Bradley (9 ER) stung, Rays fizzle late in 'taxing game'

BALTIMORE -- For a few innings Saturday afternoon, the Rays held their own against streaking Orioles starter Kyle Bradish and went blow for blow with Baltimore’s dangerous lineup.

But it turned out to be a tough day for starter Taj Bradley, a quiet finish for Tampa Bay’s lineup and another frustrating loss for Tampa Bay.

Bradley allowed a career-high nine runs on a career-high-tying nine hits and four home runs over 3 1/3 innings, tied for his shortest start in the Majors, as the Rays fell, 9-5, to the Orioles at Camden Yards. Tampa Bay has lost nine of its past 12 games, falling back to three games below .500 at 28-31.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow. But it's always back to the drawing board,” Bradley said. “One bad game isn't gonna beat you. Just try to keep it from cycling and tumbling, then hopefully next time I face them [at home next weekend], it'll be a different outcome.”

Bradley’s arsenal has been electric since he came off the injured list to make his season debut on May 10, but the 23-year-old right-hander was simply off against the Orioles, feeling like he couldn’t consistently land any of his four pitches in the strike zone.

The Orioles can be a tough draw even on a good day, and they were ready to attack Bradley on Saturday. They forced him to throw 79 pitches while recording only 10 outs, and four big swings resulted in 1,646 feet worth of home runs.

“That was a taxing game. Every pitch was probably magnified a little bit, just with the way the score was going back and forth,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash, who was ejected by home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes. “Still very encouraged with the way Taj is out there competing, and he'll bounce right back.”

The Orioles got to Bradley first during a long back-and-forth start to the game. Ryan Mountcastle and Anthony Santander clubbed back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Mountcastle’s two-run shot to center came on an inside, 1-0 fastball. Santander promptly sent a two-strike cutter, which was down and in and not in the zone, out to Eutaw Street.

“A couple of pitches not exactly where we wanted them to be, but also a couple of pitches that they put really good swings on,” catcher Ben Rortvedt said. “We've got to tip our cap when that happens.”

The Rays battled back to score three runs in the second, with the rally highlighted by a game-tying triple off the bat of Yandy Díaz -- his first three-base hit since July 22, 2021. But the longball bit Bradley again in the second, when Jordan Westburg launched a high 2-2 fastball a Statcast-projected 414 feet out to center.

Bradley induced only eight whiffs on the Orioles’ 42 swings, including none on his fastball. Unable to get his heater by Baltimore’s bats, he wound up throwing only 18 fastballs and leaning more on his splitter (27) and cutter (21).

"I think it was just a good team approach,” Westburg said. “I think we were spitting on his splitters and cutters down, and when he made a mistake in zone and up, I feel like we put some good swings on the ball."

But the Rays had another rally in store against Bradish. Jose Siri drove in one run to tie the game, then Rortvedt, José Caballero and Díaz worked three consecutive walks to take the lead.

Said Bradish, who exited after allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings: “It was a bad day to be a starting pitcher in Baltimore today."

Indeed, the Orioles weren’t done with Bradley, either. He walked Mountcastle and Santander to begin the third, putting Mountcastle in position to score when Westburg slapped a ground ball that bounced off the gloves of Caballero and second baseman Brandon Lowe for an RBI single.

Baltimore pulled ahead by two on a double by Kyle Stowers and Jorge Mateo’s sacrifice fly, then Mountcastle hammered a hanging 0-2 curveball out to center in the fourth to end Bradley’s day.

Relievers Chris Devenski and Kevin Kelly combined to retire the Orioles’ final 14 hitters in order. But the Rays couldn’t maintain whatever offensive momentum they built against Bradish, managing only three hits and a walk while striking out seven times over 6 1/3 innings against five Baltimore relievers and going 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position overall.

“We drove the pitch count up, got some big hits early on,” Cash said. “Their bullpen did a nice job, and we probably left too many guys on base.”