The Orioles are rolling the dice on Coby Mayo again at third base as they try to take the series in Detroit, while catcher Yohel Pozo makes his debut and Dylan Beavers gets the leadoff spot as the designated hitter.
Mayo gets another crack after going 2-for-4 with his 14th homer last night, and the club is clearly leaning into the hot streak he’s built over the last few days. Since joining the team, Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been just as loud at the plate, going 10-for-27 with three homers and nine RBIs in seven games, but he was on the bench last night and remains out of the starting lineup again. Tyler O’Neill is also sitting, though he’s already made a little club history of his own: he’s the first Oriole with multiple pinch-hit homers in the same season since Jeff Conine had two in 1999.
Jackson Holliday slots in at second base, and he’s been one of the hottest hitters in the majors this month. In 20 games, he’s batting .333/.484/.396 with 15 walks and 10 strikeouts, and those 15 walks rank second in the American League behind Taylor Ward’s 17. Holliday is also one of four players in the majors with two four-hit games this month, alongside the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner, the Royals’ Tyler Tolbert and the Rays’ Ben Williamson.
The Orioles still have a lot to clean up offensively. They’ve left seven or more runners on base in a season-high nine straight games, and they haven’t done that in 10 in a row since April 8-20, 2014.
Dean Kremer takes the mound after a rough last outing at Fenway Park, where he gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings. That pushed his ERA from 4.15 to 5.06.
The Tigers have also given him trouble in his career: he’s 0-3 with a 7.13 ERA and 1.585 WHIP in three appearances, including two starts, across 17 2/3 innings. At Comerica Park, he’s allowed 10 runs and 15 hits in 10 2/3 innings.
Detroit has a few bats with success against him. Zach McKinstry is 4-for-9 with two doubles off Kremer, and Gleyber Torres is 8-for-29 with two doubles. Kremer, meanwhile, has been much tougher on right-handers with his fastball this season, holding them to a .143 average and .286 slugging percentage after they hit .277 and .397 against it in 2025.
The Orioles’ bullpen has been a major strength since the All-Star break, posting a 1.27 ERA that leads the majors. Andrew Kittredge has been a big part of that run, stringing together a career-high 14 straight appearances without allowing an earned run.
Baltimore enters at 52-55, two games back in the race for the last Wild Card. The Mariners are also two back, the Astros are 1 1/2 back and the Twins are one back. Detroit is 50-57 and four games out, and the Tigers might be on the verge of selling.
Wednesday afternoon brings Tarik Skubal to the mound for Detroit, and the Orioles would love to see him go before first pitch. But tonight they have to deal with Troy Melton, who has been far from an easy assignment since joining the rotation on May 24 in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Camden Yards.
The right-hander, a fourth-round pick in 2022 out of San Diego State, owns a 1.95 ERA and 0.950 WHIP in 10 starts as a starter, and he’s allowed two runs or fewer in nine of them. He also held the Orioles to one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Melton spent most of last season in relief, his first year in the majors, when 12 of his 16 appearances came out of the bullpen and he finished with a 2.76 ERA and 1.007 WHIP in 45 2/3 innings. This year, right-handers are hitting .179 with a .446 OPS against him, while left-handers are at .176 with a .694 OPS. He’s been steady both at home and on the road, with a 2.63 ERA in five home starts and a 1.38 ERA in five road games.
The Orioles have barely touched him, going a combined 1-for-18. Pete Alonso is 1-for-5 against Melton.
Javier Báez is back from the injured list and starting in center field, and Riley Greene comes in scorching hot on first pitches this season, batting .451 with a .686 slugging percentage and three home runs.
For the Orioles, the lineup is Dylan Beavers at DH, Pete Alonso at first, Gunnar Henderson at shortstop, Taylor Ward in left, Leody Taveras in right, Jackson Holliday at second, Coby Mayo at third, Colton Cowser in center and Yohel Pozo catching behind Kremer.
Detroit counters with Kevin McGonigle at short, Gleyber Torres at second, Riley Greene in left, Dillon Dingler at DH, Colt Keith at third, Spencer Torkelson at first, Zach McKinstry in right, Eduardo Valencia at catcher and Báez in center, with Melton on the mound.
In Other News...
Orioles Deadline Buzz Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Anyone Expected
The Orioles deadline chatter has taken on a different tone in recent days, with the front office at least touching base on a few names that would have seemed far more protected not long ago. Baltimore has built its roster around young, controllable talent, so even the fact that trade conversations are reaching into that group says plenty about how active this market could get as July winds down.
Colton Cowser looks like the most realistic position-player possibility if the Orioles decide to move a regular, while the pitching side could also draw interest beyond the obvious headline names. Dean Kremer is among the arms being discussed, and with Trevor Rogers and Tarik Skubal also in the mix, Baltimore appears positioned to be part buyer, part seller, and maybe one of the more unpredictable teams to watch over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Deadline Tension Just Spilled Into A Bryce Harper Conflict
Tarik Skubals start for the Tigers underscored how quickly the trade deadline can turn a routine outing into a possible farewell, and the ripple effects are being felt well beyond Detroit. For Orioles fans, the more relevant part of that churn is the way Baltimore keeps showing up in deadline conversations, with Adley Rutschman drawing attention as clubs sort through their needs and decide how aggressively to chase help.
The Orioles have built around Rutschman as a centerpiece, so any deadline noise around him lands with real weight even before a move is seriously on the table. Baltimore also has to balance todays roster against tomorrows, and with the market tightening for premium talent, the next few days could force the front office to weigh short-term stability against a chance to reshape the clubs future. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Dean Kremer Question They Can't Ignore
The Orioles have gotten enough encouraging work from their rotation lately to keep believing the staff can carry them through the stretch, with Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz and Brandon Young all giving the club something positive to build on. Even so, Dean Kremers recent slide has become hard to overlook at a time when Baltimore needs every start to count and the calendar is closing in on the trade deadline.
Kremers path this season has already been unusual, beginning in the minors before a quad strain and a 60-day IL stint delayed his return to the active roster. Since getting back, he has shown why the Orioles still had him in the mix, but the last few outings have raised a real question about whether he can steady himself quickly enough for a team that cannot afford many more empty nights from the back end of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]