The Orioles head into this afternoon’s series finale against the Phillies with the trade deadline looming and the roster still in flux. Baltimore was shut out again last night, its second blanking in four games, yet the club is still just 1 1/2 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
After this game, the Orioles get an off-day and then wait to see how much more the deadline changes their roster.
Kyle Bradish gets the ball after a rough turn in Detroit, where he gave up five runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. That outing snapped a run of three straight quality starts. Against Philadelphia in his career, Bradish has allowed seven runs and 10 hits over 11 2/3 innings in two starts.
Baltimore’s lineup has a few notable wrinkles. Dylan Beavers is leading off and playing left field, Taylor Ward is serving as the designated hitter, and Jackson Holliday is batting fifth for the first time in his major league career. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is back at third base, Leody Taveras is in right field, Colton Cowser starts in center, and Jake Rogers is behind the plate.
Philadelphia counters with right-hander Zack Wheeler, who comes in at 10-3 with a 2.53 ERA and a 0.922 WHIP in 17 starts. He has struck out 123 batters in 103 innings and put together a dominant three-start stretch last month, when he allowed three runs in 20 innings with two walks and 33 strikeouts.
Wheeler was hit hard Monday in Miami, though, lasting only three innings while giving up five runs and six hits. He has 12 quality starts this season.
Wheeler has faced the Orioles five times in his career and owns a 4.18 ERA in 28 innings against them. At Camden Yards, he has allowed nine runs and 14 hits in 9 1/3 innings over two appearances.
One matchup note to watch: Pete Alonso is 10-for-41 with two doubles and 13 strikeouts, while Cowser is 2-for-2 with a home run.
In Other News...
Pete Alonso Sent A Message Orioles Fans Needed To Hear
Pete Alonsos comments offered a small measure of reassurance for Orioles fans trying to process a jarring deadline stretch. After Baltimore sent Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox, Alonso spoke to the media and said president of baseball operations Mike Elias addressed the club following the flurry of trades, trying to steady a roster that has been reshaped in a hurry. It was the kind of message a team in transition needs, especially with the Orioles sitting fourth in the AL East and trying to stay attached to the race.
The bigger question now is whether that belief holds up on the field. Baltimore has been moved into a far different spot than it was expected to occupy at this stage, and the margin for error in the Wild Card chase is getting thinner by the day. Elias may still see a path to October, but the Orioles have to prove there is enough left in the room to make that vision matter. [Read more 🡒]
Adley Rutschman Trade Hit Orioles Fans Even Harder Than Expected
The Orioles decision to trade Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox landed with all the force you would expect from moving a franchise centerpiece, but the personal detail makes it sting a little more. Rutschman was Baltimores No. 1 overall pick in 2019 and became one of the defining players of the clubs rise, appearing in 572 games and collecting three All-Star nods along with a Silver Slugger award in 2023.
What makes the moment stand out even more is how ordinary it began, with Rutschman spending time away from the ballpark alongside former Orioles teammates Colston Cowser, Ryan Mountcastle and Gunnar Henderson. For a player who had spent years as one of the faces of the organization, the timing underscored just how abruptly the next chapter began, and why this move resonated so deeply with Baltimore fans. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Catcher Shakeup Could Force A Bigger Samuel Basallo Role
The Orioles are among the clubs still sorting out the ripple effects from the trade deadline, and one of the bigger questions in Baltimore is how the catcher situation will look going forward. After adding pieces and shifting roles around the roster, the team now has to balance its lineup and defensive alignment while keeping the rest of the club steady during the transition.
Samuel Basallo is one of the names that comes into sharper focus in that mix, especially with the Orioles needing to cover more ground behind the plate than they did before the deadline. Even as the roster settles in around the new additions, Baltimores next move at catcher will be worth watching because it could determine how quickly Basallos role expands and how central he becomes to the teams plans. [Read more 🡒]