The O’s kick off a four-game series in St. Pete looking to rebound from a pair of one-run losses in Toronto.
The Orioles begin a four-game series at Tropicana Field in an unfamiliar position: on a losing skid. The Birds dropped the last two games of their series in Toronto, marking just the Orioles’ fifth losing streak or two or more games this season. They’ve never lost more than three in a row.
There’s no time like the present to get back to their winning ways. The Birds will send all four of their best starting pitchers to the mound in this series, starting with Cole Irvin tonight, followed by Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and Corbin Burnes. Irvin has been the best of the non-Burnes lot, just as everyone predicted. The left-hander carries a 2.84 ERA, which would be 10th best in the AL if he had enough innings to qualify. He’s five innings short, and he could make up that difference with a strong outing tonight.
Irvin pitched quite well in his last outing against the Rays just last week, holding them to two runs in 6.1 innings, the fourth time this year he’s pitched into the seventh. He ended up with a no-decision when the O’s bullpen blew the game.
Rays starter Aaron Civale, too, is coming off a strong outing against tonight’s opponent. He allowed just one run to the Orioles last week in Baltimore, a game the O’s eventually won. The Rays have lost each of his last five starts, and six of his last seven. Let’s keep that streak going.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson
C Adley Rutschman
1B Ryan Mountcastle
DH Ryan O’Hearn
RF Anthony Santander
2B Jordan Westburg
LF Colton Cowser
CF Cedric Mullins
3B Ramón Urías
LHP Cole Irvin
Rays lineup:
1B Yandy Díaz
LF Randy Arozarena
DH Amed Rosario
3B Isaac Paredes
CF Jose Siri
RF Johnny DeLuca
SS Taylor Walls
2B José Caballero
C Alex Jackson
RHP Aaron Civale