The Orioles open their series against San Diego as Grayson Rodriguez makes his first home start since the All-Star break.
Despite the win in the series finale, the Orioles return to Baltimore coming off a disappointing series in Miami. They’re greeted with a new series against another NL foe, as Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres travel from DC to Baltimore. The Padres come in riding a five-game win streak and fresh off Dylan Cease’s no-hitter against the Nationals. The Orioles, on the other hand, are 4-6 in their last 10 games, have lost three of their last four series and are dealing with the emotions surrounding the trade that sent Austin Hays out of Baltimore. The opening game against San Diego should be a great test of the Orioles’ resiliency.
The good news for the O’s and Birdland is they have a distinct advantage with Grayson Rodriguez taking the mound. The flame-throwing Texan was at his best last time out in his home state, pitching six innings while only allowing two runs and striking out eight. The American League’s leader in wins will look to carry that form into this start against the Padres.
G-Rod has a good track record against San Diego—where he threw seven innings of one-run ball last August. He’s also been dominant at Camden Yards this year, putting up a 3.14 ERA and holding opponents to a .227 average over eight starts. The big righty will be tested against a Padres team that leads the MLB in average against RHP (.271) and is fourth in wRC+ (116).
The Orioles get the easier task of facing Padres rookie Adam Mazur. The former second-round pick out of Iowa has struggled in his first taste of the big leagues. In his last start against the light-hitting Mariners, he allowed seven hits and five runs over 4.2 innings while also allowing two home runs. The 23-year-old right-hander has been much better in his three road starts this year, posting a 4.61 ERA away from Petco Park as opposed to a 10.38 ERA at home. Mazur’s best pitch this year has been his slider, with opponents only hitting .224 against the breaking ball. The rookie should be a good matchup for the Orioles powerful duo of Gunnar Henderson and Ryan O’Hearn—who are both hitting above .300 and slugging above .650 on sliders this season.
Orioles lineup
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Anthony Santander (S) RF
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) DH
- Jordan Westburg (R) 3B
- Heston Kjerstad (L) LF
- Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B
- Colton Cowser (L) CF
- Connor Norby (R) 2B
Starting pitcher: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (12-4, 3.83 ERA, 120 Ks)
Padres lineup
- Luis Arraez (L) DH
- Jurickson Profar (S) LF
- Jake Cronenworth (L) 1B
- Manny Machado (R) 3B
- Xander Bogaerts (R) 2B
- Jackson Merrill (L) CF
- David Peralta (L) RF
- Ha-Seong Kim (R) SS
- Luis Campusano (R) C
Starting pitcher: RHP Adam Mazur (1-3, 7.84 ERA, 21 Ks)