The Orioles are in Sacramento tonight, and they’re getting a chance to reset a few things while trying to keep their wild card push alive.
Baltimore opens a three-game set against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park with a 9:40 ET first pitch, and the next six games against the A’s and Rockies loom large. It’s the kind of stretch that can give the Orioles real ground in the race if they handle it, but it could also slam the door on their 2026 hopes if it goes sideways.
Blaze Alexander is back in the lineup after missing time since July 12, when a pitch from the Royals’ Lucas Erceg broke his left hand in the final game before the All-Star break. Before the injury, Alexander had been swinging one of the hottest bats on the roster, hitting .365 with a .942 OPS since the start of May. Baltimore is clearly hoping that production shows up again right away.
With Alexander returning and left-hander Jacob Lopez starting for Oakland, Craig Albernaz is giving Gunnar Henderson the night off. It’s just the second game all season Henderson hasn’t been in the lineup; the other came on May 3 against the Yankees and Max Fried. Henderson has been going through the most difficult season of his big league career, so the break looks like a needed breather and maybe a mental reset.
The lineup shifts accordingly. Jackson Holliday slides into the No. 3 spot for the first time this season, while Alexander goes right back to the top.
With Tyler O’Neill on the injured list, Dylan Beavers gets a rare look against a lefty. Pete Alonso is back in the DH spot while working through a sore calf, and Coby Mayo, who has hit lefties well, starts at first base and bats cleanup.
The Orioles’ lineup: Blaze Alexander at shortstop, Pete Alonso at DH, Jackson Holliday at second, Coby Mayo at first, Christian Encarnacion-Strand at third, Leody Taveras in right, Christian Franklin in center, Dylan Beavers in left, Carlos Narváez at catcher, with Brandon Young on the mound.
The Athletics counter with Henry Bolte in center, Jeff McNeil at second, Zack Gelof at third, Lawrence Butler in right, Tommy White at first, Max Muncy at DH, Carlos Cortes in left, Jonah Heim catching, Alika Williams at short, and Jacob Lopez starting for Oakland.
In Other News...
Orioles Fans May Hate Where The Grayson Rodriguez Debate Is Heading
Grayson Rodriguezs first run with the Angels looked a lot like the kind of rough transition that can make a trade look better in hindsight for Baltimore. Through his first 10 starts in Los Angeles, he was hit hard, carrying a 7.98 ERA and a 5.81 FIP as the former Orioles right-hander fought through early struggles and injuries after last Novembers deal that sent him to Anaheim for Taylor Ward.
Since an August 4 start against his old club, though, Rodriguez has started to look more like the pitcher the Angels thought they were getting, with his ERA trending down and his strikeout total climbing. That is the part Orioles fans probably wont enjoy hearing, because the trade was always going to be judged not just by Wards production in Baltimore, but by whether Rodriguez eventually settles in as the long-term asset the Angels believe theyve secured through 2030. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles September Push Suddenly Carries Much Bigger Roster Stakes
With four weeks left in the season, Baltimores push for the third American League wild-card spot has become about more than just the scoreboard. The Orioles sit one game behind Cleveland, and the stretch run is giving the front office another look at how certain pieces might fit beyond this year, especially as the organization weighs the performances of infielders Blaze Alexander, Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand with an eye on the 2027 roster.
The late-season evaluation does not stop there. Baltimore is also taking a closer look at catcher Carlos Narvezs offense while anticipating the return of Flix Bautista to the bullpen, a move that could reshape the back end of games as the standings tighten. For a club still very much alive in the race, every decision now carries a little more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Face A September Call-Up Decision That Could Shape The Playoff Push
With the Orioles pushing to stay in the playoff picture, the front office has a familiar late-season question to sort through: whether there is a minor league bat or arm worth bringing up for the stretch run. It has not been a banner year for the farm system to this point, with the Norfolk Tides struggling and not offering much in the way of obvious help, which has left Baltimore leaning more heavily on the roster it already has built in the big leagues.
Even so, there are a few names worth watching as September approaches, including Heston Kjerstad and Kyle Bradish, along with the deeper pitching options sitting at Double-A and Triple-A. The Orioles have enough organizational arms to consider different roster paths over the final month, but the bigger issue is whether any of those call-up choices can meaningfully change the shape of a postseason push rather than simply fill innings and bench spots. [Read more 🡒]