Before the city of Baltimore knew who Mike Elias was, he was building a team that would take the AL by storm and keep baseball on its toes as talent seemed to fill every position.
The Houston Astros have been the juggernaut of the American League for nearly a decade. Elias was a key contributor in identifying talent and helping draw the blueprint that would make a successful franchise.
Then, in November of 2018, the Orioles would come calling with the offer of a lifetime. The Orioles offered to make Elias the general manager and executive vice president, a move that would reshape the organization.
Over the next four years, Elias would gut the organization from top to bottom and rebuild from the ground up. He discovered young talent like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg, found reclamation projects in Félix Bautista and Ryan O’Hearn and made savvy moves that brought veterans James McCann and Adam Frazier into the mix.
It all comes to a head starting Monday night, as the Baltimore Orioles will visit the Houston Astros for a three-game series.
Both teams are fighting to wrap their division up, as well as jockeying for postseason positioning while holding off their rivals who loom large in the rearview mirror.
Both teams are in first place, though the Orioles have secured their trip to the postseason already. This will be a litmus test of growth, as the last time these two teams met, Houston would take two of three, two games in extra innings, mainly due to miscues that would open the door for the Astros to pounce.
The Orioles will open with veteran lefty John Means (0-1, 5.40 ERA), who is making just his second start since coming back from Tommy John. He will be followed by two to be determined pitchers, more than likely Kyle Gibson and Kyle Bradish.
The Astros will send future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander (11-8, 3.39 ERA), Hunter Brown (11-11, 4.61 ERA) and a to be determined pitcher to close the series.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
There are so many key components to the Orioles and their success. The ebb-and- flow of harmony flows from the rotation to the bullpen to the lineup. There is always someone who can pick up the other.
One key member that could go a long way to help the Orioles take charge and control of this series is outfielder Anthony Santander. He is the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR for this series.
Santander is mired in a deep slump that has seen him slash just .100/.129/.167 over his last seven games. He has accumulated 14 strikeouts while walking only one time and driving in just one run.
A breakout series from Santander would be a huge push for an Orioles lineup that has seen itself going through some struggles as a whole in recent games.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
The Orioles will have an 8:10 p.m. EST start time for tonight and tomorrow’s games, while Wednesday will have a 2:10 p.m. EST start time.
All games will be aired on MASN or broadcast on your local Orioles Radio Network station. Be sure to tune in and cheer our Birds to victory on their march to the postseason.
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 (X) 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 Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment