The Orioles’ final home series of the year begins tonight. It’s their final chance to entertain the home fans at Camden Yards, if you can call what the O’s have been doing this year “entertaining.”
The Birds, currently with a 37-41 record at Oriole Park, are guaranteed to finish the season with a losing home record, even if they sweep all three games against the Rays. Oh well. If you’re planning to attend any of these games, I hope you enjoy yourself anyway. Just don’t focus too much on the quality
of the on-field product.
Adley Rutschman is back from the injured list for the season’s final week and will start behind the plate tonight, with Samuel Basallo DH’ing. This is only the second time that Rutschman and Basallo have been in the same lineup. The last time was Aug. 17, Basallo’s major league debut, which was Adley’s last game before he landed on the injured list with a right oblique strain. Rutschman’s return could allow the O’s to give Basallo a break from catching for the rest of the year.
On the mound, Dean Kremer makes what will likely be his last start of the year, assuming the O’s stick with their six-man rotation. It’s his 29th start of the year, but he also had one bulk relief appearance, so we’ll go ahead and call it 30. He’s had a season that’s pretty typical of every Dean Kremer season, currently holding a 92 ERA+, just about in line with his career 94 mark. He and Tomoyuki Sugano are the only starters who have survived pretty much every turn in the rotation this year, so credit to him for that. Let’s hope he can finish his season strong.
Orioles lineup:
2B Jackson Holliday
3B Jordan Westburg
SS Gunnar Henderson
RF Tyler O’Neill
LF Dylan Beavers
C Adley Rutschman
DH Samuel Basallo
CF Colton Cowser
1B Coby Mayo
RHP Dean Kremer
Rays lineup:
CF Chandler Simpson
DH Yandy Diaz
2B Brandon Lowe
3B Junior Caminero
RF Josh Lowe
LF Jake Mangum
C Hunter Feduccia
SS Carson Williams
1B Bob Seymour
RHP Ryan Pepiot
