Making his long anticipated return from Tommy John surgery (June 2024), RHP Kyle Bradish (0-1) took the mound against the Boston Red Sox (73-60) at Camden Yards Tuesday night. While the mood surrounding the start was certainly cautiously optimistic, Bradish delivered a solid performance in a 5-0 loss by the Baltimore Orioles.
Bradish pitched 6.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 10 on 81 pitches (51 K’s). Aside from taking the loss, the two blemishes against Bradish were solo homeruns by Trevor Story in the second inning and David Hamilton in the third. He pitched clean innings in the first and fifth and thanks to a double play, faced the minimum in the sixth. In all, Bradish faced 21 batters over the 6.0 innings of work.
Just a bit better
Boston’s Lucas Giolito outdueled Bradish on this night, shutting out the Orioles over 8.0 innings and limiting them to 4 hits while walking 1 and striking out 8.
A lack of offense
Among the six hits recorded by the Baltimore bats were a pair of singles by Alex Jackson, a double by Dylan Beavers and singles by Jeremiah Jackson, Colton Cowser and Samuel Basallo. The team did manage to get runners on first and second in both the sixth and ninth innings, the only innings where they recorded multiple hits, but ultimately went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The Orioles also went three-up, three-down in four of the nine innings.
Gunnar Henderson, who may be pressing a bit, went 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts and Jackson Holliday went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout.
In the two games against Boston the Orioles are batting a collective .185 (12 for 65), not exactly a formula for winning baseball.
Yaramil Hiraldo struggled in relief, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits with a walk and a strikeout over 1.1 innings.
The praise for Bradish’s effort ran throughout the clubhouse after the game. Jackson said this about catching him, “It was a lot of fun. He looked really good out there. Command was excellent. Attacking the zone. Obviously, unfortunately, a couple barrels found some baseballs. But overall, he threw the ball really well, and it was a lot of fun working with him tonight.”
Interim Manager Tony Mansolino said, “Looks pretty good to me. The two fastballs, and then the two breaking pitches and just a whole thing.”
Even though Bradish said, “I felt great even after the sixth inning. I felt like I responded every inning, arm felt really good throughout the outing” the key will be how his surgically repaired elbow responds over the next few days.
2025 Record: 60-72
Next game: Wed. 8/27 @ 6:35 pm vs. Boston Red Sox