Pete Alonso picked up another weekly honor, and the Orioles are trying to finish off a sweep with a lineup that looks a little different again.
Alonso was named the American League’s Player of the Week after a loud stretch that included going 12-for-22 with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, a .630 on-base percentage, an .864 slugging percentage, four walks and five runs scored in six games. It’s the latest recognition for a hitter who has been piling up awards for years; Alonso won the National League’s Player of the Week five times with the Mets, and he’s now the 12 th player to earn the honor in at least five consecutive seasons.
He’s stayed hot, too. Alonso is 16-for-29 (.552) with two doubles, four home runs, nine RBIs, six walks and eight runs scored during an eight-game hitting streak, and he’s batting .380/.466/.660 (19-for-50) this month.
Gunnar Henderson was the last Oriole to win the award, taking it on Sept. 9, 2024.
Tonight gives Baltimore a shot to cap a four-game sweep of the Rays at Tropicana Field and move within one game of .500 for the first time since April 30. The Orioles are also 5-4 on their road trip and, after waking up with ownership of the last Wild Card spot, have a chance to keep nudging this season in a new direction.
Brandon Young gets the ball for Baltimore. He’s 9-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 20 starts, and the Orioles are 16-4 when he takes the mound. Young has never faced Tampa Bay, which had won nine straight before Baltimore arrived, and this will be his first look at The Trop.
The Orioles are rolling with Pete Alonso at designated hitter again after he dealt with tightness in his calf muscle. Tyler O’Neill is leading off, Jackson Holliday is batting third again and Jeremiah Jackson is in left field. Coby Mayo is at first base and hitting cleanup, while Christian Franklin is in center.
Baltimore’s offense has come alive in a big way. The Orioles have scored 45 runs over their last seven games after managing just 11 in the seven before that. Colton Cowser’s homer yesterday off Steven Matz also carried some history with it: it was his first against a left-handed pitcher since he took Tampa Bay’s Ian Seymour deep on Sept. 23, 2025 at Camden Yards, and it was the second time in his career he homered on a breaking ball against a southpaw.
There’s more history in play tonight. Baltimore is chasing its seventh straight win over the Rays, something it last did from April 27-July 16, 2016.
The franchise record is eight, set from April 18-Aug. 3, 2007.
The Orioles also have homered in 14 straight games at Tropicana Field since July 23, 2023, the longest streak in team history. A win would also match their four-game sweep in June 2024 in St.
Petersburg.
Tampa Bay is getting left-hander Shane McClanahan back from the injured list, and he’s been a problem for Baltimore before. He’s 7-0 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 career starts against the Orioles. Alonso has handled him well enough, going 3-for-8 with a double and home run.
The Rays’ lineup includes Yandy Díaz at DH, Jonathan Aranda at first, Junior Caminero at third, Liam Hicks at catcher, Chandler Simpson in right, Ryan Vilade in right, Cedric Mullins in center, Richie Palacios at second and Jorge Mateo at shortstop.
Baltimore’s lineup is Tyler O’Neill in right, Pete Alonso at DH, Jackson Holliday at second, Coby Mayo at first, Gunnar Henderson at short, Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third, Jeremiah Jackson in left, Carlos Narváez at catcher and Christian Franklin in center behind Brandon Young.
Looking ahead to the Yankees series that starts Tuesday night at Camden Yards, the Orioles list Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Kyle Bradish as their starters. New York had right-hander Will Warren lined up for Tuesday, but earlier today the Yankees said left-hander Carlos Rodón will make his first start since June 28 after missing almost two months with elbow inflammation. Left-hander Max Fried (4-4, 2.81) and right-hander Gerrit Cole (6-6, 3.22) were listed for Wednesday and Thursday, though that order could change now that Rodón is back.
In the minors, Double-A Chesapeake left-hander Joseph Dzierwa was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after throwing six shutout innings and allowing one hit last week in Reading. Dzierwa, the No. 3 prospect in the organization according to MLB Pipeline, has a 2.01 ERA and 0.857 WHIP in 22 games between Chesapeake and High-A Frederick, along with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
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Orioles Are Still In It As Help Nears For Playoff Push
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There are signs that help is indeed getting closer. Chris Bassitt is back in the mix, and the Orioles have several injured pieces either returning or nearing a return as the homestand continues, giving the front office and clubhouse something tangible to lean on while the standings remain tight. For a team that does not need to pull away so much as stay attached, the next few days could matter almost as much as the last week did. [Read more 🡒]