The Orioles look to bounce back after Friday’s walk-off loss in Minneapolis
Friday night’s loss in the series opener proved two things: closer Jorge Lopez is in fact human, and Byron Buxton might not be. It also put a little more pressure on the Orioles heading into Saturday afternoon’s matchup. The Os will need a win Saturday if they want to finish their 10-game road trip with a winning record (they are currently 4-4). However, this Orioles team has been defying odds and expectations all season, and Saturday provides them with another opportunity to do so. On the road, against a first-place team, needing a win for a successful road trip. Past versions of the Os would have certainly folded, but we have come to expect more from the Birds in 2022.
Standing in the Orioles’ way Saturday is Minnesota’s de facto ace, Sonny Gray. The veteran righty leads the Twins’ starters with a 2.17 ERA and a strikeout rate of 8.9 Ks per nine innings. Last time out Gray threw seven scoreless innings in an 11-1 Twins win over the Guardians in Cleveland. Gray has been a little bit more vulnerable at Target Field this season, posting a higher ERA, WHIP and batting average against in the Twin Cities. Still, Gray will almost undoubtedly make Orioles hitters earn the win today—in a way they came just short of on Friday.
The Orioles will counter Gray with their own ace, Jordan Lyles. The 12-year vet will look to overcome his struggles so far this season on the road and match the performance Baltimore got out of Spenser Watkins in the opener. So far in his Orioles career, Lyles is 3-5 with a 6.47 ERA on the road. The long ball has been his biggest bugaboo, as all 11 of Lyles HRs allowed this year have come away from Camden Yards. Lyles is coming off one of his stronger away showings of the season after he rebounded from a rough start to throw seven innings against the White Sox on 6/26.
Orioles Lineup:
CF Cedric Mullins
RF Trey Mancini
LF Anthony Santander
DH Austin Hays
1B Ryan Mountcastle
2B Rougned Odor
C Robinson Chirinos
3B Tyler Nevin
SS Jorge Mateo
Twins Lineup:
1B Luis Arraez
DH Byron Buxton
SS Carlos Correa
RF Max Kepler
2B Jorge Polanco
CF Nick Gordon
LF Alex Kiriloff
C Gary Sanchez
3B Gio Urshela