With 18 games left on their regular-season schedule, Monday’s series opener against the Red Sox offered plenty of opportunities to put up some crooked numbers on the Fenway Park scoreboard. Instead, they stranded 11 base runners and their bullpen crumbled late as they fell to their division rivals, 12-3, for their third straight loss.

Anthony Santander did his part, becoming the eighth player in Orioles history and first since Mark Trumbo in 2016 to hit 40 home runs in a season with a solo shot in the seventh inning. He drove in all three of the team’s runs to improve his team-leading RBI total to 94, but Baltimore otherwise squandered scoring chances in each of the first four frames.

The Orioles loaded the bases in the first and fourth innings and walked away with only one run each time courtesy of Santander. He scored Gunnar Henderson on a hard-hit single in the first before later bringing Colton Cowser home on an RBI walk. Otherwise, the Orioles went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position to stay true to what has become an all-to-familiar theme over the past three months.

Rookie starter Cade Povich, coming off the best start of his young career with 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox, got an early hook from manager Brandon Hyde after allowing a lot of hard contact, including back-to-back home runs by Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O’Neill in the third that helped Boston jump out to a 4-1 lead.

He lasted two outs into the fifth before giving way to Burch Smith, who got out of the inning with some help from his defense. Cowser played a fly ball off the Green Monster perfectly and fired a 95.1 mph throw home that Adley Rutschman gathered before making a diving tag to nab Refsnyder trying to score from first. The play was part of a defensive clinic put on by the Orioles’ outfield with Cedric Mullins making a diving catch in center field in the third.

But Smith unraveled in the sixth, loading the bases before Ceddanne Rafaela extended the Red Sox’s lead with a two-run single. Gregory Soto then came in to get out of the jam and Refsnyder struck again with a two-run single that made it 8-2. All four runs were charged to Smith, who has allowed 15 earned runs in his last 14 2/3 innings (9.20 ERA) dating to Aug. 6.

Craig Kimbrel’s equally unimpressive ongoing stretch continued as well. The demoted closer struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh before giving up a single, stolen base, walk and two-run double by Rafaela. Since recording his latest save on July 7, Kimbrel has an 8.83 ERA over 18 appearances with three losses and two blown saves.

He was replaced by Cole Irvin, who became the second pitcher of the night to allow consecutive home runs to Refsnyder and O’Neill. Refsnyder came to the plate in the eighth a triple short of the cycle and had to settle for a multi-homer game, driving in his fifth RBI by poking one just inside of Pesky’s Pole in right field. O’Neill then capped off the evening with another Green Monster-clearing blast.

Baltimore (82-63) will send Albert Suárez to the mound Tuesday against Boston starter Kutter Crawford as the club looks to even the series.

This article will be updated.

Orioles at Red Sox

Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

McCann, 34, was the Orioles’ choice as the player who “best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” In addition to being a clubhouse leader, he and his wife Jessica are involved in several charity initiatives across the Baltimore area.

“It’s very special,” McCann said of the nomination. “The Clemente Award, it’s a different award, obviously. It’s what you do in the community, what you do off the field. What Roberto Clemente stands for, who he was, obviously, as a player and then just who he was to his community, words don’t really describe what it is to be viewed in that same light. Being nominated for that, it’s a very special award. I’m proud of it, and I feel very strongly that using my platform to be able to impact the community in a positive way is very important.”

Over the past year, the McCann family has worked to support students in Harlem Park as part of the Orioles’ larger initiative in the community and taken on the personal mission of working with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to help families of children born prematurely. He’s also partnered with Dream On 3 to help a pair of adopted brothers, DJ and Marshall, with life-altering conditions fulfill their dream of getting a VIP experience at an Orioles game. The Orioles credit McCann for his participation in the club’s Military Suites Program and his work with the Church of the City’s Wrap Around Closet in Nashville as well.

“He’s done a lot of great things with the community and congratulations to him,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “This is a big award. This is something that’s really, really special. It means a lot to players, so for him to get this nomination, and have a chance to win this, a credit to him and his wife for what they do off the field in helping so many people.”

McCann would be the fifth player in Orioles history to win the honor, joining Brooks Robinson (1972), Ken Singleton (1982), Cal Ripken Jr. (1992) and Eric Davis (1997). New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the reigning winner. Originally created in 1971 as the Commissioner’s Award, the annual honor was named for Clemente after he died in a plane crash while on his way to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He was 38 years old.

Lauded for his toughness — especially after he played through a broken nose after being hit in the face by a pitch in July — McCann has served as the Orioles’ backup catcher each of the last two years. He entered this week’s series against the Boston Red Sox hitting .220 with five home runs in 58 games this season.

Around the horn

• MLB named Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson the American League Player of the Week on Monday after he went 10-for-24 (.417) with three home runs, five RBIs and six runs scored for Baltimore. It’s the first time this season and second in Henderson’s career that he has garnered the honor. He’s the third Oriole to receive it in 2024 with Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg going back-to-back in April.

• Hyde expressed tepid optimism that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) would be able to return from the injured list by the end of the regular season but hedged his comments saying, “I just don’t know when.” Mountcastle has been sidelined since Aug. 22 when he jammed his wrist into second base on a headfirst slide.

• Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez is hoping to throw a live bullpen session “sometime this road trip,” Hyde said before Monday’s game. Rodriguez threw off a mound for the first time Wednesday and facing hitters in a simulated game setting is the next step in his progression toward a potential return before season’s end.

The final month of MLB’s regular season is here, and the Orioles are in striking distance of clinching a playoff berth. They enter Monday with an 82-62 record and half a game behind the New York Yankees (82-61) for first place in the American League East.

If Baltimore makes the postseason, it will be the club’s first time doing so in consecutive years since 1996-97. If the Orioles win the AL East, it will be their first time claiming the division crown in back-to-back seasons since 1973-74.

Here’s where the Orioles stand in their playoff chase:

What is the Orioles’ magic number to secure a playoff spot?

Entering Monday, it’s 10. That number will fall by one with each Orioles win and can also drop with losses by the best team not in a wild-card spot.

Magic numbers can be confusing (stick around for more on that) but the easiest way to think of them is by what win total guarantees the Orioles a playoff spot. That can be done by adding the Orioles’ magic number (10) to their win total (82). Effectively, there is no scenario in which Baltimore finishes with 92 wins and misses the playoffs.

When is the earliest the Orioles could clinch a playoff spot?

Saturday, though that’s unlikely. That scenario includes the Orioles winning their next five games, which would be the club’s longest streak since mid-June, as well as the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox losing all of their games through Saturday. Fittingly, Baltimore travels to Boston for a three-game series beginning Monday and finishes the week with a three-game set versus the Tigers.

It’s more likely the Orioles clinch a playoff spot — and perhaps celebrate like they did last year — sometime during their next homestand Sept. 17-22 against the San Francisco Giants and Tigers.

How is Baltimore’s magic number calculated?

In its simplest form, the magic number is used to show how close a team is to clinching a playoff spot or a division title.

In most scenarios, it is determined by adding the number of wins of the team in a playoff spot to the number of losses of the first team out, then subtracting that sum from 163, or the number of games in a season plus one. In the division race, it’s easy: Add the first-place Yankees’ wins (82) and the second-place Orioles’ losses (62), subtract that sum by 163 and voila: New York’s magic number is 19.

It can be more convoluted to figure out the Orioles’ magic number for a playoff spot, especially with three wild-card teams in each league. That’s because of complicated tiebreakers — potentially including three or more teams — and several clubs in the hunt for the final wild-card spot. Entering Monday, the Kansas City Royals (79-65) and Minnesota Twins (76-67) are likely to be the second and third wild-card teams, respectively, with the first expected to go to the AL East’s runner-up. But the Red Sox, Tigers, Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays — a quartet of clubs all within 1 1/2 games of each other — could still theoretically make a run at usurping the Royals or Twins.

To figure out Baltimore’s magic number for a playoff spot, Detroit, Seattle and Boston are the teams involved in the calculation since they each have 71 losses and are on the outside looking in of a wild-card spot. Taking the Orioles’ 82 wins and the Tigers/Mariners/Red Sox’s 71 losses results in a magic number of 10. To view it another way, if any of those teams win the rest of their games, they would end the regular season with 91 victories. That means the Orioles must end the year with 92 wins — 10 more than now — to ensure they finish ahead.

Baltimore has already won the season series over Boston and Seattle to earn the head-to-head tiebreakers over those teams. The Orioles have yet to play Detroit with six games against the Tigers later this month. As of now, the tiebreaker advantage does not lower Baltimore’s magic number to nine because of potentially messy three-way ties that include other teams currently in playoff positions, specifically the Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians, two clubs that have won their season series over the Orioles.

It’s important to remember that it’s highly unlikely a 91-win Orioles team misses out on the postseason. In fact, FanGraphs already considers it virtually a guarantee, giving Baltimore a 99.8% chance of playing in October. But the scenario does technically exist, which is why the Orioles’ magic number to make the playoffs is 10.

What is the state of the AL East race?

Simply making the postseason is an accomplishment, especially for a franchise that suffered a 14-year playoff drought from 1998 to 2012. But winning the AL East is the real prize — one that comes with the significant reward of skipping the AL Wild Card Series and advancing straight to the Division Series.

After the Orioles and Yankees both lost Sunday, Baltimore entered Monday half a game back of New York for first place in the AL East. The Orioles and Yankees have been tied or within two games of each other since July 10 — 60 straight days.

Both teams have been playing about .500 baseball over the past few months, and neither has been able to pull away from the other. That makes it quite likely this race will go down to the wire. New York and Baltimore face off in the regular season’s penultimate series — a three-game set that could very well decide who claims the division crown.

With how close this race has been, who owns the tiebreaker is pivotal. The Orioles will catch the train to the Big Apple later this month with a 6-4 record against the Yankees. That means one Orioles win that series would clinch them the tiebreaker — essentially providing a one-game advantage over the Yankees.

If the regular season ended Sunday, who would the Orioles face in the playoffs?

As the top wild-card team, the No. 4-seeded Orioles would host No. 5 Kansas City in the best-of-three Wild Card Series Oct. 1-3.

If Baltimore wins that series, it would face the top-seeded Yankees in the ALDS Oct. 5-12. The winner would advance to the AL Championship Series Oct. 13-22 against one of the following teams: No. 2 Cleveland, No. 3 Houston or No. 6 Minnesota.

The World Series is scheduled to begin Oct. 25 with an if-necessary Game 7 on Nov. 2, although the Fall Classic could begin Oct. 22 if both Championship Series go five games or fewer.

This article will be updated daily.

After Rutschman swung through strike three, he trudged back to the dugout. It’s become a common sight this season. Nobody has an answer to the question: Why is the All-Star struggling?

The catcher entered Sunday hitting .178 with a .544 OPS over his last 53 contests. His issues coincide with his team’s, which has a losing record since the start of July and is similarly desperate for solutions. When Rutschman was steady, so were the Orioles. With him searching for himself, so is his team.

Nobody can identify exactly what’s wrong with Rutschman. Time is running out to find the answer.

“He’s playing really frustrated,” manager Brandon Hyde said after Sunday’s 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in which Rutschman went 0-for-3 with a walk. “He’s trying to find it. He’s working hard every single day, doing everything he can to try to get the feeling and find his rhythm and timing at the plate. Just having a tough time right now.”

Rutschman’s problems are a continuation of what’s gone from a slump to an underwhelming third season. On June 30, he was hitting .294 with 15 home runs, and the rest of his totals were in line with what he posted as a rookie and sophomore. His average has since dropped to .253. He’s been worth negative wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs, since the start of July and has two home runs in his past 192 plate appearances.

Rutschman’s average launch angle of 19.1 degrees is the highest of his career, according to Baseball Savant. So is his 31.9% flyball rate. He’s pulling the ball more, working the opposite field less, and has the worst barrel rate of his career.

When asked about his slump after Sunday’s loss, the two-time All-Star chose to look forward to the road ahead for Baltimore rather than discuss his difficulties at the plate.

“I think focusing on this playoff run and what we’re trying to do here is the most important thing right now,” he said. “I think right now we’re focused on the team and focused on our playoff push.”

Rutschman plays a demanding position, a reality the Orioles recognize and offer frequent days off accordingly. Rutschman surely has nagging ailments — every catcher does this time of year. But he said he feels good. Physical limitations aren’t to blame for his struggles.

“I feel good,” he said. “Excited for these last couple games before playoffs.”

Rutschman has hit second in the lineup 113 times this season. Anthony Santander has the second-most games logged there at 19. Rutschman has hit fifth or lower only nine times as Hyde has stuck with his catcher in one of the batting order’s most important spots.

The Orioles’ lineup has featured Rutschman in the No. 2 spot in 13 of their past 15 contests. He’s 9-for-50 over that stretch, and Baltimore is 8-7 in those games.

With only four runs scored across his team’s past four games, Hyde was asked if he thought shuffling his lineup or altering playing time would give his team a spark.

“I think I’ve done all those things,” the manager said.

The Orioles have 18 games remaining in the regular season. They’re on the verge of cementing a playoff spot, but they aren’t gaining ground in the race for the American League East crown.

Rutschman finding his swing would go a long way in achieving that goal.

“Baseball is a tough game,” Rutschman said. “You’re going to have ups and downs. Our guys are going to be ready to go for tomorrow.”

“I understand it felt that way for a lot of the fans here,” he said. “In my mind, it felt that way, too.”

Slater was in the middle of the worst season of his career. He was hitting only .185 with a .531 OPS, and the trade to Baltimore was his second time being dealt in July.

“Mentally, I was down in the dumps with how the season was going,” Slater said.

When he joined the Orioles in Cleveland at the beginning of August, the ballclub’s hitting coaches gave him a couple of days to get acclimated. They then approached Slater about ideas to get him back on track, asking the 31-year-old veteran outfielder if he’d be open to change.

“Absolutely,” Slater replied.

Slater walked into the meeting, and the Orioles’ hitting coaches had a PowerPoint presentation prepared. Throughout the discussion, Slater could feel some of his confidence coming back. One of baseball’s best teams sought him out amid the busiest day of the year to fill a specific platoon role. Then that club’s hitting coaches had a plan to get him back to his days when he was a valuable right-handed bat for the San Francisco Giants.

Since that meeting, Slater has revived his season thanks in part to what came from it, providing the Orioles a boost against left-handed pitchers and in the outfield. In 22 games with the Orioles, Slater is slashing .271/.386/.396 — good for a solid .782 OPS.

“Mentally I was not in a great place with the season going the way it was,” Slater said. “But once I got here, I realized I had an incredibly long track record of high performance, especially in a very specific and peculiar role.

“To know there was intention behind the move that they made, that was super reassuring for me and gave me a ton of confidence.”

Slater said the PowerPoint compared his swing during his short stint with the Cincinnati Reds to his one in previous years when he was a productive player. From 2017 to 2023 with the Giants, Slater played all three outfield spots while hitting .258 with a .747 OPS. Most of his at-bats came against left-handed pitchers, against whom his OPS has been 17% better than his overall mark.

Meetings like these are common for new players to the organization, co-hitting coach Matt Borgschulte said, and they’re all “unique” for that specific player. Borgschulte and the rest of Baltimore’s hitting coaches eyed changes to Slater’s swing to keep his bat in the zone longer, allowing him to tap into his gap-to-gap power rather than pulling off the ball. They liked the recent change he made with the Reds to lower his bat angle in his stance. They also recommended he keep his front hip closed longer and shorten his load, allowing him to stay on his back side longer and avoid lunging forward.

“He’s been very receptive and really, really good at making adjustments, which is obviously how you stick around in this game,” Borgschulte said. “I think some of those minor changes have just allowed him to keep the bat in the zone a little bit longer and use his strengths the best we can.”

Slater did the drills suggested to implement these changes, and the results came almost immediately. He went 2-for-3 with a double in both his first and third starts with the Orioles. Last Monday, he reached in five of his six plate appearances, smacking three hits and driving in three runs. It was his first time reaching base five times in a game since September 2020.

“It might look simplified,” he said of his swing changes. “And to me it does feel that way. But the main thought for me was more about holding my weight on my back side a little bit better and trying to be a little more conscious of not letting my hands drift forward in my swing.”

Slater played all last season with a nerve issue in his elbow. In the offseason, he underwent ulnar nerve transposition surgery and had bone spurs removed from his elbow. He spent most of the winter rehabilitating, beginning spring training behind and only totaling 18 at-bats during camp. Slater began the season 3-for-30, and his playing time in San Francisco was reduced from there before he was involved in minor trades to Cincinnati and Baltimore, the latter for cash.

“I was never able to get in a groove and get my swing right,” he said.

Slater’s role can be difficult to manage. It requires him to play infrequently, starting only a couple of games a week, but he’s then asked to come off the bench and pinch hit in crucial moments against lefty relievers. He essentially replaced Austin Hays, also a right-handed hitting outfielder, after Baltimore sent him to Philadelphia for reliever Seranthony Domínguez.

“I really like [Slater]. I like his game,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s a very, very mature player. He knows the strike zone extremely well, takes a good pass at the baseball when it is in the strike zone, is a really smart base runner, he can play three spots in the outfield extremely well. There’s a lot to like when he’s out there. You can trust him.”

There’s also a larger factor working at play for a player like Slater. Sometimes, inexplicably, an underperforming player on one team can go elsewhere and turn his season around. While different players, Slater’s success in Baltimore is mirroring that of Aaron Hicks last year after the Yankees jettisoned him from New York and the Orioles picked him up to great success.

“A season can really snowball on you if you’re not in a good spot mentally,” Slater said. “There can be a lot of anxiety that comes out of baseball, especially when you’re not performing. It can just pile up, especially when you see no end in sight or a way out of it.

“A lot of that weight was kind of lifted when I got here.”

What’s to come?

Six games against .500 teams — but perhaps that’s how Orioles opponents view them, too.

The Orioles ship up to Boston on Monday for a three-game series against the Red Sox (72-71). After a day off Thursday, Baltimore will head to Detroit for a three-game set against the Tigers (73-71) and a small chance to clinch a playoff spot over the weekend. The Red Sox and Tigers are both fighting for a wild-card spot but are on the outside looking in.

If not for the Orioles’ excellent start, they could have been in that same position, too. Baltimore (82-62) began the season 42-22 but has been a .500 team since. With inconsistent offense and an injury-plagued pitching staff, the Orioles are 25-29 since July 9 and 17-18 since Aug. 1.

So, what’s to come? Maybe another 3-3 road trip.

What was good?

In early June, Cedric Mullins was trapped in the worst slump of his career. Since, he’s been one of the Orioles’ best players and among the American League’s best outfielders.

Mullins was hitting .171 with a .522 OPS on June 8. In 74 games since, the center fielder is hitting .288 with an .865 OPS — numbers that are nearly equal to those he posted in his 30-homer, 30-stolen base 2021 campaign. Over that span, his OPS ranks eighth among AL outfielders, while his 2.3 wins above replacement by FanGraphs’ estimation is second on the Orioles behind only Gunnar Henderson (3.5).

As Baltimore’s bats scuffled last week, Mullins went 9-for-20 with two homers. With the offense’s inconsistency and Hyde searching for solutions, it’s possible Mullins continues moving up in the order — perhaps back to the leadoff hole he occupied for most of 2021 through 2023.

What wasn’t?

You already know.

Aside from Mullins, Henderson and Slater — a trio that combined to slash .407/.492/.741 for a 1.233 OPS — the rest of Baltimore’s offense posted some paltry numbers: .177/.272/.218 for a .490 OPS.

Catcher Adley Rutschman is engrossed in the worst slump of his career and went 4-for-23 with no extra-base hits last week. Rookie Jackson Holliday went 3-for-20. Trade acquisition Eloy Jiménez, who has fallen back to Earth after his hot start with Baltimore, went 1-for-9. Prospect Coby Mayo, who is rarely playing, went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts.

On the season, the Orioles still have one of baseball’s best offenses, but it hasn’t been recently. The Orioles scored only four runs in their final four games last week. Since Aug. 21, the Orioles have scored three or fewer runs in 10 of 18 games.

The absences of Jordan Westburg, Ramón Urías and Ryan Mountcastle are being felt.

On the farm

On the final day of their season, the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds stole three bases to set the all-time minor league record for most in a single season.

The IronBirds stole 363 bases in 132 games — an average of 2.75 per game — to break the Osceola Astros’ record of 360 from 1988. Enrique Bradfield Jr., now in Double-A, led the way with 59, while seven players stole more than 20 bags.

Baltimore (82-62) squandered a quality start from its ace Sunday, failing to push a run across in a 2-0 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. A two-run home run by Rays left fielder Jonny DeLuca broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning for the lone blemish against Burnes, who put together his best start since July 30. However, the blast proved to be enough as right-hander Zack Littell threw five scoreless frames and the Tampa Bay bullpen slammed the door shut.

“Really since the All-Star break it’s been a challenge,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Tough time offensively. Guys are swinging a little bit frustrated and pressing. Trying to do way, way, way too much. Way too many big swings.”

The month of August wasn’t kind to Burnes, the Orioles’ prized offseason addition who had performed up to his billing as an American League Cy Young Award contender over the first four months of the season. He then turned in a 7.36 ERA over five starts in August, his worst statistical calendar month since 2019. After showing signs of improvement in his previous start Monday against the Chicago White Sox, he looked much more like an ace Sunday afternoon.

Burnes, 29, scattered seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He stranded six base runners, including two in scoring position in the second. Catcher Adley Rutschman threw out second baseman Christopher Morel trying to steal in the first — just the fifth time the Orioles have caught a runner stealing with Burnes on the mound this season — but the Rays pulled off a double steal the next inning. Burnes then struck out catcher Ben Rortvedt swinging on a looping curveball to end the threat.

He kept the Rays off the board until the sixth when a leadoff walk to first baseman Jonathan Aranda cost Burnes. With Aranda on first, DeLuca clobbered a hanging slider 412 feet over the extended Camden Yards left field wall. Burnes finished the inning at 93 pitches, 20 of which were fouled off by Tampa Bay hitters — fourth most in a game by any opponent against him this season.

“The difference in the game was one swing of the bat today,” Burnes said. “Threw the ball pretty well, got a lot of weak contact. A lot of weak contact went for hits today, but kind of how it goes. The 1-1 slider wasn’t a bad pitch, kind of went down and got it and put a good swing on it, and that was the difference today.”

Relievers Matt Bowman and Keegan Akin kept the score at 2-0 with three scoreless frames between them, putting the Orioles in position to win their finale with the Rays and clinch a third consecutive series victory. But their offense again lacked consistency and couldn’t come through with runners in scoring position. Gunnar Henderson recorded his fourth multihit game of September with three singles and Cedric Mullins stayed hot (.856 OPS since June 9) with a pair of singles, yet those were the only hits Baltimore could muster.

An announced crowd of 29,519 gained hope in the eighth when the pinch-hitting Coby Mayo drew a leadoff walk and Henderson followed with an infield single. That hope was short-lived as Rays relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta combined to strike out Rutschman, Eloy Jiménez and Anthony Santander in order. Mayo then took over at first base in the top of the ninth to make his first MLB appearance there.

“The swings are looking too hard right now,” Santander said. “We have to be shorter to the ball and put the ball in play, especially with runners in scoring position.”

Uceta returned for the ninth and retired the side to secure the shutout, Baltimore’s sixth of the season. The loss halts any momentum the Orioles gained from their series wins against the Colorado Rockies and White Sox over the last week, adding pressure to find a spark on the road Monday when they open a three-game series against the Red Sox in Boston.

Around the horn

• Orioles reliever Danny Coulombe will make his first rehabilitation appearance with Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, pitching coach Drew French announced before Sunday’s game. Coulombe, 34, has been out since June 8 and had surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow. The left-hander has a 2.42 ERA in 29 games this season as a key piece in the back end of the Orioles’ bullpen.

• Baltimore is also nearing a potential return for right-hander Jacob Webb, who will pitch for Norfolk on Tuesday in his third rehab appearance since hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation. Webb, 31, has a 3.08 ERA over 53 appearances, a total that led the team when he landed on the IL.

• The club announced its probable starting pitchers for the upcoming road series in Boston. Rookie Cade Povich will take the ball for the opener Monday followed by Albert Suárez and Dean Kremer. The Red Sox have lined up Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta to start against them, respectively.

Orioles at Red Sox

Monday, 7:10 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

The Orioles outfielder enters play Sunday with 10/27 (-270) odds on FanDuel SportsBook, making him the clear betting favorite over New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (+185), Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu (+2500) and Yankees starter Luis Gil (+7000). His second-half surge at the plate has helped Cowser take the AL rookie lead in home runs (20), runs scored (69) and FanGraphs’ wins above replacement (3.5) while ranking second in doubles (21) and RBIs (62).

Cowser’s case is aided by just how much he’s played this season — only Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela has appeared in more games among AL rookies — but where he’s truly separated himself is his defense. Despite playing half his games at Camden Yards, where the extended left field wall requires him to cover much more ground than the average outfielder, he leads all primary left fielders — rookies or otherwise — in Statcast’s fielding metric Outs Above Average (OAA) with 11.

“He’s put the work in,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s come a long way in a year and you saw the talent, the speed, the throwing arm. I think the accuracy has improved over the course of the year also. Be it just him being more aggressive. Honestly, he was pretty passive last year, especially in center field, and now he’s way more comfortable.”

OAA is a range-based statistic that aims to measure how many outs a player has saved throughout a season factoring in the number of plays they made, or didn’t make, and how difficult they were. Cowser, who has also played center field this season, not only leads all left fielders, but his total is more than double the next closest player at the position: the Houston Astros’ Chas McCormick, who has tallied five.

It’s a testament to how well Cowser has handled the wall at Camden Yards, which was extended ahead of the 2022 season to stretch as deep as 394 feet from home plate and raised five feet to eliminate any hope of fielders pulling balls back from over the wall. His range is tested more than most players at his position, and he’s responded to the challenge by improving his route running and getting used to making reads with the third deck of the ballpark behind the ball.

“Any time when there’s a ball hit over your head it feels like you can … put on a full sprint,” Cowser said of playing left field in Baltimore. “I think that it’s one of those outfields where you can put your head down and get plenty of space to keep going and you kind of know whenever a ball is going to get out in left. Usually, it’s hit a little different, which you can really tell. But I just think overall, just being aggressive out there.”

The Orioles showed just how much they trust Cowser in left when they traded Austin Hays at the July 30 deadline. Hays, a Gold Glove Award finalist last season, was part of the Orioles’ calculus in their decision to move the wall back in the first place. In moving on from him, the Orioles placed their faith in Cowser, their No. 5 overall draft pick in 2021, to man the position for the rest of this year and beyond.

“I think he’s a legit center fielder that can go play in the corners,” said first base coach Anthony Sanders, who coaches outfield defense. “But he’s adjusting. I know he’s played a lot of center in the minor leagues but that left field is like no other. You just have to drop your head and keep going and going but he does a really good job. Obviously, losing Austin Hays, who I thought was excellent out there, he’s picked up the pace.”

Cowser’s aggressiveness has been evident in his throws. He’s only racked up two outfield assists this season, but has showed off 96th-percentile arm strength according to Statcast. With only one error all year, he’s put himself in the running for a Gold Glove in addition to Rookie of the Year. Cowser would be the first player to win both in the same season since Ichiro Suzuki’s historic debut season for the Seattle Mariners in 2001.

Competition will be stiff for a Gold Glove, however. While Cowser leads all AL left fielders in OAA, other advanced metrics such as Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) both favor the Cleveland Guardians’ Steven Kwan — who beat out Hays for the award last year — Detroit Tigers All-Star Riley Greene and Yankees veteran Alex Verdugo. He would be spared from competing against the Toronto Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho, who qualifies for center field despite playing a significant chunk of his season in left.

“It’s not something I’m crazy worried about or anything like that,” Cowser said of winning a Gold Glove. “It’s not like that’s something that I was making a goal for myself or anything like that but if that’s how the cards fall then, yeah, it’d be really cool.”

Even if he only wins Rookie of the Year, he would follow Gunnar Henderson to give the Orioles the first set of back-to-back winners since the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger in 2016 and 2017. Doing so would be a massive organizational victory for the Orioles, who would net an extra pick in next year’s MLB draft.

He has already won over the fan base with loud “Moos” following him around the country and cow costumes filling the seats at Camden Yards. Perhaps the voters will be next.

The shortstop, who’s homered in three of his past four games, nearly — should have — had another. A line drive to center field with two on in the fourth inning was tracking to clear the wall and give the Orioles their first lead of the game.

But Jose Siri timed his leap to perfection, snatched the ball out of the sky and pulled it back. All Henderson could do was stare and tilt his helmet in admiration as his team’s best chance to pull ahead vanished: “It’s definitely not fun whenever a three-run homer turns into an out,” he later said.

Baltimore never threatened again Saturday in a 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Just kind of a struggle all around today, honestly,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We wasted opportunities offensively, and we made a mistake defensively and gave up too many runs.”

Cedric Mullins led off the sixth inning with his second home run in his past five games for the Orioles’ first, and only, run.

The center fielder has been one of Baltimore’s top sluggers across his scorching second half — he’s hitting .284 with a .863 OPS since June 8 and has the third most FanGraphs wins above replacement on the team over that span behind only Henderson and rookie Colton Cowser. On Saturday, Mullins’ long ball was the only bright spot in another sluggish performance.

Tampa Bay right-hander Ryan Pepiot stymied the Orioles’ lineup until then. Baltimore (82-61) had just two hits through three innings and squandered prime scoring chances. Cowser, Mullins and Jackson Holliday loaded the bases in the second before eight- and nine-hole hitters Emmanuel Rivera and James McCann stranded all three.

Henderson nearly got his team on the board in the fourth before Siri took away his would-be go-ahead, three-run shot. The Orioles finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

Jose Siri elevates to rob Gunnar Henderson of a home run! pic.twitter.com/B8j2OaNFUF

— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2024

“It’s bound to flip around at some point,” Henderson said.

Zach Eflin faced a unique test in his second start following a brief stint on the injured list: his old team.

The right-hander’s former teammates leaned on their inherent advantage and got to Eflin, who failed to post a quality start for the first time in six outings with the Orioles.

Tampa Bay tagged him for a pair of home runs in the first three innings, the most he’s allowed in a start since June 16. Eflin pitched scoreless fourth and fifth frames before stumbling in the sixth, as three singles chased him before he finished the inning.

“I felt like for the most part the stuff was good,” Eflin said. “Maybe command of the pitches was a little off. But for the most part they did well on my mistakes and kind of made me pay for those. At the end of the day I kind of fell behind a lot of guys and I really just feel like I couldn’t hit the corners like I normally did.”

His eight hits allowed are the most since his first outing after joining the team at the trade deadline. He struck out just four batters, his second-fewest in a start with his new team. That Eflin’s worst start with the Orioles is three runs allowed over 5 2/3 innings is a testament to how impressive the deadline acquisition has been. They’ll be thrilled if he remains this good.

Eflin’s replacements, however, didn’t contain the damage. The Rays added two more runs in the seventh, including one that was charged to Gregory Soto to end his scoreless outing streak at 10 and the other unearned on a throwing error by first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. Burch Smith allowed another run, and ex-closer Craig Kimbrel let one more score on a wild pitch to put the finishing touches on the six-run defeat.

With the New York Yankees’ win over the Chicago Cubs earlier in the day, the Orioles fell a half-game back of the American League East lead.

“There’s no lack of energy or effort or anything,” Eflin said. “It’s more so just getting the job done. I’m not worried at all. I think we’re gonna be just fine.”

Around the horn

• The Orioles signed infielder Terrin Vavra to a minor league deal Saturday. Baltimore designated Vavra for assignment last month, and he recently opted out of his minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.

• Sunday’s series finale against Tampa Bay, starting at 12:05 p.m., will stream exclusively on Roku. The game is available for free on Roku devices or anywhere The Roku Channel can be found. It will not be broadcast on the Mid Atlantic Sports Network, but in- or out-of-market blackouts won‘t apply.

• Manager Brandon Hyde had no update on the status of Jacob Webb’s rehabilitation assignment. The right-hander last pitched Wednesday for Double-A Bowie but allowed four runs in just one-third of an inning.

• Rookie Heston Kjerstad will begin his rehabilitation stint with High-A Aberdeen on Saturday. He’s batting second as the designated hitter in the IronBirds’ lineup for their penultimate regular-season game. The 25-year-old outfielder has been on the injured list since Aug. 7 with lingering symptoms from a concussion initially suffered after being hit by a pitch in July.

Rays at Orioles

Sunday, 12:05 p.m.

Stream: Roku

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

The start of the Orioles’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday has been delayed to approximately 4:30 p.m. because of rain. The game was originally scheduled for 4:05 p.m.

At the exact moment the public address announcer revealed the Orioles’ game would be delayed, the skies opened and rain began falling on the early birds already in their seats. The tarp had already been rolled onto the playing surface.

The New York Yankees’ game against the Chicago Cubs was played on the video board in center field for fans to watch. The Orioles entered Saturday a half game up on the Yankees atop the American League East standings with 20 contests remaining.

The rainy weather in Baltimore isn’t expected to impact the Orioles’ ability to play Saturday’s game. The rain isn’t expected to continue into the evening, and no rain is in the forecast for Sunday’s series finale scheduled for 12:05 p.m. on Roku.

The Orioles won the series opener, 2-0, behind Dean Kremer’s gutsy performance and Yennier Cano’s heroics in relief. Baltimore (82-60) has largely played .500 ball over the past few months, which included going 12-13 in July and 13-15 in August. But the local nine has taken care of business against inferior opponents this week, opening September 4-1 with wins over the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and Rays.

Saturday’s matchup features Zach Eflin’s second start against the team that traded him to Baltimore at the deadline. Eflin has won all five of his starts with the Orioles, posting a sparkling 1.95 ERA and 0.959 WHIP. He pitched seven shutout innings against the Rays at Tropicana Field in early August. He will start opposite Tampa Bay right-hander Ryan Pepiot (7-6, 3.76 ERA).

The delay is the Orioles’ 16th this season. Before Saturday, they lasted a combined 21 hours, 31 minutes. Baltimore is 5-9 in games that were delayed or suspended, which doesn’t include the club’s postponement against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this season.

Saturday’s lineup features Emmanuel Rivera at third base in the No. 8 hole over rookie Coby Mayo and James McCann catching with Adley Rutschman serving as Baltimore’s designated hitter. Here are the lineups:

Orioles lineup

1. Gunnar Henderson, SS
2. Adley Rutschman, DH
3. Ryan O’Hearn, 1B
4. Anthony Santander, RF
5. Colton Cowser, LF
6. Cedric Mullins, CF
7. Jackson Holliday, 2B
8. Emmanuel Rivera, 3B
9. James McCann, C

Rays lineup

1. Yandy Díaz, DH
2. Jonathan Aranda, 2B
3. Junior Caminero, 3B
4. Josh Lowe, RF
5. Jonny DeLuca, LF
6. Logan Driscoll, C
7. Jose Siri, CF
8. Taylor Walls, SS
9. Austin Shenton, 1B

This article will be updated.