The Baltimore Orioles might have additional challenges by the time they face the visiting Cleveland Guardians in the middle game of a three-game series Tuesday night.
The Orioles, who have lost three of their last four games, have failed to score more than three runs in any of their last five games.
Their problems appear to be growing with an injury to center fielder and leadoff hitter Cedric Mullins. He departed Monday’s game with what was later described by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde as a right abductor groin strain.
“We’re going through all the tests now,” Hyde said. “That’s the last thing you want to see. He’s a huge part of our team.”
Mullins, who drew two walks in the series opener, suffered the injury running to first base on an eighth-inning groundout. Hyde made it clear that a long-term absence would be a blow to the team.
“We’ve been pretty fortunate so far this year, and these things happen,” Hyde said.
Cleveland won 5-0 on Monday, holding the Orioles to five hits.
Cleveland right-hander Cal Quantrill (2-3, 4.75 ERA) will try to keep the Orioles out of sorts. Quantrill is coming off his second-shortest outing of the season, a four-inning stint last Wednesday in a 6-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox when he allowed all six runs.
Quantrill is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in four career outings (three starts) against the Orioles.
The Guardians have been riding strong defense recently, highlighted by third baseman Gabriel Arias, who has stayed in the lineup despite a .193 batting average.
“He’s a really gifted defender,” manager Terry Francona said. “I think you see why we try to be patient and try to get him at-bats because as he figures it out, he has a chance to be pretty good.”
Cleveland also has benefitted from backup catcher Cam Gallagher, who drove in two runs Monday. His work behind the plate is likely of more value to the Guardians.
“Cam has done a really good job catching since Day 1,” Francona said. “He always catches a really good game.”
Another encouraging sign for the Guardians came from Will Brennan’s three-hit outing Monday. It marked the outfielder’s first multi-hit game in almost two weeks.
“It was good to see him bounce back because I know he was kind of feeling it,” Francona said.
Baltimore will go with right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-3, 3.82 ERA) on Tuesday. He’s coming off two sterling performances, including seven shutout innings in Thursday’s 3-1 road victory against the New York Yankees.
This will mark just the third home outing in a stretch of seven starts for Gibson. He’s 3-10 with a 5.59 ERA against Cleveland in 21 all-time appearances (20 starts).
The Guardians have won three of their last four games. They’ll be aiming for their fourth victory in five games, something they haven’t accomplished since the first week of the season.
On the road, though, the Guardians were 1-7 in their last eight games before Monday’s win.
–Field Level Media
