The Orioles will look to slow Boston’s pursuit of the final Wild Card spot in the American League.
The Orioles and Yankees hold two of the better records in baseball, but they have yet to completely bury the Red Sox. Baltimore will host Boston this weekend and attempt to extend the distance between the first two spots and third place in the AL East.
A division crown may seem unlikely, but the Sox still hold a legitimate chance at a playoff berth. Boston currently sits just outside of the third Wild Card spot trailing the AL East runner up, the Twins and the Royals.
Rafael Devers continues to anchor the division foe. He leads the team with 25 homers and trails only Jarren Duran in hits. Duran has impressed from the leadoff spot with a .300/.379 /.587 slash line, but he recently served a two-game suspension for the use of a slur toward a fan.
Kenley Jansen still holds a narrow lead in the career save category over Baltimore’s Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel appears to have pitched his way out of the closer role, but Jansen could extend his lead if the Red Sox manage a close victory.
Game 1: Thursday, August 15, 6:35, MASN
RHP Zach Eflin (8-7, 3.83 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.44 ERA)
Zach Eflin has provided Baltimore some much needs stability after arriving last month. Eflin holds a 3-0 record and a 2.33 ERA over his first 19.1 innings in an Orioles’ uniform. Eflin appears more than capable of delivering at least six innings on any given night. Brandon Hyde will welcome any length that the veteran can provide with the bullpen struggling to navigate three frames on a daily basis.
Pivetta will enter the series with a 1.143 WHIP and a 5.09 K/BB ratio. Pivetta has held lefties to a .193 batting average this season, so look for Hyde to play the matchup game against the righty.
Game 2: Friday, August 16, 7:05, MASN
RHP Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.71 ERA) vs. TBD
Speaking of stability, Corbin Burnes has been an absolute rock for the Orioles this season. The free-agent-to-be should be considered a front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, and he’s fully lived up to expectations after arriving in the offseason.
Burnes will face a Boston lineup that ranks seventh in homers (148), fifth in runs scored (594) and second in hits (1085).
The Red Sox have yet to announce a starter for Friday.
Game 3: Saturday, August 17, 7:05, MASN
RHP Albert Suárez (5-4, 3.39 ERA) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (10-5, 4.97 ERA)
Albert Suárez may not move the needle like Burnes or Eflin, but the 34-year-old swingman has saved the Birds multiple times this year. Suárez has delivered 11.2 scoreless frames since rejoining the rotation last week.
Brayan Bello currently holds the highest ERA of his three-year tenure with the Sox, but the 25-year-old still has 10 wins on the season. Bello’s heater averages around 96 MPH and he features a 50.7 ground ball percentage.
Game 4: Sunday, August 18, 1:35, MASN
LHP Trevor Rogers (2-11, 4.89 ERA) vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (8-9, 4.21 ERA)
While Eflin immediately won over fans, Trevor Rogers still has some work to do. The Orioles parted with Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to net the 26-year-old. Rogers will not be a free agent until 2027, but the Orioles need the former Marlin to take a step forward before the playoffs.
Eflin, Burnes and Suárez should keep the bullpen in a decent spot, but it could be all hands on deck this Sunday. Rogers failed to record more than 15 outs in any of his first three starts with the club.
Kutter Crawford is 0-1 against the Orioles this season with five earned runs over a pair of starts.