Baltimore turns to Keegan Akin as an opener, with interim manager Tony Mansolino mixing things up to try to end the O’s seven-game losing streak.
Where to watch: MASN 2
Probable pitchers: LHP Keegan Akin (0-0, 3.27 ERA, 24 Ks) vs. RHP Logan Henderson (2-0, 2.45 ERA, 16 Ks)
It’s been more than four years since the Orioles last had a losing streak longer than seven games. If they drop Game 2 tonight in Milwaukee, their current streak will stretch to eight and the cloud of despair above Birdland will only grow thicker.
Perhaps to try and break this team out of their prolonged funk, interim manager Tony Mansolino makes his first roll of the dice since his promotion. He’ll use normal long man Keegan Akin as the game’s opener, with rookie Chayce McDermott scheduled to follow the lefty. It’s not an entirely new role for Akin; he’s been used as an opener three times over the last four seasons, including last month in Detroit. Against the Tigers, he pitched 1.2 scoreless innings before giving way to Charlie Morton.
McDermott will look to build upon a rough season debut last week against the Twins. Getting the start in the second game of a doubleheader, McDermott gave up an RBI single in the 1st, a two-run homer in the 2nd and another RBI single in the 3rd. He got pulled after allowing those four runs in three innings, but did manage to register five punchouts in his brief appearance. Mansolino will hope that by entering in the 2nd or 3rd inning, McDermott can build some confidence against the bottom half of the Brewers’ order.
The Brewers will counter the Orioles rookie with a rookie pitcher of their own, as Logan Henderson makes his third big league start. Milwaukee’s No.12 prospect has acquitted himself nicely in his transition to the bigs, earning wins against the Athletics and Guardians while going 5+ innings in both starts. The former fourth-round pick from the 2021 draft has found a lot of success with his plus changeup, getting batters to swing and miss at the offspeed pitch 35.5% of the time. The matchup could set up well for Gunnar Henderson, who’s hitting .300 with a .650 slugging percentage against changeups this season.
Tonight’s game also continues round two the Battle of the Jacksons, as the Orioles and Brewers’ 21-year-old rising stars play their second series against each other. So far neither has bathed themselves in glory in these matchups, with Jackson Holliday 2-for-12 lifetime against Milwaukee and Jackson Chourio 1-for-16 lifetime against Baltimore. Holliday is the hotter of the two Jacksons, though, slashing .302/.348/.512 in his last 10 games compared to .163/.182/.256 for Chourio.
Orioles Lineup
- Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Ramón Laureano (R) RF
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) DH
- Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B
- Cedric Mullins (L) CF
- Heston Kjerstad (L) LF
- Ramón Urías (R) 3B
Brewers Lineup
- Brice Turang (L) 2B
- Jackson Chourio (R) CF
- William Contreras (R) C
- Christian Yelich (L) DH
- Rhys Hoskins (R) 1B
- Isaac Collins (S) LF
- Sal Frelick (L) RF
- Caleb Durbin (R) 3B
- Joey Ortiz (R) SS