Shane Baz Starts Against Orioles With April 28 Streak Still Intact

shane baz took the mound for the Rays against the Orioles on Tuesday at 6:35, with Baltimore still trying to win one of his starts for the first time since April 28. Baz entered with his season ERA down to 4.87 after two straight outings that trimmed it from 5.48.

Baz’s recent run

Baz’s last start against the Rays produced one run over six innings. The outing before that was seven solid frames against the Nationals, and those two starts gave him a cleaner statistical line heading into this matchup.

The numbers were simple for Tampa Bay’s starter. He had taken his ERA from 5.48 to 4.87 in back-to-back appearances, and that gave the Rays a pitcher whose recent form looked much sharper than the season figure that preceded it.

Orioles move Nick Raquet

Earlier Tuesday, the Orioles designated Dietrich Enns for assignment to make room for Nick Raquet. Raquet brought a 3.24 ERA and a 2.86 FIP over 16.2 innings in Triple-A, but his three MLB games earlier in the year did not go well.

That move fit the need for a fresh arm after a 13-inning game on Monday, and it left Baltimore trying to reset the staff while facing a pitcher they had not solved in months. The club had also lost three embarrassing games in Tampa a few days earlier, then won three of four after dropping five of six, so Tuesday’s start sat inside a stretch where every inning had added weight.

Tuesday at 6:35

Baz’s assignment was clear: keep the Orioles’ drought against his starts going. Baltimore had not won one since April 28, and the timing of the roster shuffle suggested the Orioles were willing to chase flexibility as well as innings while trying to change that outcome.

Raquet’s arrival gave them another left-handed option, but Baz still owned the sharper recent trend. A starter who had just handled six innings and seven more strong frames had put himself back into the middle of the story, and Baltimore had to answer it on the field instead of on the roster card.