It’s time to play the Rays again.
If it feels like the Orioles just played the Rays, that’s because they did. Exactly one week ago the Rays came to Baltimore for a three-game series that the Orioles took two games to one. When that series ended, the Orioles went to Toronto to split four games with the Blue Jays. The Rays in the meantime played just two games, sandwiching a short-series sweep of the Miami Marlins between two off days.
Now the Orioles head down to Florida for a four-game road series that starts on Friday and ends on Monday. Which is just weird. Series should not end on Mondays.
The Orioles starting pitching staff has been productive but on the brink of shambles for a while now, and that hasn’t changed. After calling up prospect Cade Povich to start yesterday, they still have not announced any starters beyond tonight’s game for this four-game series. It’ll be Cole Irvin tonight.
Kyle Bradish may or may not start this weekend. Brandon Hyde is being squirrelly about it, but he does say that the delay is not about Bradish being hurt but rather about getting him rest. I guess we have no choice to believe him for now. It was against the Rays that Bradish last pitched when he gave up five runs in just 2.2 innings, throwing 76 pitches along the way.
If Bradish does not pitch this weekend, it stands to reason that Grayson Rodriguez, Corbin Burnes, and Albert Suárez will. They will all be on regular four days’ rest to start Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Now that we have that settled, let’s talk Rays. If you missed Tyler Young’s preview just a week ago, I will bring you up to speed on the 31-31 Rays. Just three teams in the American League have a lower OPS+ than their 94. They average four runs per game, which is over a run worse than the Orioles who are at 5.10.
They also have the oldest average age of any lineup in the AL. They have just one player in their lineup with an OPS north of .750. The Orioles, by contrast, have seven.
Pitching is usually what the Rays are good at. Not this year. Their 4.30 ERA ranks 13th in the AL, ahead of just the White Sox and Angels. Zack Littell, who the Orioles will face on Sunday, is their only starter with a better-than-league-average ERA.
Last week in Baltimore the Orioles faced Aaron Civale, Taj Bradley, and Zack Littell. They’ll face them all again this weekend, plus Ryan Pepiot.
It would behoove the Orioles to knock the stuffing out of this inferior team as they come home after to face the Braves and Phillies.
Game 1: Friday, June 7th, 6:50 p.m., MASN2
LHP Cole Irvin (11 G/9 GS, 57 IP 2.84 ERA/3.66 FIP) vs. RHP Aaron Civale (12 GS, 62 IP, 5.37 ERA/4.48 FIP)
Last weekend the Orioles needed a long start from Cole Irvin against the Rays. That’s exactly what they got. Irvin pitched 6.1 innings of two-run baseball to help save a bullpen that had been ravaged from Bradish’s short start the day before. The Orioles lost that game but it wasn’t Irvin’s fault. I’d be thrilled with another result like this tonight.
Aaron Civale has been bad this season but his last two starts haven’t shown that. His last start, of course, came against the Orioles. They totally rolled over for him. Civale gave up just one run on 6 hits in 5.1 innings and it was only him coming out of the game that allowed the Orioles to come back and win the game.
Hopefully after seeing him just a week ago, the Orioles will be ready to up their offensive game and treat Civale like the pitcher he has been since he was traded to the Rays last July.
Game 2: Saturday, June 8th, 4:10 p.m., MASN2 and MLBN (out-of-network only)
TBD vs Taj Bradley (5 GS, 26.1 IP, 5.81 ERA/5.30 FIP)
The Orioles lit Taj Bradley up like a Christmas tree last Saturday. He lasted just 3.1 innings and gave up nine runs to the Birds including four home runs. Ryan Mountcastle hit two, Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg hit one apiece. His ERA, now 5.81, was just 3.13 before that start. It’s hard to imagine things going that poorly for Bradley again, but I wouldn’t complain if they did.
Grayson Rodriguez will be on regular rest on this day. He had a nice 6.2 IP, 1 ER performance against the Blue Jays and currently has a 3.28 ERA in 10 starts.
Game 3: Sunday, June 9th, 1:40 p.m., MASN2 and MLBN (out-of-network only)
TBD vs RHP Zack Littell (12 GS, 68.1 IP, 3.56 ERA/3.11 FIP)
Last Sunday against the Orioles, Littell gave up three runs to the Orioles in six innings, the good old quality start. He allowed a lot of traffic on the bases and it could have been worse for him, but the Orioles left 13 men on base. In six innings.
Though he hasn’t been announced for this game, Corbin Burnes will be on regular rest on Sunday. The Orioles have been good about keeping him on regular rest. In his last two starts, Burnes pitched a total 14 innings with just one earned run total. That’s pretty darn good.
Game 4: Monday, June 10th, 6:50 p.m., MASN
TBD vs. RHP Ryan Pepiot (10 GS, 52.1 IP, 3.96 ERA/3.41 FIP)
Hey it’s a new face! The Orioles did not face Pepiot in their last series. Pepiot was part of the trade that sent Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 26-year-old had short stints with the Dodgers in 2022 and 2023 but has been a full-time member of the Rays this season with mixed results.
Pepiot is a strikeout pitcher, putting up 10.1 K/9 through his first 10 starts. His single-game high for the season is 11, which he did on back on April 7th against the Rockies. He has mostly held his own in games, pitching six innings in five of his 10 starts and 5.2 innings in two others.
If Bradish does pitch this weekend, it’ll probably be Albert Suárez who is squeezed out. If not, Suárez will attempt to continue his surprising season, where he has pitched to a 1.83 ERA in 13 games.