The Birds are back in Baltimore for two quick games against the Washington Nationals.
The Orioles are home for the first time this month, kicking off a six-game homestand at Camden Yards tonight. First, it’s two quick games against their Beltway/MASN “rival,” the Washington Nationals. At 54-65, fourth in the NL East, the rebuilding Nationals are probably out of the playoff hunt, but they’re not bad, and this game shouldn’t be a cakewalk.
Especially because tonight’s starter matchup features the Orioles’ No. 4 (No. 5?) in LHP Trevor Rodgers against the Nats’ No. 1, right hander Jake Irvin. A fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma in 2018, Irvin debuted last year and went 3-7 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.42 WHIP. His stats are much improved this year, at 8-10 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. The biggest difference: he’s cut his walks in half from 4.02 per game last season 2.14 this year. That was a lot of walks!
Irvin’s last start was a rough one, a five-inning effort against San Francisco in which he allowed five runs on eight hits, including three homers. Irvin has a six-pitch mix and throws his curveball (33.8%) almost as much his heater (37.5%). No current Oriole has faced him.
As for the Orioles’ Trevor Rogers, a 2-10 record is certainly not all his fault (blame Miami’s limp offense, too) but he certainly hasn’t been glorious as an Oriole, with a 6.75 ERA and 1.929 WHIP in two starts so far. Still, his second start was better than his first: he allowed three runs (two earned) in five innings on six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts against the Blue Jays. A few Nationals have faced Rogers with some success: CJ Abrams has a home run in five trips and Alex Call is 1-for-3. However, several others (catcher Keibert Ruiz, second baseman Luis García and Ildemaro Vargas) have struggled against the left hander.
Orioles lineup
1. Colton Cowser LF (L)
2. Anthony Santander RF (S)
3. Gunnar Henderson SS (L)
4. Ryan O’Hearn DH (L)
5. Adley Rutschman C (S)
6. Ryan Mountcastle 1B (R)
7. Cedric Mullins CF (L)
8. Jackson Holliday 2B (L)
9. Ramón Urías 3B (R)
The Orioles are almost all southpaw tonight, with Colton Cowser in the leadoff spot again and playing left, Ryan O’Hearn at DH, Adley Rutschman catching and hitting in the fifth spot, and only Mountcastle and Urías batting from the right side.
Nationals lineup
1. Alex Call RF (R)
2. CJ Abrams SS (L)
3. Juan Yepez DH (R)
4. Keibert Ruiz C (S)
5. James Wood LF (L)
6. Andrés Chaparro 1B (R)
7. Ildemaro Vargas 3B (S)
8. Luis García Jr. 2B (L)
9. Jacob Young CF (R)
Face of the franchise CJ Abrams has been replaced at the top of the lineup by Alex Call, a one-time third-rounder who struggled last season but is OPS’ing 1.072 since getting called up in late July. Abrams still leads the team in most offensive categories, although he’s been struggling with back spasms this month. Outfielder James Wood, a Rockville, MD native, is slashing .358/.469/.642 in his last 15 games. The right side of the Nats infield is hot, too, with lefty second baseman Luis García hitting .380/.422/.648 over the last month and Juan Yépez, at first, .310/.357/.483 in that same span.