To say the Orioles have played a gauntlet in May would be an understatement. Seven of their eight opponents had winning records, four of the seven were, or are, first place teams, and of the seven, all of them are expected to contend or solidify a postseason spot.
Baltimore, however, has stood strong, going 4-2-1 in series this month and are guaranteed a winning month as they have gone 15-10. They have played 35 of the last 38 calendar days as well.
To say the Orioles might have some fatigue would be an understatement, yet they continue to find ways to win. Coming off their first series loss since playing Atlanta, the Orioles will welcome the Cleveland Guardians to town for a set of three.
The Orioles (34-19) will send Tyler Wells, Kyle Gibson and a TBD pitcher to take the mound the next three days. The Guardians (23-29) will counter with Logan Allen, Cal Quantrill and Shane Beiber.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
One of the staples of the Orioles’ success this year has been the bullpen. They currently rank second in the majors with an ERA of 3.07 and are eighth with a 1.22 WHIP.
Unfortunately, against the Rangers, the bullpen lost its way to the tune of a 4.89 ERA across 9.2 innings of work. Against a team like Cleveland, which ranks last in OPS and 28th in batting average, the Orioles will have a chance to redeem themselves and improve upon their season.
Having a lead in the late innings and getting to the point where O’s manager Brandon Hyde can give the ball to Yennier Canó and Félix Bautista will allow the Orioles to be in a position to win yet another series.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUPS
Cleveland Guardians (23-29): Managed by Terry Francona
1. Steven Kwan LF
2. Amed Rosario SS
3. José Ramírez DH
4. Josh Naylor 1B
5. Gabriel Arias 3B
6. Andrés Giménez 2B
7. Myles Straw CF
8. Will Brennan RF
9. Cam Gallagher C
SP. Logan Allen LHP (2-1, 3.31 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles (34-19): Managed by Brandon Hyde
1. Cedric Mullins CF
2. Austin Hays LF
3. Anthony Santander DH
4. Ryan Mountcastle 1B
5. Ramón Urías 3B
6. James McCann C
7. Adam Frazier 2B
8. Ryan McKenna RF
9. Jorge Mateo SS
SP. Tyler Wells RHP (3-1, 3.47 ERA)
Game one is slated for a 1:05 p.m. EST start time as Memorial Day celebrations will ensue. Game two will begin at 7:05 p.m. EST, with game three set for 3:05 p.m. EST. You can catch each game on MASN or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.
How do you see this series playing out? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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