Not too long ago, the Orioles and Red Sox looked like two teams destined to battle it out for last place in the AL East. Flash forward to today, and both teams have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs.
The Red Sox have been the hottest team in baseball over the last three weeks. Boston beat Tampa Bay yesterday to secure their MLB-best 13th straight victory. The Red Sox are currently in possession of the third Wild Card spot, while Baltimore is two games back. Although the way Boston is playing,
a six game deficit in the AL East does not feel insurmountable.
The Orioles hope the Sox are due for a letdown. At the same time, Boston’s lengthy streak should show Baltimore that it has plenty more to work toward. At a minimum, the win streaks and the postseason implications give this matchup some extra buzz. Coby Mayo put it best after Baltimore’s 5-2 win in in Houston.
“They’re hot. We’re hot. Let’s go.”
The Sox have caught fire under interim manager Chad Tracy. The organization fired Alex Cora and several assistants back in April. MLB.com pointed out yesterday that this is the longest winning streak for a skipper who didn’t manage the team on Opening Day since Jim Fregosi’s 13-game streak for the Phillies in 1991.
Willson Contreras showed off his power in the home run derby and slugged his 22nd home run of the season yesterday. Contreras leads Boston (and all but five hitters) with a .931 OPS.
The Red Sox have rattled off an 18-2 stretch without staff ace Garrett Crochet. Boston’s 13-game streak is the organization’s best stretch since 1948.
Meanwhile, the Orioles are riding high after consecutive sweeps for the first time this season. The Birds will need to navigate some catching uncertainty after Samuel Basallo left yesterday’s contest with right-shoulder discomfort. Baltimore had already summoned Sam Huff to serve as its third catcher with Adley Rutschman apparently banged up.
Skipper Craig Albernaz said yesterday that Rutschman is dealing with left wrist discomfort. Neither player had been placed on the injured list as of the time of this writing. The Orioles lost a hot-hitting Blaze Alexander to a broken bone in the final game of the first half.
Game 1: Monday, July 20, 7:10 pm
RHP Shane Baz (4-9, 4.19 ERA) vs. LHP Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.11 ERA)
Shane Baz struck out nine but failed to complete five innings his last time out against the Royals. The outing marked only the second time that Baz failed to complete at least five frames. The 27-year-old will look to be more efficient in the series opener against the Sox.
Baz displayed plenty of talent in the first half but stopped short of reaching the lofty ceiling that Mike Elias described over the offseason. It’s clear that the former first-round pick has room to take another step forward, and the Orioles would love to see Baz take that step in the second half.
Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle got married over the All-Star break, but he’ll be back to focusing on baseball this evening. Tolle pitched six scoreless innings against the Orioles last month. Look for Coby Mayo to take advantage of the matchup against the southpaw.
Game 2: Tuesday, July 21, 7:10 pm
RHP Kyle Bradish (6-9, 3.61 ERA) vs. TBD
The Orioles made a significant commitment to their starting rotation by signing Kyle Bradish to a five-year, $90-million extension over the weekend. Bradish was originally scheduled to start the series finale in Houston, but the team pushed the righty back to Game 2 in Boston. Bradish threw 107.1 innings in the first half after missing a majority of 2024 and 2025. Baltimore will look to provide the 29-year-old an extra day or two of rest when possible, but the Birds will need to lean on Bradish in the second half.
Boston had yet to announce a starter for Game 2 as of the time of this writing. The Red Sox do possess one of the best bullpens in the league paced by veteran closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman was once believed to be one of the most attractive targets for this year’s trade deadline, but the Red Sox will likely hold on to the reliever with their own postseason aspirations.
Game 3: Wednesday, July 22, 7:10 pm
RHP Dean Kremer (1-2, 4.15 ERA) vs. LHP Jake Bennett (5-3, 2.35 ERA)
Dean Kremer will be the first Oriole to make his second start of the second half. The Birds sent out Kremer in the first game after the All-Star break, and the righty needed 83 pitches to complete four innings. It’s been a weird year for Kremer after starting the season at Triple-A and missing over two months with a right quad strain. The 30-year-old should be fresh for the remainder of the season, but he’ll need to work deeper than he did last week.
The Sox have really found something with lefty starters Tolle and Jake Bennett. Bennett, a 25-year-old rookie out of the University of Oklahoma, came to Boston in a prospect-for-prospect trade over the offseason. The Washington Nationals sent Bennett to Beantown in exchange for RHP Luis Perales. Perales, a former Top-100 prospect in baseball, is working his way back at Triple-A after undergoing Tommy John in 2024. Bennett is 5-3 with a 2.35 ERA through nine starts.
Will either win streak survive this series? Give us your prediction in the comments below!
