Heavy rains on Wednesday gave Birdland an extra day to think about a stupid Tuesday night loss that saw the Orioles squander a four-run lead in the eighth. It felt like the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, and perhaps not coincidentally, the reliever who couldn’t get an out that night, Bryan Baker, was just traded to the Rays this morning. Sigh. Welcome to sellerdom and to looking ahead to next season! The Orioles still have a massively talented core of youngsters, so there’s plenty still to watch for.
Game 1, the regularly scheduled game, will begin at 12:05—and don’t miss your yacht rock hat giveaway at the stadium! Charlie Morton will be on the bump against New York’s David Peterson, while Wednesday’s scheduled starter, Tomoyuki Sugano, gets pushed to Game 2. Probably the 5:05 start time threatened to stretch past the 41-year-old Morton’s bedtime. I jest. (The Mets still haven’t announced their Game 2 starter; the odds are decent that it’s Jacob Hagenman, a reliever thrust into the rotation recently.)
Morton is proving that old dogs can learn new tricks—or just recover command of their curveballs, having followed up a disastrous April (9.26 ERA in six games) with a sparkling June (2.88 ERA in five starts). Command and breaking balls have been key: hopefully the veteran will keep it up.
Several Mets have faced the longtime Braves right-hander before. Pete Alonso hasn’t excelled: he’s 7-for-32 with no homers. Francisco Lindor, neither, at 7-for-48. Brandon Nimmo is 7-for-30 with one home run. Juan Soto, however, has owned Morton, with a brutal 7-for-12 line with three home runs. Uh, maybe walk him today?
The left-hander David Peterson is having a solid season at 6-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 starts. Over his last seven games, he’s got a 3.68 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 44 innings. Strikeouts aren’t his thing; ground balls are. Of the current Orioles, Tyler O’Neill is 1-for-3 off Peterson, Ramón Urías 2-for-4 with a home run, and Jacob Stallings is 2-for-4.
Game 1’s lineup is saying, “Let’s stop sucking at hitting lefties and also rest some starters for Game 2,” clearly. The Orioles are sitting Gunnar Henderson, 0-for-5 off the lefty Peterson, in favor of rarely used infielder Luis Vázquez. The right-hitting Jordan Westburg is DH’ing to keep Ramón Urías, starting at third base, and his bat in the lineup. The O’s are hoping Tyler O’Neill’s lefty-mashing ways return; he’s starting in right.
Orioles lineup (Game 1)
Jackson Holliday 2B
Jordan Westburg DH
Ramón Laureano LF
Tyler O’Neill RF
Ramón Urías 3B
Colton Cowser CF
Luis Vázquez SS
Coby Mayo 1B
Jacob Stallings C
Mets lineup (Game 1)
Brandon Nimmo LF
Francisco Lindor SS
Juan Soto RF
Pete Alonso 1B
Jesse Winker DH
Ronny Mauricio 3B
Luis Torrens C
Brett Baty 2B
Tyrone Taylor CF
David Peterson LHP