Baltimore aims for their 90th win of the season a day after clinching the top Wild Card spot in Minneapolis.
It’s game 161. The Orioles have already clinched a home playoff series and are in the enviable position of having nothing left to play for. The O’s do have a chance to secure consecutive 90+ win seasons for the first time since 1982 and 1983. In reality, though, these last two games are more about figuring out who will take the last spots on the postseason roster.
As we round out the regular season, the working theory is that Matt Bowman and Cade Povich are vying to be the last man included in the Orioles’ October pitching staff. Povich was dominant in his last start of the season yesterday, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings while limiting the team that drafted him to two hits. Bowman will presumably get an extended look today as he serves as Baltimore’s opener in a bullpen game.
After coming over from Seattle on waivers, the veteran righty reliever was dominant to start his Orioles career. In his first 12 appearances in the black and orange, Bowman threw 13 innings, only allowed one run and punched out 11. He seemed well on his way to being this year’s Jacob Webb as a waiver wire flyer who earned a prominent role in the Baltimore bullpen.
His last two outings have been less than stellar, though. In two appearances against the Yankees, Bowman allowed five runs across 1.1 innings and gave up his first two home runs as an Oriole. The Orioles already have four lefties likely to make their postseason pen, meaning the righty Bowman may have a slight edge on Povich when it comes to making the 26-man roster for the Wildcard series. A good showing today might seal that place.
Offensively, the Orioles may choose to keep all 14 of the position players currently on the roster, but if they do trim the bench by one, the battle for the last spots should come down to Jackson Holliday, Emmanuel Rivera and Austin Slater. Holliday is the only backup shortstop on the roster, so his place on the team may be safe—despite hitting .160 in September. Slater is only doing slightly better, putting up a .214 average and .563 OPS in limited playing time this month. Rivera has hit the best of the three (.264 average, .689 OPS), but is redundant defensively with the return of Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías.
All three of Holliday, River and Slater get the start against Twins rookie Zebby Matthews. Even with a lineup full of bench players, the offense could be in for a good day against the rookie right-hander. The former 8th-round pick out of Western Carolina has struggled to keep the ball in the park, allowing nine home runs across 34.2 innings in eight starts.
Orioles lineup
- Jackson Holliday (L) SS
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Anthony Santander (S) RF
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) 1B
- Ryan Mountcastle (R) DH
- Heston Kjerstad (L) LF
- Ramón Urías (R) 2B
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) 3B
- Austin Slater (R) CF
Starting pitcher: RHP Matt Bowman (1-0, 4.60 ERA, 22 Ks)
Twins lineup
- Edouard Julien (L) 2B
- Austin Martin (R) CF
- Brooks Lee (S) SS
- Royce Lewis (R) DH
- Carlos Santana (S) 1B
- Willi Castro (S) LF
- Ryan Jeffers (R) C
- Kyle Farmer (R) 3B
- Manuel Margot (R) RF
Starting pitcher: RHP Zebby Matthews (1-3, 5.71 ERA, 38 Ks)