The second half of the Orioles’ 2024 season begins at the place where their 2023 season ended.
Earlier this week, five Orioles were on the field at Globe Life Field in Arlington, helping the American League to a 5-3 win in the All-Star Game. Tonight, that quintet is back at the same ballpark, this time wearing their familiar Orioles uniforms instead of those eyesore All-Star duds.
Corbin Burnes, Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Anthony Santander are all in the Orioles’ lineup as they kick off the second half of the season against the Rangers. The O’s will also be looking to exorcise the demons of their 2023 postseason defeat, which saw Texas finish its three-game ALDS sweep of the Birds in this ballpark.
Nathan Eovaldi, who will be on the hill tonight, was the Rangers starter who delivered the Orioles’ death knell that October evening, tossing seven innings of one-run ball. It wasn’t much of a surprise considering how he’s dominated the O’s since 2020. Including that postseason outing, Eovaldi has stymied the Birds for an incredible 1.43 ERA in 10 starts, seven of them quality starts, over his last four years. For an Orioles offense that had gone completely silent leading up to the All-Star break, this is probably the last guy they want to face. But maybe this will be some kind of reverse jinx situation.
The Orioles, of course, will hand the ball to their ace, Burnes, to start the second half. Burnes started the All-Star Game three days ago and threw 19 innings in a scoreless first inning. Earlier this season he faced the Rangers for the first time in his career and did to them exactly what Eovaldi did to the Orioles in the ALDS: seven innings, one run, easy victory.
Baseball’s back, y’all! And hopefully the Orioles look a little more alive than they did in that final homestand before the break.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson
C Adley Rutschman
RF Anthony Santander
DH Ryan O’Hearn
3B Jordan Westburg
LF Colton Cowser
1B Ryan Mountcastle
CF Cedric Mullins
2B Jorge Mateo
RHP Corbin Burnes
Rangers lineup:
2B Marcus Semien
SS Corey Seager
3B Josh Smith
LF Wyatt Langford
RF Adolis García
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Jonah Heim
DH Travis Jankowski
CF Leody Taveras
RHP Nathan Eovaldi