Orioles rookie Ryan Mountcastle showing he has what it takes to produce in middle of order
Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle points to the sky after his solo homer against the Braves in the third inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles batted three homers with two back-to-back against the Braves in the inning. (Kenneth K. Lam)
Ryan Mountcastle’s first three-plus weeks with the Orioles have been as promising as anyone at the club could have hoped for, and his contribution to the team’s blowout 14-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night was yet another reason why.
The rookie’s fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to straightaway center field, was another example of his power. But Mountcastle also had a pair of run-scoring singles to continue what’s been an auspicious stretch with runners in scoring position to begin his career.
Mountcastle singled on sliders in the first inning and fifth inning to improve to 8-for-18 (.444) when the Orioles have runners in scoring position.
Manager Brandon Hyde doesn’t see that as a fluke.
“For me, hitting with runners in scoring position is really about staying in the big part of the field,” Hyde said. "A lot of times guys are going to try to get you to chase out of the strike zone. He’s ready to hit on pitch one and really trying to stay in the middle. Even though he pulled that ball, he stayed on the ball, stayed on a breaking ball to hit a line drive to left field.
“I just like guys that have a middle-of-the-field approach because more times than not you’re going to see something spinning away from you in that type of situation and Ryan has done a really nice job — the homer to center on a breaking ball, the base hit to left on a slider. Just a really nice piece of hitting.”