‘There’s something special here’ – The Denver Post

When the New York Mets sent catcher James McCann to the Orioles this winter, they weren’t seeking a top prospect; Baltimore returned a rookie-level outfielder who had yet to get out of the Dominican Summer League. They weren’t looking to save money; the Mets agreed to pay all but $5 million of the $24 million owed to McCann over the next two years.

New York simply wanted to get rid of him.

The trade freed up a roster spot amid an offseason that featured record spending, with the Orioles using the circumstances to secure a veteran backup for young star Adley Rutschman. McCann has served well in the role, with his work behind the plate and in meetings drawing praise from pitchers and manager Brandon Hyde. His offense, a trait of lesser importance for backup backstops, has still left plenty to be desired, but perhaps he was saving his best for vengeance.

In the Orioles’ 10-3 victory over New York on Friday night at Camden Yards, McCann tied his career high with five RBIs, stealing the spotlight from longtime Baltimore manager Buck Showalter’s return to Camden Yards as the Mets’ skipper. Entering the day batting .197 with a .570 OPS for Baltimore (68-42), McCann finished with three hits, each driving in at least one run, for his second multi-hit game as an Oriole. Starting behind the plate with Rutschman at designated hitter, McCann also caught a solid pitching effort, with four Baltimore pitchers combining to allow four hits.

Also drawing a walk his first time up, McCann became only the third player since 1920 to drive in five runs while reaching in all of his plate appearances in his first game against his former team, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

When asked whether the game meant extra to him, McCann said, “I’d be lying if I said no.” But his focus was not on his former team, but his current one.

“To see guys truly love each other, guys truly pull for each other, that’s part of why you see the guys having the success they are,” McCann said. “It’s just a great place to show up every day to work. It’s not work when you love everything you’re doing.

“There’s something special here.”

Both Hyde and rookie infielder Jordan Westburg, who scored the go-ahead run in the sixth and crushed his first career home run at Camden Yards with a three-run blast in the seventh, said McCann was vital in Baltimore’s pregame hitters’ meeting, with his familiarity with the Mets’ staff benefiting the Orioles’ approach.

“I love how he’s willing to share everything and just wants to win,” Hyde said. “He’s super helpful to our hitters, super helpful to our pitching staff, to Adley. I think it’s a great combination. … He’s been everything as advertised.”

The game was scoreless until the fourth, when McCann slapped a two-out, two-run single into center. The Orioles’ lead vanished in the sixth when right-hander Dean Kremer, who had cruised through 5 1/3 innings, issued three straight walks before allowing a game-tying single to Francisco Lindor. Neither Hyde nor Kremer had an explanation for the sudden loss of command, but both praised Mike Baumann for entering and ending the inning by getting Pete Alonso to ground into a double play. With the Orioles putting up four runs in the frame’s bottom half, Baumann improved to 9-0, the first reliever in Orioles history to win his first nine decisions.

Westburg started that sixth-inning rally with a one-out walk, then raced around the bases to score from first on Ryan O’Hearn’s lofted single. McCann brought home two in the inning with a double to deep left, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly from Rutschman.

“He was playing with an edge tonight,” Westburg said. “I felt like he was a little more fiery than usual, which was awesome to see.”

Before McCann slapped an RBI single to right — giving him run-scoring knocks to each field — in the seventh, he already had as many four-RBI games against the Mets since they let him go as he had in 182 games with them across 2021 and 2022. An All-Star in 2019 who also performed well in the shortened 2020 season with the Chicago White Sox, McCann signed a four-year, $40.6 million deal with New York. He hit .220/.282/.328 over the first half of that contract to prompt the Mets to move him for Baltimore minor leaguer Luis De La Cruz, who has yet to play in the DSL this season.

Even with Friday’s output, McCann’s offensive production has been similar in Baltimore, though his expected metrics suggest he’s had some bad luck. Still, most of his value comes in the clubhouse and behind the plate.

“It’s never easy when you’re not playing every day, you’re getting two or three starts a week and try to produce,” Hyde said. “That’s a tough role. He gives us good at-bats, and tonight was nice to see him get some results, hit the ball hard and drive in some big runs for us. Feeling a little frisky on the bases, as well. But really happy for him. The game he played was outstanding.”

McCann is now among a number of veterans whose contracts the Mets have paid down to trade them away, with New York parting with aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of the trade deadline amid this disappointing season. McCann, meanwhile, is on the best team in the American League, with Friday’s victory maintaining the Orioles’ two-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East.

“He does wonders behind the dish,” Kremer said. “Even when he’s not playing, he’s still involved with Adley and the pitching staff, the analytics guys, and kind of giving a game plan for us as a pitching staff. To see him crush some balls today was really fun.”

Around the horn

• Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins (right groin strain) is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Bowie on Saturday and will also play Sunday. Mullins has been sidelined since July 15, when aggravating an injury he originally suffered May 29.
• Right-hander Tyler Wells will pitch a short outing for Bowie on Saturday, his first appearance since being optioned to Double-A on July 30. Wells was Baltimore’s top starter in the first half, but after struggling in three outings out of the break, the Orioles optioned him for what Hyde called a “reset.”
• Bowie shortstop Jackson Holliday, the organization’s and baseball’s No. 1 prospect, was activated from the injured list after missing the past week with an illness.
• In his professional debut, No. 17 overall pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. went 2-for-2 with a walk and a steal in the Florida Complex League.

Mets at Orioles

Saturday, 7:05 p.m.

TV: MASN

Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM

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