August comes to a close this afternoon in San Francisco. No matter what happens here, this was the O’s worst month since May. Tomorrow, they might see their roster shuffle a bit as the active squad expands from 26 to 28. It sounds like Jorge Mateo and Tyler Wells will be the two to join the fray, but who anything could happen, especially in the pitching department. The Orioles will want to use the final month of the season to evaluate their internal talent ahead of a vital offseason.
Tomoyuki Sugano
probably won’t be an Oriole in 2026, but that doesn’t make his performances irrelevant. If he wants to stick around Major League Baseball sneak season, he will have to finish strong. The 35-year-old has rebounded from a mid-season wobble to be much better this month. Across his last five starts, Sugano owns a 2.86 ERA, a 1.06 WHIP, and .226 opponents batting average. He’s been good! Could four of five really good starts through the end of the season make him a qualifying offer candidate? It’s a long shot, but hopefully Sugano makes it a tough call.
Tony Mansolino gives something of a Sunday shakeup to his lineup. Gunnar Henderson will DH, making Luis Vázquez the shortstop. Coby Mayo heads to the bench after an 0-for-5 on Saturday. Jeremiah Jackson will make his second straight start at third base. The same is true for Daniel Johnson in left field. And everything else remains from the big 11-1 win.
Go prove who the better orange-and-black team is in this rubber match of the series!
Orioles lineup
- Jackson Holliday, 2B
- Jeremiah Jackson, 3B
- Gunnar Henderson, DH
- Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
- Colton Cowser, CF
- Dylan Beavers, RF
- Samuel Basallo, C
- Luis Vázquez, SS
- Daniel Johnson, LF
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (10-6, 4.06 ERA)
Giants lineup
- Heliot Ramos, LF
- Rafael Devers, DH
- Willy Adames, SS
- Dominic Smith, 1B
- Matt Chapman, 2B
- Luis Matos, RF
- Patrick Bailey, C
- Christian Koss, 2B
- Drew Gilbert, CF
RHP Justin Verlander (1-10, 4.47 ERA)
