BALTIMORE — Four days ago, Ramón Laureano had only one hit as an Oriole.
The free agent acquisition — signed for $4 million to be a platoon outfielder — had struck out in half of his plate appearances. The veteran’s struggles were part of the reason the Orioles’ lineup has been listless against lefties.
What a difference four days can make.
Laureano has three homers in his past five at-bats, including two long balls off the bench Saturday to propel the Orioles to a 9-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Baltimore (9-11) blasted five homers off flamethrower Hunter Greene, who entered the game as perhaps the best starting pitcher in baseball, and his bullpen.
The offense backed prospect Brandon Young during his shaky-but-solid MLB debut and provided much-needed insurance to a bullpen that dangerously walked a tightrope all evening.
It’s only April, but given the ballclub’s uninspiring open to the season, Saturday felt like a gotta-have-it game. Friday’s ugly loss featured the sold-out crowd at Camden Yards booing on several occasions. Saturday’s win, with 28,534 fans in attendance for David Rubenstein’s bobblehead day, featured a crowd that was anxious to start and elated at the end.
Laureano entered in the third inning to replace Heston Kjerstad, who exited with a bruised right elbow after getting plunked by a 99.5 mph fastball. Laureano, who homered in Wednesday’s win over the Cleveland Guardians, became the fifth player in Orioles history to hit two home runs off the bench and the first since Trey Mancini in 2017.
When Young took the mound, he became the first homegrown pitching prospect solely developed by the Mike Elias regime to make it to Baltimore. The 2020 undrafted free agent endured a windy road to reach the show, and he showed that grit throughout his four-plus innings of three-run ball.
After the Reds took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Baltimore’s bats showed early they wouldn’t have a repeat of Friday’s dismal performance in which the offense tallied four hits and struck out 15 times. Cedric Mullins blasted a leadoff homer off Greene, who sported a 0.98 ERA entering Saturday, and Gunnar Henderson followed to give Baltimore back-to-back jacks.
Young allowed two more runs in the second, but Henderson tied the game with a scorching RBI double. Laureano then put Baltimore up 5-3 with a two-run homer off Greene in the third.
After the bullpen escaped multiple jams in the middle innings, Laureano provided some breathing room with a solo homer — again off a righty — to put Baltimore up 6-4. Jordan Westburg, engrossed in an 0 for 30 slump, then went back to back with Laureano with a solo shot to left field.
Ryan O’Hearn and Tyler O’Neill both knocked RBI singles in the eighth, and closer Félix Bautista slammed the door for the save after entering for Matt Bowman with no outs and runners on first and second.
Instant analysis
It’s getting difficult to argue that Ramón Urías isn’t one of the Orioles’ nine best players right now.
Urías has long been underrated — especially nationally, but even by some Baltimore fans — because he’s not flashy, he wasn’t a top prospect and his ceiling is not nearly as high as his contemporaries. But over the past calendar year, he’s performed like someone who deserves more playing time than he’s receiving, and he proved that again Saturday.
In just his third start in the past 10 days, Urías went 2 for 4 at the plate to boost his batting average to .349 and OPS to .815. Since May 1, Urías has been one of Baltimore’s most reliable hitters with an OPS north of .800 despite irregular playing time.
While his defense since 2023 hasn’t been what it was when he was a Gold Glove Award winner in 2022, he made two solid defensive plays at third base to start critical double plays. The second occurred in the sixth inning, ending the inning to prevent the tying run from scoring.
Westburg was an All-Star last season. Jackson Holliday deserves a chance at being an everyday player. The organization is intent on playing Jorge Mateo against lefties. But the Orioles have put themselves behind the 8-ball with a sluggish start, and they need to maximize their chances of winning each game.
It’s getting difficult to argue that Ramón Urías isn’t one of the Orioles’ nine best players right now.
On deck
The Orioles came into this week without a series win or consecutive wins this season. They have the chance to do both for a second time with a win Sunday.
Baltimore opened its series against the Cleveland Guardians with an ugly loss and followed it with two impressive wins. After perhaps the club’s sloppiest defeat Friday against the Reds, the Orioles are hoping to end this series the same way they capped off the previous one.
To do so, starting pitcher Charlie Morton will have to get back on track after opening the season 0-4 with an 8.84 ERA.
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