BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Orioles second baseman Ramón Urías used the entire field during his plate appearances in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners. He hopes to do the same on Thursday as the teams’ interrupted four-game series concludes.
The Orioles and Mariners were postponed because of rain on Wednesday, the teams’ second rainout in three days. They will play two seven-inning games on Thursday, starting at 12:35 p.m.
On Tuesday, Urías smashed a two-run homer to right-center in the first game of a twinbill forced by Monday’s rainout and laced a game-ending single up the middle in the nightcap.
“You don’t see that very much anymore, the guy who has an opposite-field approach,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “I really like that about him, that he’s able to cover the outer part of the plate.”
The 26-year-old Urías was claimed off waivers from St. Louis early last year and made his major league debut last season. He appeared in 10 games and hit .360 with a homer and three RBIs, impressing Hyde as a solid defender who could handle both middle infield positions.
Urías started just two of Baltimore’s first nine games, but earned a nod in both ends of Tuesday’s doubleheader. He was in the Orioles’ lineup Wednesday before the game was postponed.
“I’m trying to take advantage of the opportunity, trying to maximize those chances that the manager has provided,” Urías said. “So I’m looking forward to some more.”
Urías was just 1 of 7 prior to Tuesday, but the right-handed hitter made an impression against Seattle. His two-run homer in the opener was the only damage Baltimore mustered in six innings off Justus Sheffield, and the sharp RBI single in the seventh inning of the second game secured a doubleheader split and ended a four-game losing streak.
“You saw the power there in that first game in that opposite-field homer,” Hyde said. “I did see that at the end of the year last year, and that’s intriguing for me.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: Manager Scott Servais said OF Jake Fraley (left hamstring strain) is probably a week away from resuming baseball activity. ... OF Kyle Lewis (right knee) was scheduled to run in the outfield Wednesday at the team’s alternate training site. The Mariners don’t plan to activate Lewis until he’s ready to play in the field. “This is starting his season,” Servais said. “I wouldn’t want to rush him back unless he was 100 percent and felt good about going into center field.”
Orioles: 1B Trey Mancini was out of the scheduled lineup a day after going 0 for 7 in the doubleheader. “There was a lot of frustration yesterday, and I just wanted to give him a day off where he could kind of clear his head a little bit,” Hyde said. ... Baltimore placed RHP Mac Sceroler (right shoulder tendinitis) on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Tuesday. Sceroler, a Rule 5 pick, is 0-0 with a 7.36 ERA in two games. RHP Travis Lakins Sr. was recalled from the alternate site.
UP NEXT
Mariners: Seattle did not immediately name its doubleheader starters. The Mariners had planned to start RHP Justin Dunn (0-0, 5.79 ERA) on Wednesday and LHP Marco Gonzales (0-1, 10.45) on Thursday.
Orioles: RHP Matt Harvey (0-1, 5.59), Wednesday’s scheduled starter, will get the ball in the first game. LHP Bruce Zimmermann (0-0, 4.50) will follow in the series finale.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
