Who’s ready for a chilly Chi-Town series?

Temperatures are expected to reach as low as 37 degrees tonight as the Orioles continue their road trip to Chicago to take on the White Sox.

Baltimore aims to bounce back from a three-game sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates, their first time being swept by a National League opponent since May 18, 2025.

Let’s hope the only thing cold out there are the temperatures, not the O’s bats!

Overview

Sitting at a record of 3-6, Baltimore has dealt with some early struggles to begin the new season, fostering their worst nine-game start since 2022. Small miscues and mental errors have proven costly through their first three series as they have scuffled to find consistency on all cylinders. When the pitching is on-point, the bats are lackluster, and vice versa.

In the opposing dugout, the White Sox are fresh off a three-game series sweep of the reigning AL champion Toronto Blue Jays. A season ago, Chicago held an AL-worst 60-102 record, winning just 33 games at home. This year, they intend to change the narrative after a series of notable offseason additions, some of which include former Orioles Seranthony Dominguez and Austin Hays, Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, and veteran reliever Jordan Hicks.

After a meltdown from 37-year-old Chris Bassitt in the series finale of Pittsburgh’s sweep, left-handed arm Cade Povich was forced to throw, which left Baltimore without a starter for Monday. The team elected to recall right-hander Brandon Young to fill the role. Young, 27, posted a 6.24 ERA in 12 starts for the O’s in 2025, allowing exactly one home run per game. However, in his second-to-last start of the season, Young tossed a scoreless eight inning gem against the Houston Astros in which he allowed just one hit.

O’s Calling Up RHP Brandon Young For Tonight’s Start, Enns Heading to IL

Opposite Young will be Chicago’s right-handed starter Erick Fedde. The 33-year-old, who posted a 3.11 ERA in an earlier 21-game stint with the White Sox in 2024, has made one start this season in which he allowed three earned runs in five innings. Baltimore’s powerhouse first baseman Pete Alonso has some serious history against Fedde, slugging 8-for-22 (.364) with four doubles and six walks off the right-hander in his career.

Baltimore’s undefeated ace Trevor Rogers will lead the charge in the second game on Tuesday, which has been moved from 7:40 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. due to anticipated cold temperatures. Rogers has been the team’s lone reliable starting arm, allowing just two runs across his first two starts (1.38 ERA). The former All-Star has never faced the White Sox in his seven-year major league career.

Right-hander Shane Smith will pitch against the might of Rogers, which O’s fans should be thrilled about. In two starts this year, Smith has been absolutely shelled, pitching just 4 ⅔ innings while allowing a combined 10 earned runs. That translates to a 19.29 ERA. In his last start, he allowed seven runs to the Miami Marlins, one of which came from an RBI double by former Orioles infielder Connor Norby. Smith, a former All-Star, is looking to rebound from his extremely rough start, but if his command is anything like his previous outings, Baltimore will be in good shape.

Closing out the series for the O’s will be Kyle Bradish, who is just looking to collect himself. Bradish’s command has been erratic to start his 2026 season. The right-hander has tossed 8 ⅔ innings across two starts, allowing six earned runs and walking six batters.

Chicago will send Sean Burke, a 26-year-old righty, to the mound to face Bradish. Burke started the White Sox second game of the season, a 6-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in which he gave up three earned runs in four innings. Burke’s next outing came on Friday as Chicago bested the Blue Jays 5-4 in the first game of a double header. He had a much more comfortable stint, allowing just one run in six innings and striking out seven batters.

Birds to Watch

Adley Rutschman, C

Adley Rutschman is hot right now.

Can he get hotter?

Rutschman, a two-time All-Star, has recorded a hit in five of his seven games this season, while reaching base in all seven.

Thus far, he is 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Should Baltimore actually produce some base traffic, Rutschman’s efficiency will be crucial in claiming victories against a hot White Sox team.

Kyle Bradish, RHP

When will Bradish look like Bradish?

This is a guy that, before this season, had allowed more than three earned runs in a start just once since September 2023. His playing time was reduced by injury, but when he took the mound, he was a force to be reckoned with.

The O’s are still searching for that force that fans know he possesses.

They could see glimpses in his six strikeouts during his outing against the Pirates, but his overall pitch command has not been up to speed.

Bradish has a 2-0 record and 0.75 ERA in two career games against Chicago. He has also dealt a combined 20 strikeouts in those games.

This could be the perfect opponent to get Baltimore’s co-ace back on track this season.

Grant Wolfram, LHP

Baltimore lost one of its two remaining left-handed relievers due to injury on Monday.

Veteran arm Dietrich Enns was sent to the 15-day injured list with a left foot infection, leaving Grant Wolfram as the sole lefty in the bullpen.

Thus, it will be interesting to see how manager Craig Albernaz deploys him.

Wolfram, 29, had an electric spring and has recorded six punchouts in three regular season appearances for the Birds this season.

Keys to the Series

Promptly get to Chicago’s bullpen

As of Monday, the White Sox bullpen ranks third-worst in combined ERA (6.31). Though they have struggled to do so in their first nine games of the season, Baltimore’s lineup needs to run up pitch counts with hopes of reaching Chicago’s bullpen quickly. They lead the league in total earned runs allowed with 32.

Stack the base paths

The Orioles can get hits, that much has been proven. Across the Pirates series, the team accumulated 23 hits, averaging 7.7 per game. The problem is that they cannot stack them. In their last game against Pittsburgh, the O’s only scored runs in innings in which they produced multiple base runners. That will be key in overcoming the White Sox on the road.

Serious pitch command improvement

Pitch command. It has been a glaring issue through Baltimore’s first three series, specifically from the starters. Chicago’s lineup, like the O’s, are inconsistent with run support. They have exceeded five runs in a game just thrice this season, one of which ended in a loss. Should Baltimore’s arms find consistent control of their pitches, they could potentially deal with the Sox lineup handily.