Orioles Magic is alive and well, as the Baltimore Orioles are winners of their last eight games, with a chance to extend their streak in Chicago against the Cubs.
The Cubs and Orioles have met once this season, only playing one game so far. Game two of the first series in Baltimore was postponed due to inclement weather.
In that one matchup, the O’s matched their season-high in home runs with five and ended that rainy evening with a 9-3 victory.
This time around, the Orioles have a bit more to play for with their eight-game win streak on the line. Luckily for the Birds, they will get two hot arms on the mound in Jordan Lyles and Spenser Watkins.
Between Lyles and Watkins’ previous two starts each in July combined, they have allowed a low total of four runs over 25 innings. That duo has also collected two wins in their four combined starts.
The offense has been scorching hot during this winning streak. They have scored five or more runs in four of those games, with three of them seeing seven or more cross the plate. There was also one game the O’s put up 10.
❌-FACTOR:
A huge factor going into this series, which leads us into The Baltimore Battery’s ❌-FACTOR, is the bullpen after getting a day off.
During the eight-game winning streak that saw a game played in eight straight days, the bullpen has been used a lot. Jorge López pitched in six out of nine days, while Keegan Akin saw a lot of use, as did Dillon Tate.
Luckily, a day off after Austin Voth was able to deliver five innings is crucial. Eventually, this offense will cool down, and it will be necessary for the bullpen to be at full strength when that happens.
If the bullpen is lights out like usual, even a weaker offensive attack from the Orioles can still bring success.
Game 1 Starting Lineup:
This series begins tonight at 8:05 p.m. EST. You can catch each game on MASN or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.
How do you see this brief two-game series playing out? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter! And make sure to use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content to show your Birdland swag!
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