Can the 2025 Orioles do the unthinkable and win a third game in a row?
In winning the last two games of the series against the Guardians, the Orioles got two figurative monkeys off of their backs: They have now managed to win both consecutive games and a series in the 2025 season. Now that they’ve done this, it would sure be nice if they could manage to make it two series wins in a row, and a good way to get a start towards that would be to also win a third straight game tonight.
Can it be done? Of course, it can. That does not mean that it will. The Orioles will actually need to, you know, play well. Particularly, they will need to hit well when facing a left-handed starting pitcher, which up to this point in the season they have not.
This is the O’s batting line against lefty starters: .237/.281/.298. Friends, when the first number after the decimal point in all three numbers of the batting line is a 2, that absolutely sucks. Particularly notable is that the Orioles have hit just one home run in 139 plate appearances against lefty starters. It is really time to start cashing in with some Walltimore 2.0 home runs.
Orioles lineup
- Adley Rutschman – DH
- Gunnar Henderson – SS
- Tyler O’Neill – RF
- Ryan Mountcastle – 1B
- Cedric Mullins – CF
- Jordan Westburg – 3B
- Gary Sánchez – C
- Heston Kjerstad – LF
- Jorge Mateo – 2B
This is the dreaded – for fans, so far – “facing a lefty” Orioles lineup, with the notable exception that Kjerstad is actually getting a chance in the outfield. As another note, O’Neill is back in the lineup after missing two games with neck discomfort. Hopefully he is actually improved and not just in there because baseball players play through stuff even when perhaps it is not best for the team to do so.
In that same vein, Westburg is riding an 0-24 streak. Well and truly snapping out of that will certainly be helpful to the ongoing fortunes of the Orioles.
Cade Povich makes his fourth start of the year for the Orioles. He’s had a weird first few starts so far, not one of which was particularly any good, but he’s got a 3.60 ERA and this Reds offense has largely been terrible up to this point in the season, so maybe that will turn out well for him tonight.
Reds lineup
- Matt McLain – 2B
- Santiago Espinal – RF
- Elly De La Cruz – SS
- Austin Hays – LF
- Spencer Steer – DH
- Jeimer Candelario – 1B
- Noelvi Marte – 3B
- Jose Trevino – C
- Blake Dunn – CF
The Reds starting pitcher, Andrew Abbott, has made one start so far this season. He gave up one run over five innings. I am preparing myself mentally for the fact that the former Oriole Hays is absolutely going to hit at least home run tonight, and probably multiple home runs over the course of this series. That’s what 2025 has been like around here and the fact that the Orioles have won their past two games does not change that vibe on its own.