After All-Star Mullins hits 9th-inning home run, Sulser falters in Orioles’ 6-5 loss; Means makes 1st rehab start

The ninth inning began so perfectly for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins, who earlier in the day had been named to his first All-Star team, tied the game with a pinch-hit single in the sixth, and then put the Orioles ahead with his 15^th home run in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Cole Sulser allowed two runs, and the Los Angeles Angels completed a three-game sweep with a 6-5 win over the Orioles.

The Orioles bullpen had pitched four hitless innings entering the ninth.

José Iglesias led off the ninth with walk, and Sulser (2-1) allowed a single to Kurt Suzuki. José Rojas singled to load the bases, and Juan Lagares doubled to right, scoring Iglesias and Suzuki.

“Sulser had been pitching pretty well for us. He had a tough time in the ninth inning,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He walks Iglesias. Iglesias doesn’t walk. That can’t happen, and then got hit after that.”

Mullins, who received more votes on the player’s All-Star ballots than any other outfielder, had a day he’ll never forget, hitting what could have been the game-winner off Rasiel Iglesias (6-3), who was pitching for the third straight game.

“It was an All-Star performance,” Hyde said. “Got a day off, comes in, pinch hits in the sixth, huge hit for us, and then he’s facing an elite closer, and homers for us in the ninth inning. It’s a game we should have won. I’m really proud of our guys, how we battled back, our hitters. I thought we did some nice things on the mound until that ninth inning. Got the lead, didn’t hold up.”

The Orioles (27-57) ended the 10-day road trip with a 4-6 record.

“This has been a tough road trip for us, facing the lineups that we had,” Thomas Eshelman, who was the starting pitcher for Sunday’s game, said.

“We’ve shown that we can fight and hang with these teams. It’s going to be nice to return to Baltimore, but we fought and we were in every single game of this road trip. It was nice to see.”

The Orioles loaded the bases in the first when Patrick Sandoval walked Ryan McKenna, Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías, but on a 3-2 pitch with two outs, DJ Stewart struck out.

David Fletcher led off the bottom of the first with a double, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. After Shohei Ohtani struck out, Jared Walsh doubled to score Fletcher.

With two outs, Phil Gosselin singled against Eshelman to score Walsh, and Los Angeles led 2-0.

In the third, Ohtani hit his major league leading 31^st home run. After Walsh flied to center, Anthony Rendon homered, and the Orioles trailed 4-0.\

“I didn’t bury that slider that he hit out,” Eshelman said. “I got him the first time around. He’s a special player. He’s definitely a special player in this league right now. He’s doing things that have never been done before. For me to face that type of player is fun, but at the same time, I wish I had that pitch back and got it in the dirt.”

Ohtani homered twice and scored the winning run on Friday night.

Eshelman allowed four runs on seven hits in four innings.

The Orioles scored four runs in the sixth to tie it at 4.

Austin Hays led off with an infield single and Trey Mancini walked. Aaron Slegers replaced Sandoval, who gave up two runs on two hits in five-plus.

After Mountcastle lined out to left, Urias doubled to score Hays. Stewart doubled to right, bringing in Mancini and Urías.

With two outs Mullins pinch hit for Austin Wynns, and singled to left, scoring Stewart to tie the score.

Mullins stayed in the game in to play center, and McKenna, who started there, moved to left. In the bottom of the sixth, McKenna made a diving catch on Suzuki’s liner.

The Orioles were facing a long flight home and have Monday off before facing Toronto on Tuesday.

“Pretty irritated right now,” Hyde said. “We swept Houston, we get left on the field the first night, lose by three the second night, get left on the field here in the third game. Definitely in two of the three games here, so it’s frustrating to not win these sorts of games.

“When we have the lead, with our record, it’s nice to win, so it’s disappointing giving a game like this away.”

Notes: Hyde hasn’t decided on a pitcher to oppose the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Steven Matz (7-3, 4.60) will pitch for Toronto. Matt Harvey (3-9, 7.34) faces Hyun Jin Ryu (7-5, 3.65) on Wednesday and Keegan Akin (0-4, 7.46) is scheduled to pitch against Alek Manoah (2-0, 2.70). Hyde said he would try to give some of his starting pitchers a rest before the All-Star break. …Right-hander César Valdez was activated from the 10-day injured list. Valdez was hampered by a strained lower back. “I hope it’s a little refresh for him, a little restarter for him,” Hyde said. Valdez has a 5.74 ERA and had lost his role as the closer. “We’re hoping we get the Valdie we got in September last year for the second half of the season,” Hyde said. …Isaac Mattson, another right-hander was returned to Norfolk to make room for Valdez. Mattson threw a hitless 1 1/3 innings, walking one and striking out one in Saturday night’s game.

Means’ first rehab: John Means pitched two innings and allowed a run on a hit, a home run, striking out two for High-A Aberdeen in his first rehab start. Means threw 25 pitches.

He allowed a home run to Brooklyn’s Luke Ritter.

Means, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain, told MASNsports.com that he expected to make rehab starts for Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk before rejoining the Orioles after the All-Star break.