For the first time in quite a while, the Cincinnati Reds pay a visit to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for what will be an exciting three-game series, to say the least.
The Reds come in as easily the hottest team in baseball, having won 12 out of their last 14 games. They have been driven by the emergence of future perennial All-Star and current rookie phenom, Elly De La Cruz.
Luckily for the Orioles, they called in some reinforcements of their own in the form of a top prospect, Jordan Westburg. A Westburg call-up seemed long overdue. However, it is finally time.
Taking the mound for the Orioles will be Coke Irvin in game one, with Tyler Wells and Kyle Gibson in games two and three, respectively. Cincinnati will counter with Brandon Williamson, Andrew Abbott and Luke Weaver.
Wells is coming off maybe his worst start of the season in his last outing. He allowed four runs, two of which were earned, with one unearned coming as a result of his own error. He needs to get back on track for the O’s in the middle of this series, and his success will reflect directly on the success of this team as a whole in this set.
Speaking of scorching hot, there is nothing hotter right now than Anthony Santander’s piece of lumber. Santander has gone yard in five of his last six games, good for nine RBIs in that stretch. If the O’s want to win this series, they’ll have to rely on a hot bat like his.
ROSTER MOVES
Prior to the start of this series, the Orioles made a flurry of roster moves, most notably selecting the contract of infielder Jordan Westburg from Triple-A Norfolk.
To make room for Westburg on the 40-man roster, catcher José Godoy was designated for assignment. He has officially cleared waivers and has accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.
Also, infielder Joey Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Westburg on the big league roster.
BATTERY ❌️-FACTOR
That leads us right into the BATTERY ❌️-FACTOR for this series. The O’s starting staff must limit the Reds’ offensive production in the early innings of these games.
The Reds have become known over the last two weeks for pouncing on arms and putting up a lot of runs quickly on the backs of De La Cruz and the recent return of future Hall of Famer Joey Votto.
It will be up to Irvin, Wells and Gibson to keep the O’s offense in these games from the start. Both Irvin and Gibson have struggled mightily with allowing damage early, and the success of the Orioles falls on the shoulder of those two specifically.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUPS
Cincinnati Reds (41-37): Managed by David Bell
1. Kevin Newman 1B
2. Matt McLain SS
3. Jonathan India 2B
4. Elly De La Cruz 3B
5. Spencer Steer LF
6. Nick Senzel RF
7. Tyler Stephenson DH
8. TJ Friedl CF
9. Curt Casali C
SP. Brandon Williamson LHP (1-2, 6.86 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles (47-29): Managed by Brandon Hyde
1. Austin Hays DH
2. Adley Rutschman C
3. Anthony Santander 1B
4. Aaron Hicks RF
5. Ramón Urías 3B
6. Cedric Mullins CF
7. Jordan Westburg 2B (MLB DEBUT)
8. Ryan McKenna LF
9. Jorge Mateo SS
SP. Cole Irvin LHP (1-3, 7.71 ERA)
Don’t miss this matchup of young studs. Game one begins on Monday at 7:05 p.m. EST, and 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!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Justin’s content? Follow him on X – @orioles4life96
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment