The Orioles are trying to stop the slide tonight in Minnesota, where they enter the second game of the series three games out of the final Wild Card spot and with four teams sitting ahead of them. The Blue Jays are just a half-game behind, so there isn’t much breathing room left. Baltimore has dropped to 1-3 on this 10-game road trip and will look to square the series against the Twins.
Gunnar Henderson remains at the top of the order, and Jackson Holliday is still hitting third. Holliday’s bat has started to wake up in a hurry: he’s 6-for-12 with two doubles and a homer over his last three games after opening the month 0-for-18. Since the break, he’s hitting .324/.405/.426 with 22 hits in 68 at-bats across 22 games.
Baltimore is also sticking with Christian Franklin in center, Jeremiah Jackson in left and Tyler O’Neill in right. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is at third base, though he’s just 2-for-21 this month, and Coby Mayo is handling designated hitter duties.
Brandon Young gets the ball for the Orioles after giving up seven runs and 11 hits over his last two starts, a stretch that pushed his ERA from 3.13 to 3.43. He has not faced the Twins before.
Minnesota counters with right-hander Bailey Ober, who owns a 4.45 ERA in 17 starts and is averaging just 6.1 strikeouts per nine innings, his lowest mark in six seasons. Ober threw a two-hit shutout on May 12 against the Marlins, and his first start in 2026 came against the Orioles, when he allowed three runs in four innings. Tyler O’Neill was the one who got to him then with a three-run homer.
Ober has made six career starts against Baltimore and carries a 3.13 ERA in 31 2/3 innings in those games. Gunnar Henderson is 2-for-15 against him with a homer, while Leody Taveras is 1-for-10. Pete Alonso has gone 2-for-4 with a homer.
Minnesota has also been especially dangerous with men on base, leading the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position at .277. That’s a huge jump from last season, when the Twins finished 25th at .238.
Baltimore has shown some life in that area lately too, going 8-for-23 with runners in scoring position over its last two games after going 3-for-25 from Aug. 1-8.
The Orioles’ lineup for the game is Gunnar Henderson at shortstop, Pete Alonso at first, Jackson Holliday at second, Tyler O’Neill in right, Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third, Coby Mayo at DH, Christian Franklin in center, Jeremiah Jackson in left and Yohel Pozo behind the plate. Brandon Young starts.
For the Twins, the order is Trevor Larnach in left, Ryan Jeffers catching, Josh Bell at DH, Kody Clemens at second, Royce Lewis at first, Brooks Lee at third, Luke Keaschall in center, Alan Roden in right and Kaelen Culpepper at short. Bailey Ober is on the mound.
The Orioles also released outfielder Douglas Hodo III and catcher Adam Retzbach from Double-A Chesapeake’s roster.
In Other News...
Orioles Just Learned The Full Price Of Bostons Adley Blockbuster
Adley Rutschman wasted no time getting settled in after his Boston debut, reaching base three times in all and handling things cleanly behind the plate in his first game with the Red Sox. The Orioles, meanwhile, finally got the last piece of the deal they made with Boston, as the transaction was completed with a player to be named later heading back the other way.
For Baltimore, the return now has a face and a place in the system, and it offers one more reminder of how much the organization was willing to give up to move a franchise centerpiece. The full cost of the blockbuster is now on the books, but the real judgment on it will take far longer than one debut to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Added One More Intriguing Piece In The Adley Rutschman Trade
The Adley Rutschman trade keeps revealing more layers for Baltimore, and the latest piece is a familiar kind of lottery ticket: a young outfielder with real tools and a long developmental runway. The Orioles received Harold Rivas from the Red Sox as the player to be named later, adding another prospect to a package that already brought back catcher Carlos Narvez, outfielder Enddy Azocar and pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon while Jake Rogers headed to Boston.
Rivas is still in Rookie-level ball, so this is less about immediate help than about betting on upside. Baltimore has made a habit of finding value in these kinds of additions, and the appeal here is obvious for a front office that prizes athleticism: speed, defense and arm strength are all part of Rivas' profile, even if the next step in his development remains the real story. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Elias Faces A Defining Rays Test Orioles Fans Cant Ignore
Since Mike Elias arrived in Baltimore, the Orioles have been measured against the kind of steady, resourceful operation the Rays have built over the same span. Tampa Bay has kept winning through changing rosters and real obstacles, piling up a better record and more playoff success while remaining one of baseballs toughest front offices to imitate. For Orioles fans, that comparison has become a useful barometer for where the organization is and where it still wants to go.
Elias has put his own stamp on the roster, leaning into player development and a long-view approach to building a contender. The challenge now is whether that vision can match the standard the Rays have set, especially when the margins shrink in October and the pressure rises. Baltimore does not need to copy Tampa Bay piece for piece, but it does need to prove it can turn its own blueprint into the kind of sustained winning that changes the conversation. [Read more 🡒]