Sunday afternoon Orioles game thread: vs. Phillies, 1:35pm ET

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 28: Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (7-9, 3.74 ERA, 114 Ks) vs. RHP

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Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (7-9, 3.74 ERA, 114 Ks) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (10-2, 2.53 ERA, 123 Ks)

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

This afternoon, and for the third series in a row, the Orioles head into a Game 3 rubber match that has the feeling of a playoff game. Last Sunday, Baltimore tied the game late against the Braves only to come up short after 11 innings. Four days ago in Detroit, the O’s mounted a historic comeback to steal the rubber match in a dramatic 12-inning affair. Let’s all hope

that, in today’s game, the Orioles can buck that trend and win in fewer than 13 innings.

Looking to lead the O’s to victory is right-hander Kyle Bradish as he makes his third career start against the Phillies. The 29-year-old’s first battle with Baltimore’s I-95 neighbors came back in 2023, when he pitched 6.2 innings but allowed five runs in a 6-4 loss at Citizens Bank Park. Bradish would match up against the Phillies again a year later, putting up a line of 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB and 4 Ks in what would prove to be his last start before Tommy John surgery.

The Orioles’ $ 91M man has been at his best in front of the Camden Yards faithful this season. In 10 home starts, Bradish is sporting a 3.20 ERA with a .187 batting average against and 47 Ks in 56.1 innings. Today will be the first time Bradish pitches in Baltimore since signing his extension, with his last start at Camden Yards coming right before the All-Star break against Kansas City. That evening against the Royals, Bradish tossed 6.2 innings of one-run ball and took a no-hitter into the 7th inning.

Today may prove to be Bradish’s toughest matchup of the season, however, as he faces off against the perennially dominant Zack Wheeler. Now in his seventh season with the Phillies, Wheeler has made three All-Star teams, finished top 10 in Cy Young voting four times and posted a 2.87 ERA across 174 starts for Philadelphia. That resume makes his 2026 performance all the more impressive, as the 36-year-old’s current 2.53 would be his lowest ERA in any full season with the Phils.

The Orioles have roughed up Wheeler in the past, however. On his last trip to Camden Yards in 2024, the O’s hit four home runs off Wheeler and tagged him for eight runs over 4.1 innings. The eight runs were the most Wheeler ever allowed in a start with the Phillies, while the four homers were also a career worst—a low he equaled earlier this year vs. the Dodgers. Birdland will hope that Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser can have success against Wheeler again, as both homered in the matchup two years ago.