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The recognitions keep rolling in for the Orioles.
On Sunday, four players — Adley Rutschman, Austin Hays, Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano — were named to the All-Star team, their biggest haul since 2016.
Less than 24 hours later, players received two more awards. Bautista and Gunnar Henderson picked up AL Reliever of the Month and AL Rookie of the Month, respectfully.
For Bautista, this is his second honor in three months after also winning the award in April.
He’s only gotten better as the season’s gone on. In April, he posted a 1.32 ERA but walked seven. Last month, he had a 0.86 ERA and walked none.
He credits the improvements to his ability to control his emotions, and to a focus on throwing strikes.
“I think I’ve just been doing a great job pitching overall right now,” he said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “I think we are seeing all the fruits of my labor come to fruition and all of my hard work paying off.”
As for Henderson, this nod comes after he hit .320 with a .994 OPS, six home runs and 16 RBIs in June. Henderson, in his first full major league season, had a rough time adjusting early on. He was hitting just .201 with five home runs at the end of April.
He’s more comfortable now, he said, and has learned to trust himself.
“It just goes to show you’re going to get through it at some point, just stick with the process,” Henderson said. “I feel like that’s been a big thing that I’ve learned so far.”
The Orioles begin a four-game series on the road against the New York Yankees starting Monday night.
danielle.allentuck@thebaltimorebanner.com
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Danielle Allentuck covers the Orioles for The Baltimore Banner. She previously reported on the Rockies for the Denver Gazette and general sports assignments for The New York Times as part of its fellowship program. A Maryland native, Danielle grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Ithaca College.
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