Ryan Mountcastle returns to the roster as the O’s try to secure a playoff spot and prevent the Yankees from clinching the AL East.
As the Orioles begin a three-game series at Yankee Stadium, there’s a whole lot on the line. Just not exactly the same stuff we expected.
A couple of weeks ago, most fans figured this three-game series could well decide the AL East race, with the O’s and Yanks jockeying for position atop the division for much of the season. That, unfortunately, is out the window now. The Yankees’ recent hot streak, and the Orioles’ continued slide, have put the Yanks an insurmountable six games ahead with six games to play. The O’s no longer have any realistic shot at winning the East.
The Yanks’ next win will officially clinch their division crown. The Orioles would rather that celebration not take place right in front of them, but it’s a fait accompli unless the O’s somehow sweep.
In addition to trying to deny the Yankees a clinch, the O’s are looking for a clinch of their own, with a magic number of two to lock down a postseason spot. It could happen tonight, if the O’s win and either the Twins or Royals lose. But those two teams are playing against the hapless Marlins and Nationals, respectively, so the Orioles shouldn’t count on getting outside help. And the Tigers already won this afternoon, with Tarik Skubal leading them over the Rays, inching them within three games of the Birds for the top wild card spot. So the Orioles need to focus on taking care of their own business by winning some games.
The Birds’ lineup continues to get healthier. After the returns of Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías on Sunday, Ryan Mountcastle is back from the IL tonight (replacing the slumping and seldom-used Eloy Jiménez). Mountcastle, though, is not in the lineup against right-hander Clarke Schmidt, even though Ryan O’Hearn looks like he could use a day off (or possibly a week).
With each passing day that the O’s fail to clinch, it increases the possibility that they’ll somehow miss out on the playoffs entirely. I don’t like that feeling. So come on, Orioles, let’s get this done.
Orioles lineup:
SS Gunnar Henderson
C Adley Rutschman
RF Anthony Santander
LF Colton Cowser
2B Jordan Westburg
1B Ryan O’Hearn
DH Heston Kjerstad
3B Ramón Urías
CF Cedric Mullins
RHP Dean Kremer
Yankees lineup:
2B Gleyber Torres
RF Juan Soto
CF Aaron Judge
C Austin Wells
DH Giancarlo Stanton
3B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
1B Anthony Rizzo
SS Anthony Volpe
LF Alex Verdugo
RHP Clarke Schmidt