The Toronto Blue Jays were picked by many to be one of, if not the, strongest team in the AL East. Never mind, Tampa Bay returned most of its core, getting their top pitchers back. The Yankees were the Yankees, and Boston might have a chance.
Then, something happened in 2023; baseball was played. The Rays raced out to a 13-0 start, but the Orioles stayed close, not falling more than 6.5 games behind before overtaking the Rays and holding the best record in the AL.
The Blue Jays stayed in the middle of the pack while the Orioles have gone 8-2 against Toronto and secured the season series. After dropping the first two series against AL East division rivals, the Orioles have gone 8-0-2 since.
Those pesky Jays are at Oriole Park at Camden Yards to take on the first place O’s for a three-game series, and it’s sure to be a doozy.
Grayson Rodriguez (3-3, 5.44 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA over his last five starts, will open the series for the Birds. He will be followed by Jack Flaherty (8-8, 4.73 ERA) and Dean Kremer (11-5, 4.50 ERA) to close the series.
In the visitor’s dugout, the Blue Jays will send Yusei Kikuchi (9-4, 3.44 ERA) to open the series for Toronto. He will be followed by former Oriole Kevin Gausman (9-7, 3.24 ERA) and José Berríos (9-8, 3.39 ERA).
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
With this being the Blue Jays, it’s easy to predict Ryan Mountcastle to be the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR. If you think we are headed that way, you’re totally wrong.
As the season goes forward, along with Mountcastle’s 26-game on-base streak, the difference maker this series will be rookie phenom, Gunnar Henderson.
In the month of August, Henderson is slashing .284/.316/.541 across 18 games. He has picked up 21 hits, including four home runs, five doubles and a triple, while driving in 16 and scoring 12 runs.
As Henderson goes, so goes the Orioles. His ability to play three infield positions and bat in various spots of the lineup makes the young lefty a threat to be reckoned with. Let’s see how much damage a 22-year-old can do.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
At 77-47, the Orioles are 8.5 games up on the Blue Jays going into the series. All three games are scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. EST. Will the Birds protect the nest and maintain top Bird status?
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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