The Orioles play the first series in franchise history in Sacramento as they pay a visit to the temporary home of the A’s.
How weird. It’s not often that the Orioles play in a Triple-A stadium, but here we are. And by here, I mean Sacramento, California, at Sutter Health Park, the usual home of the Sacramento River Cats, the Athletics’ former Triple-A affiliate. The A’s are spending the next three seasons in California’s capital as they await the completion of their new stadium in Las Vegas.
It might be wise to plan for some runs tonight. As John Beers noted in the series preview, the A’s temporary abode is tied with Camden Yards this year for the most hitter-friendly stadium in MLB, with teams scoring 5.5 runs/game there, compared to 5.0 at Camden Yards and 5.7 at Coors Field. The Athletics also have an MLB-worst 5.79 ERA.
No slight to J.P. Sears, who’s been the Athletics’ second-most valuable starter this season after Luis Severino. But at 4-5, with a 5.05 ERA, he’s not the most fearsome opponent Baltimore will see on the mound this year. The soft-tossing southpaw faced the Orioles once last year, and it went well for the boys in orange, who scored seven runs over 6.1 innings on him on three home runs.
The lefty Sears has been a reverse-splits guy all his career, and although that trend has softened this year, you’ll still see four lefties in the Orioles lineup tonight. (Gunnar Henderson is not one of them, since he’s taking a rest day.) Not-a-lefty Ramón Laureano is making his first start coming off an ankle injury on May 24. Ramón Urías is facing off for the first time this year against his brother, Luis Urías, a former Brewer now with the A’s.
As for Dean Kremer, who grew up less than an hour away from here, the right hander is coming off one of the best months of his career in May, when he posted a 2.72 ERA over 36.1 IP with three quality starts. Improved command has helped him, as has working in his cutter with greater frequency. Kremer’s last time out against the White Sox, he threw six innings while only giving up one run and striking out seven.
Orioles lineup
1. Jackson Holliday 2B
2. Adley Rutschman C
3. Ramón Laureano DH
4. Ryan O’Hearn RF
5. Ramón Urías 3B
6. Colton Cowser CF
7. Coby Mayo 1B
8. Dylan Carlson LF
9. Jorge Mateo SS
Athletics lineup
1. Lawrence Butler RF
2. Jacob Wilson SS
3. Brent Rooker DH
4. Tyler Soderstrom 1B
5. Max Muncy 3B (the other one)
6. JJ Bleday LF
7. Luis Urías 2B
8. Willie MacIver C
9. Denzel Clarke CF