Mariners: Take Two. Tonight, the Orioles begin the second round of seven games in eleven days against the Seattle Mariners. It started last week at Camden Yards, with a 2-2 split. Josh Naylor won Game 1 with a grand slam; Game Two was a loss in extra innings; Game Three saw Jackson Holliday hit a grand slam of his own; and Game Four was an offensive explosion against starter Bryan Woo. Now, the O’s will try to pull off the series win on the road against one of the top pitching staffs in the American
League.
The M’s remain the cock of the AL (West) walk. They’re running a six-man rotation of George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, Bryce Miller, and Luis Castillo, which is more pitching than one team should have. The bullpen has been equally stout —Eduard Bazardo, José Ferrer and Gabe Speier have been a three-headed monster. However, the team is missing two relievers in Cooper Criswell and Matt Brash, both sitting on the IL, and closer Andrés Muñoz has really struggled in the role.
On offense, the injury situation has gotten more complicated since the Baltimore series. J.P. Crawford was placed on the 10-day IL with a right hand contusion, and Cal Raleigh remains out with his oblique. It looks like both may be reinstated before Tuesday’s game, however.
Game 1: Tuesday, 9:40 PM, MASN
RHP Brandon Young (5-1, 3.04 ERA) vs. Logan Gilbert (4-4, 3.62 ERA)
Look at that Brandon Young statline—look at it! Still gleaming, even ten starts. Last week, he even went out and authored seven scoreless innings against these same Mariners. Astonishingly, Baltimore is 9-1 in games Young has started this season—and this was a guy who wasn’t even on the Opening Day roster! He’s revamped his splitter, and looks pretty new and shiny for it.
Last week against the O’s, Logan Gilbert was on the ropes early, but then he retired the next 14 batters in a row and helped Seattle to a 6-5 extra-innings win. The O’s were 1-for-9 with RISP that night and stranded runners all over the place. Taylor Ward is 7-for-25 with a homer against Gilbert, while Leody Taveras is just 2-for-17, though both of his hits have been home runs. If last week had any lessons, it’s that Gilbert is most beatable early. The Orioles just need to actually cash in.
Game 2: Wednesday, 9:40 PM, MASN
RHP Kyle Bradish (3-7, 4.30 ERA) v. RHP George Kirby (5-5, 4.04 ERA)
Bradish whittled down his ERA with each start in May, but he’s allowed five runs in two starts in a row in June. Last Thursday, he had a nightmare outing, getting homered on by Cole Young, Luke Raley, and Dominic Canzone in just four innings before Tyler Wells bailed him out. The hope is that seeing the same lineup again with a week’s rest allows him to make adjustments.
Kirby’s most recent outing against Baltimore saw him allow three runs on seven hits in six innings, walking three, though he punched out a season-high 10. Taylor Ward has hit three career homers off him.
Game 3: Thursday, 4:10 PM, MASN
RHP Shane Baz (4-6, 4.06 ERA) v. RHP Bryan Woo (5-5, 3.74)
Baz didn’t face the Mariners his last time out (he saw Boston, Toronto and San Diego, instead). All three starts went well: he allowed two, one, and two runs in five-plus innings. Baz looks like he’s finding something, but his season-long command issues did rear the head. Despite the good signs, Baz’s K/9 is a career-worst 7.35, he’s issuing more walks than ever, and also more hits (9.00 H/9). This has translated into volatile results. We’ll see which Baz shows up this week, but the potential, of course, is manifest.
Bryan Woo had two stellar seasons in 2024 and 2025, and has been up-and-down in 2026. His last time out against Baltimore, he got blown up for six runs in the third inning, dropping his record to 5-5. Yet, two starts before that, he’d thrown seven shutout innings against Arizona. So the volatility is real. His control is excellent, and his expected ERA has been great. But he’s also allowing hard contact, so the Birds have to take advantage.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win in this series, Camden Chatters? Let us know in the comments.
