The Orioles have put themselves in position to keep the momentum rolling in Sacramento, and today gives them a chance to make it count. A sweep of the Athletics would give Baltimore six wins in its last eight games and bring the club within one game of .500 for the first time since April 30. It would also leave the Orioles just one game back of the Guardians, who have dropped two in a row, for the final Wild Card spot.
Baltimore is going with Blaze Alexander at second base and in the leadoff spot, while Jackson Holliday, Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers are on the bench. Basallo exited last night after getting hit on the right hand while blocking a pitch in the dirt, and the matchup with left-hander Jeffrey Springs may have pushed him toward a reserve role anyway.
Pete Alonso is still the designated hitter, even though the bat has gone cold in a hurry. He’s 0-for-13 with eight strikeouts over his last three games and 1-for-17 in his last four, a sharp dip after going 4-for-4 on Tuesday.
Coby Mayo stays at first base, and he’s been finding a better path against high pitches since the break. Before the All-Star break, Mayo was hitting .125 and slugging .250 against high pitches.
Since then, he’s up to .261 and .609 in those spots, according to STATS. He’s also scored in four straight games, matching the longest active streak in the majors and sitting one short of his career best.
The Orioles’ lineup also has Colton Cowser in center field batting ninth, with Christian Franklin in left. Chris Bassitt gets the ball after a solid run since returning from the injured list.
In three starts since his reinstatement, he’s allowed six runs in 17 2/3 innings, including one run in 6 2/3 innings against the Cardinals in his last outing. Bassitt already faced the Athletics on May 10 and gave up one run in six innings.
In nine career appearances against Oakland, including seven starts, he’s 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA.
There are some notable individual matchups on the Oakland side. Lawrence Butler is 4-for-9 with a double against Bassitt, Zack Gelof is 4-for-12 with a double and a homer, and Jonah Heim is 1-for-12 with a double. Bassitt’s strikeout rate has also ticked up, rising from 5.91 per nine innings before his IL stint to 7.13 since he returned.
Baltimore’s defense has been clean lately, too. The Orioles have gone a season-high eight straight games without an error, their longest run since Aug. 18-26, 2023.
That matters with Springs on the mound, because the left-hander has had a rough season. He comes in at 3-12 with a 6.08 ERA and a 1.496 WHIP in 24 starts, and the 30 home runs he’s allowed are the most in the American League. The Orioles’ numbers against lefties have been steady all year - right-handers are hitting .273/.340/.525 and left-handers .273/.344/.538 - but the matchup still looks like one they should handle if things go as expected.
Springs does have one bright spot in the split against Baltimore: he’s faced the Orioles 13 times, with three starts, and is 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 27 innings. Alonso has seen him only twice, but one of those meetings went Baltimore’s way with a home run.
The Athletics’ lineup has Henry Bolte leading off in center, followed by Jeff McNeil at DH, Zack Gelof at third, Lawrence Butler in right, Donovan Walton at second, Tommy White at first, Carlos Cortes in left, Brian Serven behind the plate and Alika Williams at short.
Bolte has been especially dangerous when he gets ahead in the count, hitting .412 and slugging .608 in those situations this season.
On the roster front, Triple-A Norfolk reliever Nick Raquet was placed on the seven-day injured list after leaving last night’s game with left elbow discomfort. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad is not in Norfolk’s lineup for the final minor league game before major league rosters expand Tuesday.
Kjerstad went 3-for-4 on Saturday and is hitting .289 with a .799 OPS. Over 21 games this month, he’s batting .311/.400/.527, and over his last 66 games spanning 90 days, he’s at .291/.343/.475.
The Orioles aren’t listing starters for their upcoming series in Colorado, while the Rockies are set to start right-handers Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.38 ERA), Gabriel Hughes (0-6, 6.61) and Tomoyuki Sugano (12-8, 5.23).
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For Vzquez, the move leaves his immediate future unsettled after a brief stay on the major league roster and only limited big league experience behind him. If he goes unclaimed, Baltimore could end up with another decision to make, but for now the attention shifts to Robert and how the Orioles plan to use him as they continue to tweak the roster around their latest wave of movement. [Read more 🡒]