Why are the Orioles playing so late on a getaway day? So they could sweep in.
What a day in Orioles history this has a chance to be. Whether you like it or not, this is the final game before the team debuts their new jersey patch on field.
What will this momentous patch be, you ask. Are the Orioles honoring a former player? Perhaps it is the anniversary of an important date in club history? Maybe it’s something Baltimore specific? All wrong, fine readers.
The Orioles have partnered with T. Rowe Price on a sponsorship deal that will include a patch on the jersey in addition to several other advertisements in and around Camden Yards. How exciting! At least it is a Baltimore-based company. Small victories.
In seriousness, the patch looks bad. I’m sure everyone involved agrees that it looks bad. This deal is not about aesthetics. It is about money. For now, we do not know the specifics of the financial deal, but we can imagine it is somewhere under the Yankees’ $25 million per year deal with the company they sport on their jersey. That is the high bar of these sorts of deals to this point, and as good as the Orioles currently are, the brand is not as strong worldwide as the pinstripers up north.
Back to the field, the Orioles can secure a four-game sweep of the Rays with a win tonight. The first three games of this series have been dominant for the O’s, outscoring their hosts 20-5. And they have to feel good with ace Corbin Burnes on the bump to close things out.
They will have to win without Adley Rutschman, though. The O’s first-string backstop gets the night off, a somewhat common occurrence with Burnes, who has seemingly taken on James McCann as his personal catcher recently.
Rutschman won’t even DH in this one, meaning it is his first full game over since May 29 against the Red Sox. But rest assured that if things are close late that Rutschman will be the first name off the bench for a key pinch hit opportunity.
Let’s hope the O’s blow the doors off of Tropicana Field so they can get out of town quick and head back to Baltimore on a happy flight.
Orioles lineup
- Gunnar Henderson, SS
- Jordan Westburg, 2B
- Ryan O’Hearn, DH
- Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
- Anthony Santander, RF
- Colton Cowser, LF
- Ramón Urías, 3B
- Cedric Mullins, CF
- James McCann, C
RHP Corbin Burnes (6-2, 2.26 ERA)
Rays lineup
- Yandy Díaz, DH
- Randy Arozarena, LF
- Brandon Lowe, 2B
- Isaac Paredes, 1B
- Amed Rosario, 3B
- Josê Siri, CF
- Richie Palacios, RF
- José Caballero, SS
- Alex Jackson, C
RHP Ryan Pepiot (4-2, 3.96 ERA)