The O’s kick off a nine-game homestand by welcoming the D’Backs to Baltimore for the first time in eight years.
Fresh off a 4-1 road trip, the Orioles are back home to begin a nine-game homestand, their longest of the 2024 season.
This is a nationally televised Apple TV+ broadcast, and it’ll feature Orioles owner David Rubenstein filling in for Mr. Splash — on Mr. Splash Bobblehead Night, no less — and the O’s donning their possibly cursed City Connect jerseys. It’s going to be an interesting night.
Also interesting is that this is the Diamondbacks’ first visit to Camden Yards in eight years. In their previous trip the O’s greeted them rudely, sweeping the three games in September of 2016. The Birds’ winning pitchers in that series were Dylan Bundy, Wade Miley, and Oliver Drake (remember him?). Former Diamondback Mark Trumbo homered twice for the O’s, giving him 45 for the season. Also homering in that series were Matt Wieters, Pedro Álvarez, rookie Trey Mancini, and Hyun-Soo Kim (oh, I know you remember him). The D’Backs used hitters named Tuffy Gosewisch and Sócrates Brito. What a time to be alive!
That 2016 Orioles team was on its way to the postseason, but this 2024 version is even better, entering tonight with an American League-best 24-12 record. One key to their success has been contributions from unexpected sources, and tonight’s pitcher is Exhibit A. Left-hander Cole Irvin, who wouldn’t even have been in the rotation if not for early-season injuries to Kyle Bradish and John Means, has been on one heck of a roll. In each of his last three starts, he’s pitched at least 6.1 scoreless innings, carrying a 20-inning scoreless streak into tonight’s outing. Irvin’s excellence has been a godsend, helping the O’s rotation hold strong until the recent returns of Bradish and Means.
Irvin has been so impressive that the Orioles don’t want to send him back to the bullpen anytime soon. Brandon Hyde told reporters before the game that the O’s might go to a six-man rotation for a while when Grayson Rodriguez returns from the IL.
The D’Backs counter tonight with right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, one of Arizona’s postseason heroes last season who’s off to a mediocre start in 2024. This will be his first appearance against the Orioles. Let’s make it a rough one for him.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson
C Adley Rutschman
DH Ryan O’Hearn
1B Ryan Mountcastle
RF Anthony Santander
LF Colton Cowser
3B Jordan Westburg
CF Cedric Mullins
2B Jorge Mateo
LHP Cole Irvin
Diamondbacks lineup:
2B Ketel Marte
CF Corbin Carroll
LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
1B Christian Walker
RF Randal Grichuk
3B Eugenio Suárez
C Gabriel Moreno
DH Blaze Alexander
SS Kevin Newman
RHP Brandon Pfaadt