The Baltimore Orioles are in the midst of 16 games over an 18-day stretch. Sitting at 4-6, the Birds are still trying to find an identity that will help right the ship.
After failing to win a series in their first three, the Diamondbacks await the struggling O’s in Arizona. The Diamondbacks, sitting at 5-5, have only claimed one of their first three series, defeating the New York Yankees in the second set of the season.
Injuries, fundamental mistakes and questionable managerial decisions have plagued the Birds to start the year. In their four wins, the O’s have scored a combined 37 runs, showing how potent the offense can be.
Unfortunately, in their six losses, they have combined to score just 10 runs, helping contribute to four losses in their last five games.
The bright spot of the season belongs to utility infielder, Ramón Urías. Slashing an astounding .370/.452/.407/.859 to start the season and one of the team leaders with 10 hits, Urías has been a bright spot on an offense looking to find its identity.
As the team looks to find that identity and get itself back on track, the Orioles will send veteran Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.75 ERA) to the mound to square off against Arizona’s Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.38 ERA) in game one of this three-game set.
Game two will feature Charlie Morton (0-2, 9.72 ERA), who will look to turn his season around, against Merrill Kelly (1-1, 10.00 ERA). Game three will close the series with the Orioles sending Dean Kremer (1-1, 6.52 ERA) to face Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 5.25 ERA).
The pitching match-ups look pretty balanced based on the early season stats, and the Birds have a bullpen who is anchored by All-Star closer Félix “The Mountain” Bautista.
BATTERY ❌-FACTOR
As Birdland has watched the season unfold, the Orioles offense looks like a juggernaut when it’s clicking.
Averaging just above nine runs a game in their victories, it’s a dangerous lineup from top to bottom where any one player can change a close game into an avalanche of scoring.
One of the missing components to start the season was shortstop Gunnar Henderson, a former All-Star and MVP candidate.
Since his return three games ago, Henderson has gone 1-for-13 with seven strikeouts, with no runs scored, RBIs or walks. His .077/.077/.077/.154 slash line has perplexed most of Birdland, as they have watched their superstar struggle.
For the Arizona series, the BATTERY ❌-FACTOR is Gunnar Henderson and his ability to get his bat back on track. He has to become the catalyst, especially leading off the top of lineup and table-setting for Adley Rutschman, Tyler O’Niell, Ryan Mountcastle and Jordan Westburg.
If the Birds look to change their fortune and turn the offense around, Henderson will need to be leaned on to pick up the team and lead them to victory.
GAME 1 STARTING LINEUP
One thing the Orioles can take into the series with the Diamondbacks is that they hold a 14-10 lifetime record against them.
Though the Birds have won only 44.4% of the time on the road against the pesky snakes, they might be catching the Diamondbacks at the right time to turn their season around.
Game one and two is set to have a first pitch of 9:40 p.m. EST, while game three will kick off at 3:40 p.m. EST. All games will be broadcast on MASN2 and your local Orioles Radio Network station.
Will the Birds make their nest in the snake den, or will the Diamondbacks snap back and pull the Birds from the den? It all starts tonight in a series that seems pretty big this early in the season.
How do you see this series playing out? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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