For the last time in 2023, the Orioles will face off against the New York Yankees. After 10 games, the season series is even tied at five wins a piece. Whoever wins this last three-game set will take home the season series and the tiebreaker.
The Birds come into this series following what can only be described as a very disappointing series loss in Philadelphia. The Orioles blew a lead in all three games in Philly, including the victory in game one. Against a Yankees team that will have Aaron Judge back in its lineup Friday night, the O’s must be better.
The vibes will be immaculate this series, as the series will have two nationally televised primetime games and a former fan favorite will be guest Mr. Splash for Friday night. That’s right. We’re talking about Orioles legend Adam Jones.
Making this series even more special is the fact that it is Mo Gaba Day around Charm City. Today marks the three-year anniversary of the late great Orioles Hall of Famer’s passing. Today, we are all #MoStrong.
Hoping to right that ship on the mound for Baltimore will be rookie Grayson Rodriguez, Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer. In what might be a good sign for the O’s, Rodriguez and Kremer are coming off very good starts in their last outings.
G-Rod looked like a new guy compared to before his demotion to Triple-A. He tossed 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs and three hits to the Tampa Bay Rays. For Kremer, he has pitched phenomenally as of late, and the team has won 13 of the last 15 games started by him.
Opposite these arms for the Yankees will be Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Severino.
Believe it or not, the Orioles have the easiest time with Cole out of anyone in those three. In Cole’s last start against the O’s, it was no different. The Birds tied Cole’s season-high in unearned runs with five via two home runs and three walks.
BATTERY ❌️-FACTOR
In the last series against Philadelphia, the downfall was certainly the bullpen. Although the offense didn’t put many runs on the board, especially with runners in scoring position, it was the bullpen that ultimately led to both losses.
In this series, that same bullpen is our BATTERY ❌️-FACTOR. The Yankees have a very good bullpen themselves, so hoping for late game heroics against them is a long shot.
The O’s bullpen must be able to hold a lead. Luckily, Félix Bautista will be fully rested after not appearing in any game in Philly plus a day off. Shintaro Fujinami looked worlds better in his two-inning outing. If Fuji can be a solid bridge in the back end while Cano struggles, things will look bright for Baltimore.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
Baltimore Orioles (62-40): Managed by Brandon Hyde
1. Gunnar Henderson SS
2. Adley Rutschman C
3. Anthony Santander RF
4. Ryan O’Hearn 1B
5. Ryan Mountcastle DH
6. Adam Frazier 2B
7. Austin Hays LF
8. Colton Cowser CF
9. Ramón Urías 3B
SP. Grayson Rodriguez RHP (2-2, 6.91 ERA)
This last series between the O’s and Yanks begins Friday at 7:05 p.m. EST. This first game will be on MASN, while games two and three are both primetime nationally televised games. Game two will be on Fox at 7:15 p.m. EST and game three on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN at 7:10 p.m. EST.
UPDATE: The Yankees have made it official, as they have activated outfielder Aaron Judge from the injured list. Last year’s AL MVP hasn’t played since June 3 due to a toe injury suffered in Los Angeles.
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