TORONTO -- In the seventh inning of a lopsided game, the Orioles got a refreshing glimpse of what their future might look like.

First, Adley Rutschman, baseball’s No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, hustled down the line to beat out a slow ground ball for an infield single. Two batters later, Kyle Stowers trotted into the left-handed batter’s box.

The Orioles' 11-1 loss to the Blue Jays was well out of reach by then, but Stowers had plenty left to play for. It was his MLB debut; his family was in the stands; his heart was racing; and his fellow top prospect was on first base.

Facing Blue Jays reliever Julian Merryweather, Stowers slowed his hands and got the barrel to an outside fastball. The 24-year-old adjusted his helmet as he wheeled out of the box and into second base for an RBI double.

That 106.3 mph line drive to left-center field was Stowers’ first Major League hit, and his family, sitting in the Rogers Centre stands, were loving every minute of it. His mom and fiancée cheered, while his father-in-law teared up as everyone enjoyed the moment.

“I didn't do it myself growing up,” Stowers said. “So I feel like [my family] played such a big role, and not just on the field, but off the field, who I am as a person. And it's just so cool to have them here, and it was nice to see them up in the stands after.”

Stowers, the Orioles' third-round Draft pick in 2019 and their No. 8 prospect, had long hoped for this moment. By scoring Rutschman, his buddy through the Minor Leagues, the first hit felt even sweeter.

“It's fun,” Stowers said, adding that Rutschman congratulated him in the dugout. “We have a good time together. Like I said, he's one of my best friends. So any time, it's just fun getting to be around him again.”

For a situation that was so many years in the making, everything came together quickly for Stowers. He wasn’t expected to get the call to the bigs so soon, but when Anthony Santander and Keegan Akin landed on the restricted list ahead of the series opener due to Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination laws, Stowers got his chance.

In left field and batting eighth in the first of four games versus Toronto, Stowers got a rude welcome from Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah. The big right-hander showed no mercy on the rookie, whipping a sinker and then two nasty sliders to strike Stowers out on three pitches. After that “hesitant” at-bat, he regrouped.

“I felt like I was able to kind of take some deep breaths and dial back in,” said Stowers, who finished 1-for-3.

It wasn’t just Stowers who was baffled early, though. The entire Orioles lineup struggled to build any kind of momentum off Manoah, who has emerged as an American League Cy Young pick. Baltimore managed just five hits on the evening, despite slotting four lefties -- Stowers included -- into the order to combat Manoah’s stinginess versus right-handed hitters.

“It’s tough to sit on any pitch against [Manoah],” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “That’s why he’s 8-1.”

The Blue Jays pounded 19 hits against the O’s. Still, one lopsided contest isn’t likely to dampen the Orioles’ spirits. The loss may have dropped their record to 26-36 -- good for last place in the AL East -- but there is still plenty of optimism woven into the O’s roster.

No one knows this Orioles clubhouse better than Trey Mancini, who’s played in Charm City since 2016. The 30-year-old veteran has seen the O’s in brief spurts of competition, and he’s felt the crushing lows of a squad stuck in a rebuild. Mancini knows the pain of losing too well, but he is also wise enough to tell when things are trending up.

"It's the first team that I've been on in a while here that I feel like we have a shot, like every night in a way," said Mancini. "And it's just been a really fun group."

The Orioles have had a tough go over the past several campaigns. Baltimore hasn’t won more than 50 games in a season since 2017, but the club is on pace to break that this year. The tide is turning very gradually.

Rutschman is already in the big leagues; now Stowers has his first career hit, and if you roam a touch deeper down the Minor League ranks, you’ll find the Orioles have one of the richest farm systems in baseball. Though he’s potentially out for the year with a shoulder injury, Grayson Rodriguez is a tantalizing pitcher and MLB’s No. 3 prospect; infielder Gunnar Henderson ranks at No. 46, while outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 57) and lefty DL Hall (No. 79) round out the list.

When the losses pile up, it’s easy to forget about a club’s young talent or the importance of special moments like a debut and a first hit. This was Stowers' first career game, and the heartwarming reaction from his family reminded everyone that this Orioles season is all about hope. Baltimore might not contend in 2022, but the future certainly looks very bright.

“There's a lot of guys in the [organization’s] Minor Leagues that can be great Major League players,” Mancini said. “So that’s always a great sign.”