The AL East is looking like another huge gauntlet. After the Orioles won the division and 101 games last season, the target is squarely on their back.
The Birds already swept fellow AL East foe, the Boston Red Sox, but the upcoming series with the New York Yankees looks to be one of the biggest early-season match-ups.
The Yankees are coming off a series victory over the Brewers, where they scored 15 runs in both of the last two contests after being walked off by former Oriole Joey Ortiz in game one.
On the other hand, the Orioles are coming in losing their series to the Oakland Athletics, where closer Craig Kimbrel blew two saves, leading to losses in each game.
The offense, outside of game one, keeps powering the team, but with Kimbrel leaving with back tightness, the bullpen for the Orioles is a big question mark.
The Orioles will open the series with Grayson Rodriguez (3-1, 4.45 ERA). Rodriguez is coming off his first loss this season and will look to get back on track. He will be followed by Dean Kremer (1-2, 4.61 ERA), Corbin Burnes (3-0, 2.55 ERA) and a pitcher to be determined (quiet possibly Kyle Bradish).
The Yankees will counter with Clarke Schmidt (2-0, 3.55 ERA), Nestor Cortes (1-2, 3.50 ERA), Luis Gil (1-1, 4.01 ERA) and Carlos Rondón (2-1, 2.48 ERA).
ROSTER MOVES
Prior to the start of this series, the Orioles made a roster move.
Left-hander Cionel Pérez has been activated off the injured list after dealing with oblique soreness. Pérez has not pitched in the big leagues since the opening series against the Angels in March.
To make room for Pérez on the 26-man roster, the club announced that right-hander Dillon Tate has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
It was also announced that both Kyle Bradish and John Means will be activated off the injured list this week. Big news for the O’s.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
The Orioles have a potent offense, strong starting pitching and a bullpen that is currently middle of the pack.
As easy as it could be for the Orioles’ bullpen to be our selection once again, it is actually manager Brandon Hyde who earns our BATTERY ❌-FACTOR this series.
Austin Hays is on the IL, Craig Kimbrel is overused (13 appearances in 27 games) and Jordan Westburg is getting over a stomach bug. How Hyde approaches this series and utilizes his bullpen and bench will be strong factors in determining how these four games turn out.
A long series against a good team is one where Hyde’s managerial knowledge and skills will be put to the test, and therefore, he is this series’ BATTERY ❌-FACTOR.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
The Orioles had a winning record against the Yankees and the AL East last year. If the Birds look to repeat as Division Champs and return to the postseason, this is the type of series where they can see how they stack up.
Game one starts tonight at 6:35 p.m. EST. Games two and three will start at the same time, with game four scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. EST. You can catch each game on MASN or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.
Will the Birds keep the Yankees at bay and take control of the AL East? Tune in tonight as it all goes down at Camden Yards.
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!
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