The Orioles walk into this one carrying a four-game losing streak, and the timing could hardly be worse. Their offense has gone quiet in September, posting a .588 OPS and averaging just three runs per game, which is a brutal combination against a team that has been rolling since the start of July.
That opponent is the Red Sox, and they bring Sonny Gray to the mound after another strong month. Gray logged a 2.40 ERA in August and is in the middle of what the source describes as a Cy Young-worthy season. On paper, that makes this a steep climb for Baltimore.
The Orioles are trying a different look in the lineup, with Heston Kjerstad making his first big league start of the season to add another left-handed bat and some power. Jackson Holliday is in the DH spot instead, though his bat has been mostly quiet since the start of August, when he has hit .203/.238/.301. He did show up in the Colorado series, but that hasn’t carried into this weekend yet.
Chris Bassitt gets the ball for Baltimore after a rough outing in Sacramento, where he gave up five runs in 5.2 innings. The Orioles still won that game, and Bassitt managed to fight through some early trouble, but the expectation here is not a shutdown start. Baltimore is going to need its lineup to do more than it has lately.
The Orioles’ starting nine has Holliday leading off as the DH, followed by Blaze Alexander, Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, Samuel Basallo, Kjerstad, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser.
Boston counters with Roman Anthony at DH, Mickey Gasper at first, Wilyer Abreu in right, Trevor Story at short, Nick Sogard at third, Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second, Jarren Duran in left, Eli White in center and Connor Wong behind the plate.
Around the league, Tigers-Guardians starts at 6:10, Rays-Rangers at 7:05 and Blue Jays-Royals at 7:10.
In Other News...
Unexpected Celebrity Spotted At Camden Yards During Orioles Game
Ken Jennings made an unexpected stop at Camden Yards during the Orioles' recent game, turning a routine night at the ballpark into a small pop-culture detour. The Jeopardy! host was there with his son as part of a family project to visit all 30 major league stadiums, and for Baltimore fans it offered a reminder that the charm of Orioles baseball extends well beyond the home dugout.
Jennings, a Mariners fan, also looked back on previous trips to Camden Yards and talked about how his own Jeopardy! run still shapes the way he thinks about pressure and preparation. He noted how hard it is to become a Jeopardy! contestant in the first place, and even drew a parallel between that experience and stepping into a major league game, which makes his visit feel less like a celebrity sighting and more like the kind of baseball memory that sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fifth-Round Pick Is Rising Faster Than Anyone Expected
Jaiden Lo Re has spent his first professional season moving quicker than most fifth-round picks do, climbing from the Florida Complex League all the way to High-A Frederick. The 2025 draftee has backed up the rise with production, batting .323 across 86 games while showing the kind of controlled approach the Orioles tend to value in their system.
His profile has only gotten more interesting as the season has gone on. Lo Re ranks No. 19 on Baltimores Top 30 Prospects list, has a 53/34 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and has kept his swinging-strike rate low while bouncing around multiple positions. He has also added 26 stolen bases, giving the Orioles a versatile young player whose development has already outpaced expectations. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Still Have An O'Neill Problem As Outfield Chance Opens Up
Tyler ONeills Orioles season has essentially been put on pause, with the outfielder on the 10-day injured list because of right shoulder inflammation and now eligible to return, even if he is not expected to get back into a game before the schedule runs out. Craig Albernaz offered an update on ONeills status while Baltimore lined up a fresh look in the outfield, and the timing matters with the club trying to sort out who can still help in the final stretch.
Heston Kjerstad, just recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, is getting the start in right field against the Red Sox, giving Baltimore another chance to evaluate a player who has been waiting for this kind of opportunity. The days lineups also underscored how much the Orioles are still shuffling things around, and ONeills absence leaves one more question hanging over an outfield that never really settled the way the club hoped. [Read more 🡒]