'I just don't think he executed': Rodriguez roughed up by Halos

ANAHEIM -- Grayson Rodriguez had been on some kind of roll heading into Tuesday’s start against the Angels.

Dating back to the second half of the 2023 season, Rodriguez’s 2.59 ERA was tied for the second-lowest among qualified starters, while his 2.7 Wins Above Replacement (FanGraphs) and 2.95 FIP were top 10 marks. Rodriguez began this season with a 2.63 ERA and 27 strikeouts across four starts.

In a surprising turn of events, things unraveled for Rodriguez in the Orioles’ 7-4 loss against the Angels at Angel Stadium, when he allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings -- easily one of the worst starts of his career.

“I just don’t think he executed. The stuff was fine but there were a lot of balls over the middle of the plate that were thigh high and the Angels made him pay for it,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Maybe just an off night for him. He’s had a few good starts to start the year.”

Tuesday’s outing was the first time Rodriguez had allowed five earned runs in a regular season start since May 26, 2023, which happened to be Rodriguez’s final outing before he was demoted and subsequently spent the next six weeks in the Minors. Rodriguez also allowed five earned runs in his lone playoff start (1 2/3 innings) in Game 2 of last year’s ALDS vs. the Rangers.

Rodriguez’s start was such a stark contrast from the burgeoning frontline starter who had produced so many high-level outings since last summer -- both in terms of quantity and quality. Rodriguez has nine starts of five-plus innings and two or fewer runs dating to last year’s All-Star break -- a number bested by only seven pitchers.

Rodriguez threw plenty of strikes (67 percent) and generated seven strikeouts but far too many pitches caught the heart of the zone. Rodriguez coughed up a career-high 11 hits, with most of those coming on pitches in the heart of the zone. Eight of 11 batted balls against Rodriguez were considered hard-hit (95-plus mph exit velocity), while three were classified as barrels.

“I just caught too much of the plate tonight. I threw the ball down the middle with a lot of mistakes and those guys were ready for it,” Rodriguez said. “Really, it was just missing with the heater down the middle when trying to elevate to guys and bad slider command.”

Rodriguez doesn’t seem to be fazed by the down start, though. This is, after all, the same guy who recovered from a tough beginning to his MLB career -- when he posted a 7.35 ERA across his first 10 starts before getting demoted to the Minors. Since returning last July, these types of starts have been few and far between.

“I think you learn a lot from it,” Rodriguez said about his start. “I just tried to find the corners [as the outing went along]. I kind of failed to do that. I also think maybe throwing a few more balls tonight might have helped.”

There were, however, other positive developments for the Orioles. After falling behind, 7-0, Baltimore made a game of it by scoring four unanswered runs after the fifth inning.

Unsurprisingly, Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman helped spark the comeback attempt at the top of the O’s lineup. Rutschman recorded his second three-hit game of the season (19th of his career), while Henderson homered for the seventh time -- a rocket that left his bat at 109.4 mph and traveled 414 feet.

It was also a better night for Jackson Holliday, who recorded his second career hit -- and his first since April 14 against Milwaukee -- on a single that left his bat at 104.4 mph. Holliday entered the game with just one hit and 16 strikeouts in his first 32 MLB plate appearances. The 20-year-old also turned a slick double play at second base.

The day also began with the news of Baltimore recalling Heston Kjerstad -- MLB Pipeline’s No. 29 overall prospect and No. 4 in the Orioles system. Kjerstad went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his first game, but he represents yet another bright spot in the O’s organization. The 25-year-old had a 1.175 OPS and 10 homers in 21 games for Triple-A Norfolk.