In what should be a litmus test of two clubs built very similarly, the Orioles will face off against GM Mike Elias’ previous organization that he helped turn around in the Houston Astros.
What should be a big AL series will now try to pull itself from the recent embarrassment of the Angelos ownership and show the baseball world there is something better to focus on.
Since July 5, the Orioles have held a 21-7 record, which is best in the majors. They currently have won four in a row and seven of their last eight to pull ahead of the second place Tampa Bay Rays by three games. Overall, the Orioles are 34-17 in games decided by two runs or less, also tops in the majors.
The Astros, on the other hand, have pulled within 2.5 games of the first place Texas Rangers and have won five of their last seven.
This three-game set will feature some strong pitching match-ups. The Orioles will open with rookie phenom Grayson Rodriguez, who has a 3.57 ERA since returning from Triple-A, newly acquired Jack “The Flash” Flaherty and close out the series with Dean Kremer.
For Houston, they will send Framber Valdez, coming off a no-hitter in his last appearance, Cristian Javier and rookie Hunter Brown to close it out.
This is the first of two meetings against the Astros, and the second will take place in September. In what could be a postseason preview, both teams are looking to position themselves for the sprint.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
The Baltimore Orioles have proven themselves time and time again this season. From pressure packed months to the AL East gauntlet, the Birds have shown their moxy.
This time around, a different type of pressure is rising on the shoulders of the young Orioles. With news coming out about play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Brown being suspended for applauding the Orioles’ success versus their past struggles, it has cast a big cloud over the city of Baltimore.
For this series, the last at home before an 11-game West Coast trip, the pressure of rising above the adversity will be the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR.
The media will be sure to ask the players about this, and with baseball to be played, this is something that will fill the airwaves and stadium over the next three days. Will it be too much of a distraction from the game, or will the Birds rise above the adversity and prove once again why they are the best in the AL?
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST for Tuesday and Wednesday and a 12:35 p.m. EST start for Thursday’s finale.
Will the Orioles continue their run of success, or will the Astros show the young upstarts why they have ruled the AL over the last few years?
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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