The Orioles’ first four-game series of the season has not quite gone according to plan. An impressive eighth-inning comeback on Friday aside, the Birds’ bats have mostly been missing in action during their trip to Cleveland.
The O’s have had no answer for Guardians starting pitchers. Rookie Parker Messick carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning in the opener, the previously struggling Tanner Bibee had no problem shutting down the Orioles in Game 2, and Gavin Williams pumped strikeout after strikeout in his
dominant outing last night. That trio combined for a 1.29 ERA in this series. I assume the Orioles do actually game-plan for opposing starters, but you’d never know it based on their performance so far. The offense has seemed woefully unprepared.
Will they have any more luck against Cleveland’s final starter in this series, lefty Joey Cantillo? The 26-year-old Hawaiian is having a nice year so far, with a 2.61 ERA in four starts, and the last time he faced the Orioles, he pitched five solid innings against them last July. I’m not particularly optimistic, especially considering the lineup the Orioles are using this afternoon.
If you thought the days of the O’s using bizarre platoon lineups against southpaws would go out the door with the arrival of Craig Albernaz, you were…mistaken. The Orioles once again have Johnathan Rodríguez in the cleanup spot and right field, and Blaze Alexander playing center. Weston Wilson, who had a big two-run double in Friday’s comeback, gets his first start at third base. But Coby Mayo is still in the lineup anyway as the DH. Sam Huff spells Samuel Basallo behind the plate. It’s an abnormal lineup, for sure, but it’s not as if the normal lineup has been doing anything great. I don’t love that outfield defense, though, and I would’ve liked to see Leody Taveras get the start.
At least the Orioles have Trevor Rogers going for them. The O’s ace suffered his ugliest outing of the season last time out against Arizona, but in general, the Orioles have the pitching advantage every time Rogers is on the hill. The last time he faced Cleveland was in his Orioles debut back on Aug. 1, 2024, when the Guardians torched him for five runs in 4.1 innings. This is, of course, a very different version of Rogers.
Still, no matter how well Trevor pitches, it won’t matter if the Orioles don’t start hitting. Now’s as good a time as any, guys.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward
SS Gunnar Henderson
1B Pete Alonso
RF Johnathan Rodríguez
2B Jeremiah Jackson
3B Weston Wilson
DH Coby Mayo
C Sam Huff
CF Blaze Alexander
LHP Trevor Rogers
Guardians lineup:
CF Steven Kwan
LF Angel Martínez
3B José Ramírez
1B Rhys Hoskins
RF David Fry
3B Daniel Schneemann
2B Juan Brito
C Austin Hedges
SS Brayan Rocchio
LHP Joey Cantillo
