Two of the better teams in baseball will square up in Los Angeles, as the Baltimore Orioles (76-56) will take on the L.A. Dodgers (78-53) in a three-game series.
The Orioles and Dodgers have both fought the injury bug this season but have also managed to remain two of the top teams in the game.
The Dodgers possess a potent lineup that has 40/40 man Shohei Ohtani, Oriole killer Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and 2024 Home Run Derby Champion Teoscar Hernández. It’s one reason they rank first with a wRC+ of 114.
The Orioles possess a lineup that is second in the league with 199 home runs hit. Gunnar Henderson (33) and Anthony Santander (38) lead an offense that ranks third in the league, scoring five runs per game.
Cole Irvin (6-5, 4.82 ERA) will take the mound to open the series for Baltimore. He will be followed by Corbin Burnes (12-6, 3.28 ERA) and Cade Povich (1-6, 6.10 ERA).
Former Oriole Jack Flaherty (10-5, 3.00 ERA) will open the series for the Dodgers and be followed by Walker Buehler (1-4, 6.09 ERA) and a pitcher to be determined for game three.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
The Orioles might have the third highest scoring offense in the majors, but one area they have struggled mightily this year is with runners in scoring position (RISP).
Currently, the O’s are slashing .255/.313/.442/.756 with RISP, which puts them 16th in the league. On a positive note, they have struck out 256 times with RISP, which puts them as the 10th fewest in the league. One of the biggest problems the Orioles have with capitalizing with RISP is the fact they rank 19th with a BABIP of .290.
For the Orioles to win this series, they will have to take advantage of these opportunities. The Dodgers will score, and the Birds will have to score more and find ways to advance runners instead of keeping them stuck on the base paths.
This is the last trip the Birds will take to California during the regular season, and it looks big for both clubs going forward.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
Each game will begin at 10:10 p.m. EST from Dodger Stadium. You can find the Orioles on MASN2 or on your local Orioles Radio Network station.
Will Ohtani and Co. out-pace the Birds, or will the Orioles dodge their way to a series victory? It all starts tonight, so be sure to tune in and cheer our Birds to victory.
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!
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