The Boston Red Sox have announced their starter for the Opening Day matchup against the Baltimore Orioles, as they have decided to have 36-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber take the mound.
With the news being broken, we have put together the lineup O’s fans will most likely see against the veteran right-hander. It goes as follows.
- 1. Cedric Mullins CF
- 2. Adley Rutschman C
- 3. Anthony Santander DH
- 4. Ryan Mountcastle 1B
- 5. Gunnar Henderson 3B
- 6. Austin Hays LF
- 7. Kyle Stowers RF
- 8. Ramón Urías 2B
- 9. Jorge Mateo SS
One player to look out for in this lineup is Anthony Santander. After having a rough start against Kluber in his first five at-bats, not recording a hit and striking out twice, Santander had a great year against Kluber in 2022.
Carrying a .583 average and a 1.688 OPS in 12 at-bats, Santander had seven total hits, two doubles, one home run, two RBIs, drew three walks and only struck out once.
The only issue? His home run hit off Kluber would have left every ballpark except for Fenway Park, where this year’s opening contest is held.
Ramón Urías is another player that has a fighting chance to make the Opening Day lineup at second base. He had just one hit against Kluber in 2021, which resulted in a single, and he also drew a walk.
So why choose Urías to start over the newly acquired lefty bat of Adam Frazier?
We could go with the fact that Frazier has never faced Kluber before. But we wanted to dive deeper into what Urías has accomplished.
Urías carried a .417 batting average and collected three RBIs against Kluber. While Urías only tallied singles in his five total hits, he still drove in three and had a .370 batting average at Fenway Park in 2022.
Some players will have their first experience against Kluber on Opening Day. Gunnar Henderson and Kyle Stowers have never faced off against the crafty right-hander but have both played at Fenway Park, where they have shown success in minimal appearances.
Henderson carried a 1.136 OPS at Fenway in 2022, while Stowers’ OPS was at 1.250. Both guys are expected to make the O’s Opening Day lineup and make their debuts against Kluber.
The rest of the lineup is what you would expect as the everyday lineup. But what should we expect to see from Kluber on March 30?
Kluber has pitched in seven games in his career at Fenway Park and has held batters to a .238 batting average, resulting in a 3.53 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched. Against the Orioles in his career, Kluber carries a 3.94 ERA in 16 games, 96 innings pitched, with a 6-4 record against the Birds.
Looking for the perfect way to show your love for the Baltimore Orioles? Look no further than Birdland Sports!
As a small business run by Orioles fans, Birdland Sports offers a great selection of unofficial merchandise that’s affordable and high-quality.
From the popular “Birds Are Coming” tees to unique player cartoon shirts and World Series prediction designs, Birdland Sports has everything you need to support your team.
Plus, use the code BBZack at checkout to get 10 percent off your order! Visit http://www.birdlandsports.com today to browse their collection and gear up for the season!
Who do you see cracking the Opening Day lineup for the Birds? 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!
Like Zack’s content? Follow him on Twitter – @Zackattack8211
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment