PITTSBURGH\u2014What happened? Eight days after their successful home opener, the Orioles participated in the Pittsburgh Pirates\u2019 opener. This one didn\u2019t turn out well for the Orioles as Kyle Bradish gave up four runs in the second in the Orioles\u2019 5-4 loss to the Pirates before 38,986 at PNC Park on Friday.<\/p>\n
The Orioles are 3-4.<\/p>\n
After Bradish walked former Oriole Ryan O\u2019Hearn, who was playing his first home game for the Pirates, he struck out Spencer Horwitz, then allowed four straight run-scoring hits.<\/p>\n
The first was to baseball\u2019s top prospect, rookie Konnor Griffin, who was appearing in his first major league game. Jared Triolo\u2019s single scored Griffin. Henry Davis\u2019 double brought in Triolo, and Oneil Cruz\u2019s single scored Davis.<\/p>\n
Bradish, who lasted 4 2\/3 innings in his first start, is 0-2. He struck out six and walked three.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the fastball command is not where he would like it and we would like it,\u201d manager Craig Albernaz said. \u201cOff-speed, the curveball and the slider were pretty good today, but just the fastball command. It looks like it\u2019s just not as sharp as it usually is. That\u2019s something that I feel confident he\u2019ll get back to.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 13 previous innings against the Orioles, Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (1-0) had allowed a run, striking out 14 and walking one.<\/p>\n
Keller pitched four scoreless innings, then allowed two runs in the fifth on RBI doubles by shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who had a three-hit game, and catcher Adley Rutschman.<\/p>\n
He allowed two runs on six hits in six innings, walking four and striking out four.<\/p>\n
Orioles relief pitcher Dietrich Enns walked three and threw a wild pitch, putting Bryan Reynolds on third, in the sixth. O\u2019Hearn\u2019s sacrifice fly scored Reynolds, and the Pirates led, 5-2.<\/p>\n
Taylor Ward\u2019s RBI double scored Blaze Alexander in the seventh. After Yohan Ram\u00edrez, who pitched four games for the Orioles in 2024, allowed three of four runners to reach, left-hander Mason Montgomery retired Rutschman on a grounder to short and struck out Samuel Basallo.<\/p>\n
Dennis Santana pitched a spotless eighth and still another former Oriole, Gregory Soto, struck out Alexander and Ward and had two strikes against Henderson before he hit his second home run. Soto then struck out Pete Alonso to end the game.<\/p>\n
How was Bradish\u2019s start? In seven games, the Orioles have four starts of fewer than five innings, two from Bradish and one each from Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin.<\/p>\n
Bradish knows he\u2019ll have to pitch deeper in games.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, it\u2019s very frustrating,\u201d Bradish said of the short starts. Bradish didn\u2019t take any positives from his outing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lost. I got through four, which is not even close to where I need to be at, so, no, not really. Like I said, stuff\u2019s not the problem. It\u2019s execution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexander\u2019s impressive play: In the bottom of the sixth, Alexander went into foul ground to field Davis\u2019 drive down the third base line. The original call at first base was that Davis was safe, but it was overturned on appeal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s up there, especially at third. I\u2019d say top three,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cTop three, but I\u2019ve made some cool plays in the outfield and not at third base. But yeah, it was up there. Cool moment, just make a play, just trying to get us back in the dugout, try to get a couple runs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Albernaz also thought it was an outstanding play.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat play was ridiculous,\u201d Albernaz said. \u201cI mean Henry Davis thought it was going to be a double down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alexander was 2-for-4, and is batting .400 through the first seven games.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to have ups and downs,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s early, seven games in. I don\u2019t think our offense clicked yet how it\u2019s going to. I think it\u2019s going to be a really, really fun team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re going to have some games where we\u2019re hitting around the order, everyone\u2019s bopping. Tip your cap to the Pirates, they pitched well. I think we\u2019ve had good at-bats. We were in that game. One-run ballgame, Gunnar pumped that one and we had Pete at the plate, that\u2019s really all you can ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
What does it mean? It\u2019s interesting to watch Albernaz\u2019s use of the bullpen and seeing who is getting into his circle of trust. Tyler Wells pitched two perfect innings and Rico Garcia retired all three batters.<\/p>\n
Enns had a rough day. He\u2019s walked five in 4 1\/3 innings this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust bad counts,\u201d Albernaz said. \u201cNot filling up the strike zone. Yeah, that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the stat of the day? 10. Garcia retired all three batters to face him in eighth, and he\u2019s set down each of his 10 batters this season.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the word? \u201cHe\u2019s a good hitter. He\u2019s up here for a reason, so congrats to him, but it was just a bad pitch.\u201d-Bradish on throwing a slider that Griffin hit for a double.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s going on in the minor leagues? In his first start for Triple-A Norfolk, Dean Kremer allowed three runs on three hits in 4 2\/3 innings in the Tides\u2019 5-4 lose to Memphis.<\/p>\n
Kremer threw 62 pitches, struck out six and walked two.<\/p>\n
Jackson Holliday continued his rehab assignment and was 1-for-5 with two RBIs. Weston Wilson and Jud Fabian homered against Redbirds starter Bruce Zimmermann.<\/p>\n
Enrique Bradfield Jr., who was removed from Friday night\u2019s game after he ran into the outfield wall, was not in the lineup.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s next? Shane Baz (0-0, 6.75) will start against Carmen Mlodzinski (0-0, 4.15) on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. at PNC Park..<\/p>\n