[Looks around] … So, what’d I miss?
What a weird feeling. Today’s game marks the first game since Sept. 29, 2018, that the Orioles will take the field without Brandon Hyde as their manager. It’s a stunning reversal for a man who won Manager of the Year in 2023, but given the on-field play this season, perhaps not unexpected. The roster is flawed, but the clubhouse morale has also been terrible, and Hyde seemed to have no answers. At least he got to enjoy that 101-win season in 2023. Wish him well.
Now, to win a ballgame? I don’t have massive confidence in today’s starter, Kyle Gibson, who was a stalwart for Baltimore in 2023 but who’s been the worst of the nine different starting pitchers Baltimore has experimented with this year. That said, after one horrific start (nine runs over 3.2 innings), Gibby’s next two were slightly better: he allowed three runs over four innings against Kansas City, and five runs over four innings vs. the Angels.
As for Washington’s starter, Jake Irvin is a right hander with a big curveball and not too many other distinguishing qualities. He’s in the bottom 10-15% of pitchers in terms of expected ERA, expected average and strikeouts. As John Beers noted in his series preview, Irvin should be a good matchup for O’s DH Ryan O’Hearn, who’s slugging curveballs this season to the tune of a .429 average and 1.429 OPS.
How will this team react to all the managerial turmoil? Tune in to find out.
Orioles lineup
2B Jackson Holliday
1B Ryan O’Hearn
SS Gunnar Henderson
DH Adley Rutschman
CF Cedric Mullins
3B Ramón Urías
RF Heston Kjerstad
LF Ramón Laureano
C Maverick Handley
RHP Kyle Gibson
Nationals lineup
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
RF Dylan Crews
3B José Tena
CF Jacob Young
RHP Jake Irvin