Blue Jays pounce on Orioles’ Cade Povich in his major league debut

TORONTO — Cade Povich stood on the top step of the visitors dugout at Rogers Centre and closed his eyes. Then he lifted his head and climbed the stairs onto the field.

This was his MLB debut, the moment he has been dreaming about his whole life.

It did not go entirely as planned — he gave up six runs in 5 1/3 inning as the Orioles fell 6-5 to the Blue Jays — but Povich, acquired by the Orioles in 2022 in the Jorge López trade, still made it.

The Orioles, down three starters already, needed to give Kyle Bradish an extra day of rest. So they turned to Povich, their No. 9 prospect, to fill that spot Thursday in the series finale against the Blue Jays. Baltimore has had a rotation of big-name position-player prospects debut in the last three years — from Adley Rutschman in May 2022 to Connor Norby on Monday — but Povich is just the third starter to do so in that span, joining DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez.

Povich arrived in Toronto on Wednesday, giving him enough time to meet with veteran backup catcher James McCann before they would take the field together the next afternoon. On Thursday, manager Brandon Hyde noted how calm Povich seemed in the clubhouse before the game.

He carried that energy into the game. His first batter was also his first strikeout, Povich getting Davis Schneider swinging on a 92.1 mph fastball. Povich then got Danny Jansen and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to fly out to wrap up his first major league inning in nine pitches. He walked one in the second but again made it through without allowing a hit.

The third was when the difference between minor league and major league hitters became evident. Povich — whose walk rate in the minors was much improved this season — walked Ernie Clement and Jansen. That set up Guerrero, who hit a three-run homer to put the Blue Jays ahead 3-0.

Povich allowed another run in the fourth, then ran into trouble with his command again in the sixth. He gave up a hit to Justin Turner, then a walk to Daulton Varsho on Povich’s 100th pitch to end his debut. Povich handed the ball to Dillon Tate, and both runners scored.

The Orioles had just six hits, scoring their only runs off home runs from Adley Rutschman in the sixth and eighth and a two-run pinch-hit shot by Ryan O’Hearn in the ninth.