Sunday afternoon Orioles game thread: vs. White Sox, 1:05

Today’s face-off between the Orioles and the White Sox is the final game before a four-day vacation.

Half a day away from baseball’s annual Midsummer Classic — in Colorado this year — the Orioles are 28-60 at the start of play and sit 26 games out in the AL East cellar. On the other hand, their opponent is 53-35 with a 7.5-game lead in the AL Central.

As we head into the All-Star break, the O’s will send rookie Spenser Watkins to the mound trying to avoid a series sweep at the hands of the White Sox. The 28-year-old starter was impressive against the Blue Jays recently, allowing just one run over five innings. He’s got a challenge ahead of him today against Chicago’s lineup.

Baltimore has been outscored 20-4 in the first two games of this series, and they will face starter Dylan Cease today. On May 27, the 25-year-old right-hander held the O’s to one run over six innings and had 10 strikeouts. But Cease has had a rough go of it since then, carrying a 5.80 ERA in his past seven starts.

Orioles lineup

1. Cedric Mullins CF
2. Austin Hays RF
3. Anthony Santander DH
4. Ryan Mountcastle 1B
5. Ramón Urías SS
6. Ryan McKenna LF
7. Domingo Leyba 2B
8. Pedro Severino C
9. Kelvin Gutierrez 3B

RHP Spenser Watkins

White Sox lineup

1. Tim Anderson SS
2. Yoán Moncada 3B
3. José Abreu DH
4. Brian Goodwin RF
5. Adam Engel CF
6. Leury García 2B
7. Andrew Vaughn LF
8. Gavin Sheets 1B
9. Seby Zavala C

RHP Dylan Cease