The Orioles entered their series with the Tigers as winners of seven of their last nine games. The pitching led the success with a 2.62 ERA in that span.
That didn’t continue on June 10, the start of their six-game homestand. Cade Povich put together Baltimore’s worst start since the last time he was on the mound at home two weeks ago, and the Orioles ultimately couldn’t overcome those issues in a 5-3 defeat to Detroit.
“You see the two quick outs [in] three of the five innings against a pretty tough lineup, and you feel good about him,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “He just kind of couldn’t slow down the damage once it started.”
Baltimore (26-39) returned home after a successful 4-2 road trip that began with a three-game sweep of the Mariners, who started the series in first place in the American League West.
The pitching was especially impressive in Seattle. Each starter allowed three runs or fewer and lasted more than five innings, and the bullpen didn’t allow a run in 8.2 relief innings. Against the Athletics, Orioles starters pitched significantly worse but the bullpen remained strong, only giving up one run despite throwing a taxing 13 innings.
But Povich allowed five runs in 4.2 innings versus the Tigers, unable to pitch five full innings for the sixth time this year as his ERA rose to 5.46. First-pitch strikes proved pivotal on Tuesday.
Detroit’s first run came on a Wenceel Pérez sacrifice fly, bringing home Zach McKinstry after the latter tripled. Both at-bats started with a first pitch ball. Perez smacked a double in the fourth inning in an at bat that started with a ball, scoring one batter later. Back-to-back hits from Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler, after both started their at bats with balls, added a third Tigers run.
The first pitch has been important for Povich during his relatively short time in the big leagues. In Povich’s 27 big league starts entering June 10, batters had an OPS of .866 when starting an at bat with a 1-0 count versus a mark of .737 after a first pitch strike.
The big blow against Povich came on a 3-2 count, when Spencer Torkelson blasted a two-home run that gave Detroit a four-run cushion in the fifth inning.
“Apparently not making good enough pitches,” Povich said. “It’s soft is what it is.”
Baltimore’s offense failed to support Povich as its relative struggles from the road trip remained; it averaged four runs per game, just slightly ahead of the season average that ranks 25th in all of baseball.
The Orioles only notched six hits and left six runners on base. Their first run came on one of Gunnar Henderson’s most impressive at-bats of the season.
With Jackson Holliday on second base — reaching there on a steal during the at-bat — in the third inning, Henderson lined the 10th pitch he saw into right field for an RBI single. The knock came against a left-hander. Henderson entered the game hitting .145 in 76 at-bats against same-handed throwers.
After falling down in the count 1-2, Henderson didn’t chase two pitches across the other side of the plate and fouled off three other pitches, including two straight sinkers. The third was smacked 97-plus mph off the bat, a reminder of the success he is capable of having against lefties, like when he had a .829 OPS last season.
“It’s what we saw last year,” Mansolino said. “It’s what we need him to do.”
But the Orioles failed to have many other good at-bats throughout the night. Ryan O’Hearn had the most important one with his club down by three runs in the eighth inning with two on and two out. He struck out swinging.
Baltimore didn’t have a better chance to tie the game after that, even though Jordan Westburg belted a solo home run in the ninth inning in his return from the injured list.
“I know he’s been working his butt off,” Henderson said. “I was really happy to see him have success up here.”
The Orioles lost despite the Tigers deploying a bullpen game, unable to continue the positive stretch they were on since the end of May. To secure a series win, they’ll need victories against a pair of Detroit starters with sub-3.00 ERAs in Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal.
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