The Cubs enter this series just 9-14 vs. American League teams. Just five of those 23 games have been against AL East teams, and the Cubs are 3-2 in those (2-1 over the Rays and splitting a pair with the Blue Jays, with the third game of that series rained out and to be made up next month).
So perhaps they can improve on that mark with this visit to Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles.
For more on the Orioles, here’s Mark Brown, manager of our SB Nation Orioles site Camden Chat.
The Orioles
were supposed to find a way to improve on last year’s 75-87 record and all they’re managing to do is be a disappointment again. They enter this series on pace for that exact same record. Almost every player on the roster has shouldered some of the blame for that at some point during the season, with many fans also pointing fingers at first-year manager Craig Albernaz as well as president of baseball operations Mike Elias.
A lot of things have gone wrong. One that stands out to me is that these guys just aren’t hitting left-handed pitchers. That’s good news for the Cubs, since two of your three scheduled pitchers are lefties. The Orioles are also struggling to hit away from Camden Yards, less relevant to this coming series in Baltimore. Everyone’s hoped-for return to superstar status for shortstop Gunnar Henderson has not happened. He brings an OBP under .300 into this series and is a below league-average hitter overall this season. It was supposed to be better.
So was the starting rotation! Elias made a big swing on a trade with the Rays that brought Shane Baz to the Orioles, gambling that there was top-of-the-rotation stuff in there after Baz had a 4.80 ERA last year. The O’s also gave Baz a contract extension — the first Elias has given to a pitcher — before the season even began. They’re not getting No. 1 or No. 2 stuff from Baz; he has a perfectly average 100 ERA+. Thursday’s starter Trevor Rogers is not repeating his magical 2025, though he’s looked better lately after some early season struggles. Expensive veteran starter signings didn’t work out. The bullpen is mostly not working out. Nobody’s ERA is helped by the defense being an absolute mess on a regular basis.
All of this has added up to the Orioles not managing to win more than three games in a row at any point this season. They are 6-14 in one-run games. This team ain’t got it. The weird shape of the American League this year means they’re only 3.5 games out of a wild card spot. If they can ever find that winning streak, they’ll be right there in the mix.
Fun facts
Since 1876, first season of the National League, the Cubs have played 128 games against the Baltimore Orioles — but only 25 against THESE Orioles, who began play in 1901. The earlier 103 were against an NL version of the Orioles, in 1892-99.
The Cubs were just 14-32 at Baltimore vs. the 19th Century Orioles. They are 9-2 there vs. the current flock, having won two of three games in 2003, sweeping three in 2017, splitting two in 2022 and sweeping three again in their last visit, two years ago. In that visit, the Cubs held the Orioles scoreless through the final 24 innings, as they won by 9-2, 4-0 and 8-0.
Last year, at home, the Cubs posted a third straight shutout, 1-0, then blanked the Orioles for seven more innings, for a total of 40 in a row, before giving up four in the eighth and losing, 4-3. The Cubs won the rubber game, 5-3, on Justin Turner’s walk-off homer in the ninth, to make the Cubs’ 17-8 in all games vs. the current Orioles.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Tuesday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (3-1, 5.08 ERA, 1.396 WHIP, 3.44 FIP) vs. Shane Baz, RHP (4-8, 4.19 ERA, 1.366 WHIP, 3.79 FIP)
Wednesday: Colin Rea, RHP (6-5, 4.74 ERA, 1.433 WHIP, 4.86 FIP) vs. Dean Kremer, RHP (1-1, 3.18 ERA, 0.882 WHIP, 5.11 FIP)
Thursday: David Peterson, LHP (4-7, 6.75 ERA, 1.668 WHIP, 4.09 FIP overall; 1-1, 11.57 ERA, 1.821 WHIP, 5.79 FIP in two starts with Cubs) vs. Trevor Rogers, LHP (6-7, 4.70 ERA, 1.316 WHIP, 4.02 FIP)
Times & TV channels
Tuesday: 5:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Wednesday: 5:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Thursday: 5:35 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Prediction
The Cubs were 34-34 after losing to the Rockies June 10. Since then they’re 16-6, the best record in MLB. Meanwhile, the Orioles took two of three from the Reds over the weekend (thanks Orioles!) but overall have lost seven of their last 11.
Two of three.
Up next
The Cubs travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series against the Reds that begins Friday evening.
