WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Orioles’ weeklong West Coast road trip didn’t end the way they hoped, as they took a 5-1 loss in the series finale vs. the A’s at Sutter Health Park on Sunday afternoon. But Baltimore played better baseball for much of its swing through Seattle and West Sacramento.
With a 4-2 trip that featured a three-game sweep of the Mariners and a series loss to the Athletics, the O’s sit at 26-38 as they return to Baltimore for a six-game homestand against the Tigers and Angels.
"You go on the West Coast for six games, it’s tough,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “There’s issues with sleeping through the morning, everyone’s up at 6 a.m., the days are long. It’s hot, we haven’t been in the heat. You walk out of this thing 4-2 against a really good Seattle team and [an A’s] team -- they play tough, man. They played really good. ... 4-2, I’ll take it.”
Here were three encouraging developments from the past week for the Orioles.
Adley Rutschman looks like Adley Rutschman again
Baltimore’s lineup still isn’t producing as much as it should, but that could soon change with Rutschman’s bat heating up. The 27-year-old All-Star catcher had a slow start to the season, hitting .203 with a .632 OPS in 53 games when the calendar turned to June.
Then, Rutschman traveled west -- not far from his hometown of Sherwood, Ore. -- and began to return to form. During the six-game trip, he went 10-for-24 (.417) with one double, two home runs, three RBIs and a 1.189 OPS.
The most noticeable development occurred Tuesday, when Rutschman got rid of the toe tap in his swing. He often tinkers with his mechanics, and this adjustment seems to be working.
"Honestly, sometimes hitting-wise, for me, that wasn’t a conscious thing,” Rutschman said. “I’ve looked at some of the video, and on some I’m almost toe-tapping, and some, I’m not at all on other ones. But I’ve been working with the hitting coaches a little bit on sequencing and being a little more rhythmic, just timing-wise.”
The bullpen has been nearly untouchable
Mansolino didn’t want to talk too much about the success of his club’s bullpen after the relief corps combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Saturday’s 7-4 win over the A’s.
“Don’t say it too loud, you might jinx us,” Mansolino said.
The Orioles’ bullpen had posted 20 2/3 scoreless innings on the road trip before Bryan Baker gave up a leadoff homer to Max Muncy in the bottom of the eighth on Sunday. The unit still recorded an 0.42 ERA over the six-game trip, as everybody in the group continues to fare well.
"I think they kind of understand that their roles ... [and] that I don’t think there are really specific roles right now. I think they understand that we’re trying to match up the best we can,” Mansolino said. “They’re doing a great job. We feel very fortunate right now, they’re helping us win games.”
Monday’s off-day should help the relief corps stay fresh, as it will look to keep its run going.
Even more reinforcements are coming ... and soon
The Orioles got Colton Cowser back from a left thumb fracture on Tuesday and Ramón Laureano from a left ankle sprain on Friday, providing a considerable boost to their outfield mix. The two have combined to go 9-for-33 (.273) with one double, three homers and six RBIs.
Meanwhile, All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg (left hamstring strain), outfielder Tyler O’Neill (left shoulder impingement) and catcher Gary Sánchez (right wrist inflammation) spent the weekend on rehab assignments at Triple-A Norfolk. Center fielder Cedric Mullins (right hamstring strain) took live batting practice on Sunday in Aberdeen, Md., and is unlikely to need rehab games.
Westburg is on track to be reinstated ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Tigers at Camden Yards. Mullins is also expected to return during the upcoming homestand, while O’Neill and Sánchez could also become possibilities by then.
Those hitters could help alleviate the O’s ongoing struggles against left-handed pitching. In Sunday’s finale, A’s southpaws Jacob Lopez and Sean Newcomb combined for seven innings and allowed only one unearned run.
“There’s some solutions coming in the pipeline that’s going to help us out a lot, and we’re aware of that,” Mansolino said. “There’s some pretty good players that are on the way, and I think we’ll see a few here soon.”