Late theatrics from Gunnar Henderson gave the Orioles a win in the first game. What does Game 2 have in store?
It’s already been a heck of an eventful day in Birdland, with a surprise morning trade of Bryan Baker leading in to a doubleheader against the Mets. The Orioles offense slept through seven innings in the first game of the day before Gunnar Henderson delivered a pinch-hit go-ahead homer in the eighth inning to give the Orioles a win.
One way to look at the Game 1 miracle is: Man, it’s a real shame that Baker completely blew the first game of the series on Tuesday night. If the Orioles had two wins already in the bag against the Mets and the chance at a sweep, that would really be something! Instead, they need to win this second game, when they’ll be facing a random lefty, in order to come away with a series win.
With the postseason odds being what they are, even winning two of three might not be enough. Baker already being traded means to some degree the sell-off has already begun. Something crazy like six or nine wins in a row might shift Mike Elias’s thinking, but I think anything short of that does mean that, in two weeks from now, he’ll start completing trades of his sellable assets as he’s able to start getting buyers to pounce on them with a deal that he likes.
Orioles lineup
- Jackson Holliday – DH
- Jordan Westburg – 2B
- Gunnar Henderson – SS
- Ryan O’Hearn – 1B
- Ramón Laureano – RF
- Colton Cowser – LF
- Ramón Urías – 3B
- Cedric Mullins – CF
- Alex Jackson – C
Tomoyuki Sugano is the starting pitcher for the Orioles. He hasn’t been good for about a month. It’s time to change that!
Mets lineup
- Brandon Nimmo – LF
- Francisco Lindor – SS
- Juan Soto – RF
- Pete Alonso – 1B
- Jeff McNeil – CF
- Mark Vientos – DH
- Brett Baty – 3B
- Luisangel Acuña – 2B
- Hayden Senger – C
The Mets are employing the “try to beat the Orioles with any lefty” starting pitcher strategy by sending out Brandon Waddell, who true O’s sickos may remember from a one-game tenure in 2021. Waddell has never started an MLB game though he has done some multi-inning relief so this may not be a total opener situation.