The Orioles are back home after a six-game jaunt to the west coast, and they’ve got the bat — and the arm — of Shohei Ohtani waiting for them in Baltimore.
Surprise! The three-time Most Valuable Player, who’s the overwhelming favorite to win the award yet again this season, will unexpectedly be pitching against the Orioles tonight. The Dodgers’ originally scheduled starter, Tyler Glasnow, was scratched from the game. Enter Ohtani, who himself was scratched from a start against the Pirates with a chest
cold earlier this week. Now he’s feeling good and ready to step in for Glasnow.
Lucky Orioles, huh?
Ohtani, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023, returned to pitching this season after spending last year exclusively as a hitter. He has been gradually ramping up his workload, starting with one-inning stints in June. In his most recent start Aug. 27, his 11th of the season, he worked five full innings for the first time and earned the win against the Reds. While he hasn’t been as dominant on the mound as in his Angels days, he’s still dialing up his 100-mph fastball and has racked up 44 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. In two career starts against the Orioles, though, he’s given up nine runs in 12 innings.
Oh, and don’t forget he’ll be hitting, too. Ohtani, who has 46 home runs, currently leads the league with a .606 SLG, .993 OPS, 173 OPS+, and 322 total bases. Again: good luck, Orioles.
Honestly I don’t even really care if the O’s win this game. It’s just going to be fun watching one of the greatest players in baseball history do his thing at Camden Yards. But if the Orioles would like to go ahead and win anyway, I certainly wouldn’t complain.
Dodgers lineup:
P Shohei Ohtani
SS Mookie Betts
1B Freddie Freeman
RF Teoscar Hernández
LF Michael Conforto
CF Andy Pages
2B Hyeseong Kim
C Dalton Rushing
3B Miguel Rojas
RHP Shohei Ohtani
Orioles lineup:
2B Jackson Holliday
RF Jeremiah Jackson
SS Gunnar Henderson
DH Ryan Mountcastle
CF Colton Cowser
3B Emmanuel Rivera
LF Dylan Beavers
C Samuel Basallo
1B Coby Mayo
RHP Dean Kremer
