The Orioles struck first in the three-game series between AL East rivals. Can they clinch a series win tonight?
If last night’s hard-fought slugfest was any indication, the Orioles and Blue Jays are in for a tooth-and-nail battle in their 14 remaining games this season.
The two clubs combined for six home runs in yesterday’s series opener in which the O’s ultimately prevailed, 7-4. In five head-to-head games so far this year, the Orioles lead the season series, 3-2, and have outscored the Blue Jays by one run. How well these teams perform against each other for the rest of 2022 will have major implications for the Wild Card aspirations for both clubs.
Tonight’s pitching matchup seems slanted against the Orioles, not that that’s ever stopped them. The Blue Jays will send All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah, whose 2.45 ERA is fourth-best in the AL, to the hill. Manoah hasn’t lost any of his four career starts to the Birds since debuting in the majors last year (and with a 21-7 career record, he hasn’t lost to much of anyone).
The O’s will counter with Kyle Bradish, making his third start since returning from the injured list. In each of his previous two outings, Bradish struggled early — giving up two runs in the first to the Reds, and one in the first to the Rangers — before settling down long enough to work five frames apiece. His only other start against the Blue Jays was a rocky one, a five-run, nine-hit slog in which he failed to get out of the fifth.
Orioles lineup:
CF Cedric Mullins
C Adley Rutschman
RF Anthony Santander
1B Ryan Mountcastle
DH Terrin Vavra
LF Austin Hays
2B Rougned Odor
3B Ramon Urias
SS Jorge Mateo
RHP Kyle Bradish
Blue Jays lineup:
LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
DH Vladimir Guerrero
C Alejandro Kirk
3B Matt Chapman
SS Bo Bichette
RF Raimel Tapia
CF Whit Merrifield
1B Cavan Biggio
2B Santiago Espinal
RHP Alek Manoah