the sixth. Ryan O’Hearn struck out looking to end the inning. Gipson-Long hit Westburg to start the seventh, but Coby Mayo kept it a three-batter inning by grounding into a double play.
In the eighth, the Orioles finally started to get to Gipson-Long, but it was too little, too late. Holliday doubled inside the first baseline, moved up on a wild pitch, and scored on a long sac fly from Rutschman. 5-2, Tigers. After Henderson hit a sizzling double of his own, Gipson-Long was pulled from the game in favor of Tommy Kahnle.
Kahnle walked Laureano and appeared to walk O’Hearn as well. On a 3-0 count, O’Hearn took a ball that was low and outside, just off the plate. He made for first base, but home plate umpire Alex Tosi called it strike one. O’Hearn then swung at two more pitches outside the strike zone to end the rally and the inning. Frustrating.
After three hitless plate appearances, Westburg started the ninth inning with a blast. His fifth home run of the year made the score 5-3. But if you were hoping for a rally, none came. Cowser, pinch-hitter Ramón Urías, and Mullins went down quietly to end the game.
One silver lining tonight was the performance out of the bullpen. Domínguez, Yennier Cano, and Scott Blewett pitched the final 4.1 innings of the game without allowing a run. Domínguez retired all four batters he faced. Cano struck out the side swinging after allowing a leadoff single. And Blewett pitched the final two innings with two singles.
If the Orioles want to avoid a sweep, I highly suggest they try to win tomorrow. The scheduled pitcher for the Tigers, Casey Mize, is having a good year. But it’s nothing compared to lefty and reigning Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal, who will pitch on Thursday. Zach Eflin is scheduled for the Orioles.