Young making the most of 'dream come true' with Orioles

DETROIT -- Orioles rookie right-hander Brandon Young prompted three Tigers to chase his low changeup for third strikes, with the pitch proving to be a difference maker for him as he fanned six in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader at Comerica Park.

Baltimore lost that opener, 4-3, before dropping the night game, 6-2, with Charlie Morton taking his sixth loss in as many decisions this season.

However, on a day when Baltimore dropped to 10-16, a sign of promise came from the 6-foot-6 pitcher from Lumberton, Texas, who has overcome two Tommy John surgeries and has quite an underdog backstory as a small college pitcher who first signed as an undrafted free agent.

The Orioles have seven starters on the injured list, and Young showed signs of promise in his short big league stint before being optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk.

Young, the Orioles’ No. 19 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, was charged for three runs in 4 2/3 innings. However, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde learned something about Young’s resiliency and potential during his bases-loaded, two-out moment of crisis in the second inning.

Detroit had already scored twice in the inning, and Young had walked four batters while allowing a run-scoring double to Javier Báez and a sacrifice fly.

Riley Greene, who looped a double into the corner against Young in the first, was looming in the cleanup spot. Hyde got the bullpen busy with Greene striding to the plate and a huge inning just one swing away.

However, Young got Greene to chase one of those low changeups on his 33rd and final pitch of the inning.

“I could just feel myself rushing a little bit,” said Young. “The game kind of speeding up and runners on base, getting a little louder. I think I noticed that and stepped off. I took a breath and said, ‘Hey, let’s make a pitch right here.’ Got ahead and made that changeup down, and got out of it.”

Young settled in nicely after that, getting a much-needed 1-2-3 third inning.

Detroit registered just two more hits -- both infield singles -- before Hyde removed Young with two out in the fifth and a runner on second who would score against reliever Bryan Baker. Young had thrown 95 pitches, 55 for strikes.

“That was a lot more than he’d thrown all year,” said Hyde of taking out Young.

That Young survived the second to eat innings was very big for Baltimore -- which had another game to play Saturday.

What was the difference for him after that second inning?

“Just having trust in my stuff,” said Young. “I was first-pitch attacking, getting ahead. Those two things set me up for success.”

Young had those problematic five walks in the first two innings, though.

“I thought his misses were really close,” said Hyde. “So, got squeezed a little bit. But I thought he had good stuff and did a nice job of pitching out of a jam. I like his pitch mix. He’s got a starter’s pitch mix with four pitches. He kept a pretty good lineup off balance, and did a really, really good job.”

Young got Dillon Dingler and Trey Sweeney to chase low changeups just as Greene had. He struck out dangerous leadoff batter Kerry Carpenter on a high, outside fastball that he couldn’t reach, and he got Spencer Torkelson to go down swinging on a fastball.

“I just got to get there -- I’ve got to get to the two strikes and set it up the right way,” Young said of his changeup. “I have a lot of trust in that pitch, and when it’s on, I just feel confident that I can get it in the right spot.”

Young allowed three runs on seven hits in four innings last Saturday in his MLB debut against the Reds in Baltimore, and struck out three while walking three.

“I felt more confident this time,” said Young. “Little more comfortable out there. Settled into a groove after the second. It’s a blessing to get to pitch out there … but you can’t walk five guys.

“Overall, I made some competitive pitches and kept the team in the game.”

The product of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette had the last of two Tommy John surgeries in 2022.

“There was a couple low points in there,” said Young of the surgeries. “But it’s just the dream I had as a kid. I always wanted to be a big leaguer, and every day I wake up now, and it’s like a dream come true.

“Now, it’s like, ‘What are we going to do with it? Let’s have some fun. Let’s do something with it.’”

He returned in 2024 and was 5-6 with a 3.57 ERA for Double-A Bowie and Norfolk. Young struck out 132, with 37 walks in 111 innings en route to be named the Orioles’ Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

The survivor has proved he can be a much-needed Major League contributor.