The O’s hope to put an end to their five-game losing streak and close out the first half with a win over New York.
If at the beginning of the season, you’d told Orioles fans that a win in the last game before the All-Star break means that Baltimore would head into the break in first place, everyone would’ve taken that offer. Even as the O’s are playing their worst baseball of the season, they still have that opportunity as they close out the first half against the rival Yankees.
Anyway you slice it, July has been pretty awful for the Orioles. Baltimore is 4-7 and are on pace for their first losing month since September/October 2022. Orioles pitching, which was previously a strength in the first three months, has taken a big blow over the last 11 games. The O’s July ERA is 5.66, which more than two runs higher than their combined ERA from April-June. Opponents are slugging .466 against the Orioles staff this month—nearly 100 points higher than Orioles opponents slugging percentage from the first three months.
The O’s’ current five-game losing streak has also seen their bats struggle in a big way. Since the first game of the Cubs series, the Orioles are 1-31 with RISP, are hitting .201 as a team and are averaging less than one run per game. These struggles at the plate are far more surprising given the depth of the Orioles order, especially when compare to the Baltimore rotation.
The O’s lineup has four All-Stars and a couple of more players who would’ve been deserving selections. Of the Orioles current 3-5 starters, only Dean Kremer began the season in the rotation and likely none of them would be starters if the Orioles staff was fully healthy. Perhaps, given the rash of injuries to the starting rotation, it was inevitable that the rotation would struggle at some point. The fact that the bats have gone ice cold at the same time has plunged the O’s into probably their worst stretch of baseball in the entire Adley Rutschman Era.
Perhaps there’s reason to be hopeful given who New York is sending to the mound. Lefty Carlos Rodón has only made one start against the O’s since joining the Yankees, and the Baltimore bats beat him up to the tune of seven runs over four innings, including three home runs. Rodón has typically struggled against the Birds, as he has a 5.74 ERA in 26.2 career innings vs. Baltimore. Those numbers get even worse at Camden Yards, where Rodón has a 7.50 career ERA in 12 innings. Hopefully Rodón’s struggles vs. the Orioles outweigh Dean Kremer’s struggles against New York. The Orioles’ starter has a 4.70 ERA in his career vs. the Yankees.
Orioles lineup
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B
- Anthony Santander (S) RF
- Jordan Westburg (R) 3B
- Austin Hays (R) LF
- Jorge Mateo (R) 2B
- Colton Cowser (L) CF
- James McCann (R) C
Starting pitcher: RHP Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.42 ERA, 60 Ks)
Yankees lineup
- Ben Rice (L) 1B
- Juan Soto (L) RF
- Aaron Judge (R) DH
- Alex Verdugo (L) LF
- Gleyber Torres (R) 2B
- Austin Wells (L) C
- Anthony Volpe (R) SS
- Trent Grisham (L) CF
- Oswaldo Cabrera (S) 3B
Starting pitcher: LHP Carlos Rodón (9-7, 4.63 ERA, 105 Ks)