The last time the Rangers saw the Orioles, the Birds were in the early stages of a 10-game winning streak and taking the baseball world by surprise.
The Orioles are now a .500 ball club that might make some calculative moves during the trade deadline, while the Rangers are five games under .500 and might be looking to sell off some pieces, most notably scheduled game three starter, Martín Pérez.
The distraction of the trade deadline could interfere with the series, as Jorge López, Anthony Santander, Jordan Lyles and even Cedric Mullins have been names that have popped up across baseball.
Trey Mancini has officially been traded to the Houston Astros, after traveling with the club to Arlington. The news about this trade can be found here.
The Rangers, who have lost six of their last 10 games, will send Jon Gray, Spencer Howard and All-Star Martín Pérez to face an Orioles’ lineup that just hit .143 with RISP against the Reds.
The Oriole starters for the series will be Spenser Watkins, Jordan Lyles and Kyle Bradish, who had a strong return from the 15 day-IL against Cincinnati.
Anthony Santader keeps boosting his trade value, as he is in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak. During that streak, he is hitting .385 (17-for-43) with four home runs, 10 RBIs and eight runs scored.
Last series against Cincinnati, he would go 7-for-12 (.583 BA), including two home runs, increasing his team-lead to 19 on the season.
❌️-FACTOR:
The Baltimore Battery ❌-FACTOR for the series is going to be the Orioles’ offense. After a dismal 3-for-21 with RISP, the offense looks stale and reverted to its early season struggles.
On the year, they rank 24th in batting (.324), 21st in runs (425) and 23rd in hits (803). In order to keep their chances alive for a Wild Card birth, they will need to have a strong attack and take advantage of scoring chances.
Last series against Texas saw two games go into extra innings and all three decided by one run. In order to assure success, Baltimore will need to be aggressive and take advantage of the opportunities when they arise.
ROSTER MOVES:
As we all know, Trey Mancini has been traded to the Astros, which means a roster spot has been open and now filled.
O’s No. 23 prospect, outfielder Yusniel Díaz, has been called-up from Triple-A Norfolk. His first appearance will be his big league debut.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP:
First pitch of this series is set for 8:05 p.m. EST tonight from Arlington. You can catch each game on MASN2 or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.
How do you see this series playing out? Let us know in the comments below! And make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook and Twitter, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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