ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As the Orioles went through their series in Toronto without announcing Kyle Bradish as Thursday’s starter, it caused concern about the health of his elbow.
When pitching prospect Cade Povich was promoted to start Thursday and Cole Irvin was announced as Friday’s starter, it only provided more fuel for the anxiety about a pitching staff that has already lost two members to season-ending elbow injuries. Bradish, the Orioles’ ace last year, missed the first month of this season after partially tearing a ligament in his elbow and receiving platelet-rich plasma injections in January to heal it.
But from the moment Bradish bounced toward the mound at Tropicana Field on Saturday, it was clear his elbow is fine.
In fact, Bradish isn’t just fine. He’s better than ever.
Bradish twirled six scoreless innings of one-hit ball with nine strikeouts to lead Baltimore to a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander allowed an infield single to the first batter he faced, and then he and his bullpen teamed up to retire the next 26 batters in order before a two-out single in the ninth. If not for Rays leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz, who hit both singles, the Orioles could’ve pitched the first perfect game in club history.
Ryan O’Hearn’s fourth-inning home run gave Bradish a 1-0 lead, while Jordan Westburg’s RBI triple in the eighth and Gunnar Henderson’s three-run blast in the ninth provided insurance to seal the club’s second straight win over its American League East foe.
After Díaz’s 72.1 mph infield hit, Bradish retired the next 18 batters in order, striking out half of them with his elite mix of two-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs and four-seamers. If not for Diaz’s leadoff single, it would’ve been Bradish’s second no-hit bid in three starts after he got through seven innings without allowing a knock May 26 in Chicago. The 27-year-old has a 2.62 ERA through seven starts, with the lone hiccup the five runs he surrendered in 2 2/3 innings against the Rays last weekend.
In that game against the White Sox, left-hander Danny Coulombe relieved Bradish and allowed a solo homer to the first batter he faced to lose the no-hit bid. While the stakes of a no-hitter or perfect game weren’t on Coulombe’s shoulders Saturday, the pressures of a one-run game were. But the crafty lefty was unflappable for two perfect innings, including striking out the side in order (all looking) in the eighth. Southpaw Cionel Pérez worked around Díaz’s two-out single in the ninth to preserve the Orioles’ fifth shutout of the season.
The Orioles entered Saturday with an MLB-leading 98 home runs. O’Hearn’s solo shot — his ninth of the season — off Rays starter Taj Bradley put the club one away from triple digits, and Henderson, naturally, did the honors with a 103 mph line drive over the right field fence off reliever Phil Maton. The 22-year-old shortstop ranks second in the major leagues with 20 home runs behind only New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
Baltimore is 41-22 and three games back of the AL East-leading Yankees, who play Saturday evening against the NL-West leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Aside from Gunnar, Adley and Burnes, which Orioles players should be All-Stars?
A look at why Westburg and Mountcastle are deserving, why Coulombe and Santander are worth a look, and why Cowser and Kimbrel could be darkhorses: https://t.co/UF22ADOR1o
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) June 8, 2024
Around the horn
• Outfielder Kyle Stowers was removed from the game in the sixth inning with right wrist discomfort, the Orioles announced. It’s unclear how Stowers suffered the injury. He was replaced by Colton Cowser.
• Manager Brandon Hyde said before the game that it’s still “to be determined” when right-hander Tyler Wells undergoes surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias announced last week that Wells and left-hander John Means would miss the remainder of the season. Means underwent his second Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery earlier this week. Nevertheless, Hyde said it’s been nice to catch up with Wells at Tropicana Field this weekend. “Whether he was going to be a starter for us or in the bullpen or swing, he was really looking forward to being a part of this club this year,” Hyde said. “Hopefully he’ll be the same guy when he comes back next year, but big blow for us and for him to have to go through surgery.”
• Dean Kremer (triceps strain) is throwing a bullpen session in the next few days, but Hyde said it’s undetermined when the right-hander will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment. “Right now, everything is kind of trending in the right direction,” Hyde said. “Hopefully he’s back with us sometime soon.”
• Austin Hays, who missed Friday’s game with bruised ribs after a hit by pitch Thursday, didn’t start Saturday but was available off the bench, Hyde said.
This story will be updated.
Orioles at Rays
Sunday, 1:40 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
