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 five weeks 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 Tropicana Field’s mound 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.
“I feel like I’m still getting back to where I was last year,” Bradish said, “but I think every outing I keep progressing.”
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. Baltimore is 41-22 and 2 1/2 games back of the AL East-leading New York Yankees (45-21), who have lost two straight games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The win extends the Orioles’ franchise-record streak of avoiding series losses against the AL East to 21 — a stretch that dates to April 2023. Baltimore is 15-6 against the AL East this year and 4-1 versus the Rays (31-33).
After Díaz’s 72.1 mph dribbler, Bradish retired the next 18 batters, striking out half of them with his elite mix of two-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs and four-seamers. Perhaps the most impressive aspect to Bradish’s gem was that Tampa Bay failed to hit a ball out of the infield in 19 chances against him. In addition to his nine punchouts, Bradish induced five groundouts and four popups to infielders. Six of the 10 batted balls against him were hit softer than 77 mph.
“For him to rebound like this — this was vintage second half of last year stuff: heavy sinker, heavy cutter, strikes,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We didn’t walk anyone on the day. Just a lot of weak ground balls. His stuff was fantastic.”
“If you keep the ball out of the outfield,” Hyde added, “that’s an amazing performance.”
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 hitless innings May 26 against the Chicago White Sox.
He is the seventh pitcher in Orioles history to have two starts in a season of at least six innings and one hit or fewer allowed, joining John Means (2021), Chris Tillman (2012), Jason Johnson (2003), Mike Cuellar (1975), Steve Barber (1967) and Wally Bunker (1964).
“I take this one over the Chicago one any day,” Bradish said. “I got into the sixth with 80-some pitches. … Hits are going to happen, so it’s not that big of a deal. It’s kind of the walks that kill the pitch count.”
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 this same Rays team in his previous start last weekend.
“I think health-wise it benefitted me,” Bradish said of the two extra days of rest. “I should’ve done that the last outing, but it didn’t work that way. We had a game plan, and we executed it today.”
Bradish, who joined the Orioles organization in 2019 as part of the Dylan Bundy trade, was excellent last year, posting a 2.83 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 168 2/3 innings to finish fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting. With an improved two-seamer and an overall sharper arsenal, he’s been a strikeout machine this season with 49 punchouts in 34 1/3 innings, resulting in a 34% strikeout rate that is nine percentage points higher than last year.
“I’m extremely impressed,” left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe said of Bradish. “Last year, he had a great year, but he still knew he could get better. The strikeouts you can see are way up this year. I think it’s the command of his sinker, being able to backdoor it for strike three has been really impressive. The kid’s a stud.
“I think I’ve said before: He’s an ace.”
In Bradish’s no-hit bid against the White Sox, Coulombe followed him and allowed a solo homer to the first batter he faced to spoil the potentially historic day. While the stakes of a no-no 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. It marked the first time this season Coulombe has recorded more than four outs in an appearance. The 34-year-old journeyman could be building an All-Star case behind a 2.42 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP that ranks second among MLB relievers.
“Bradish threw the heck out of the ball today,” Coulombe said. “I’m glad I could talk to [the media] because after the last time I pitched after him, it wasn’t the best thing. This one’s a lot better.”
Southpaw Cionel Pérez retired the first two batters of the ninth to nearly secure the “what if” perfect game, but Díaz’s two-out single — a legitimate one — prevented the Orioles from recording 27 straight outs. Pérez struck out former Terps standout Brandon Lowe to preserve the Orioles’ fifth shutout of the season.
Baltimore 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 Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (22), while Baltimore is seven ahead of the Yankees for tops in the majors.
“It’s pretty dang impressive,” Coulombe said on the Orioles’ power surge. “You know, that’s why we have the homer hose down there [in the bullpen]. Just put it this way: We’re all very hydrated.”
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. He was replaced by Colton Cowser. Hyde said Stowers banged up his wrist diving for a ball in Toronto earlier this week and it got sore throughout the game Saturday. “He should be fine,” Hyde said.
• 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 entered as a defensive replacement and doubled in his lone at-bat. On May 28, Hays was hitting .164 with a .430 OPS. Since, he’s 7-for-17 with three doubles and two homers, boosting his season OPS nearly 200 points.
Orioles at Rays
Sunday, 1:40 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
