BALTIMORE — A preceding blast to Eutaw Street made them for naught, but solo home runs from two young Orioles showed again that even as Baltimore's infield is laden with waiver claims, building blocks are already beginning to be placed in the team's outfield.

The deep drives from center fielder Cedric Mullins and left fielder Austin Hays accounted for most of the Orioles’ offense in Tuesday night’s 7-3 loss to the Miami Marlins, with light-hitting catcher Sandy León’s three-run homer off Spenser Watkins in the second inning providing an early lead that Miami tacked on to throughout the game.

For Mullins, his 17th home run came in his 418th plate appearance of the year, exactly as many as he had while mostly struggling at the major league level in the previous three seasons. From 2018 to 2020, he hit only seven home runs with a .225 batting average and a .632 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. His shot off Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and a single raised those marks in 2021 to .319 and .925.

Since June 28, Hays has made all but one start in the No. 2 spot behind Mullins in Manager Brandon Hyde’s lineup, with the exception being a night in the leadoff spot when Mullins got a day off. Hays entered Tuesday batting .292 in that span, and Tuesday’s home run, which came on an 0-2 count in the fourth inning, gave him four in the past 21 games after hitting six in his first 48 appearances.

The Orioles (34-65) scored their final run in the seventh when DJ Stewart doubled and Ramón Urías singled him home.

— Baltimore Sun