Can Kyle Bradish play stopper? Can the Orioles’ bats recover from last night?
Tonight is game two of this brief two-game set against the Nationals before the Orioles head home for a nine-game homestand. A win would get the Orioles to 24-12 and ensure they remain in first place for another day. A loss would give the Nationals the two-game sweep, the first time that will have happened for the Orioles in the regular season since before Adley Rutschman’s debut in 2022.
Not getting swept is a lot of fun. It’s also not a huge deal if it happens, aside from the fact that it means another mark in the loss column. Good teams get swept, especially in silly two-game series. But even though I recognize it’s not a huge deal, I like the no-sweeps thing. Aside from it being fun trivia. it means the Orioles never get too far down in the dumps. No long losing streaks that make me miserable for days on end. I really hope it doesn’t end tonight.
Pitching for the Nationals is Mitchell Parker, who has just a 1.93 FIP in four starts this year. He has yet to give up a home run on the year. The pessimist in me sees a rookie lefty that the Orioles definitely won’t solve. On the other hand, the Orioles have hit eight more home runs than any other team in the AL and are averaging 5.14 runs per game. Someone is going to get to Parker, might as well be them.
Kyle Bradish makes his second start of the season after an impressive game against the Yankees last week. Even with all of the good starting pitching the Orioles have had recently, he is the guy I want to see out there. Of course, it won’t matter if the offense doesn’t back him up. The bats are too good to stay down for long. Let’s it was only one game.
The Orioles aren’t going with their hardcore vs lefties lineup tonight. Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins are both getting the chance against Mitchell, who has reverse splits in the small sample size that is his major league career.
Orioles lineup
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Adley Rutschman – DH
Ryan Mountcastle – 1B
Anthony Santander – RF
Jordan Westburg – 3B
Jorge Mateo – 2B
Colton Cowser – LF
James McCann – C
Cedric Mullins – CF
SP: RHP Kyle Bradish (1 GS, 4.2 IP, 1.93 ERA, 2 BB, 5 K)
Nationals lineup
Jacob Young – CF
CJ Abrams – SS
Luis García – 2B
Nick Senzel – DH
Jesse Winker – LF
Joey Meneses – 1B
Keibert Ruiz – C
Eddie Rosario – RF
Trey Lipscomb – 3B
SP: LHP Mitchell Parker (4 GS, 2.53 ERA, 21.1 IP, 4 BB, 19 K)
Let’s go O’s!