The Baltimore Orioles know the pressures of a pennant race may floor, however they’re intent on simply profitable as many video games as potential.
The subsequent probability to take action comes in opposition to the visiting Chicago White Sox on Monday evening.
“We’re seeing what is going on on across the league, for certain,” Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned of his crew’s two-game lead within the American League East.
Regardless of falling 4-3 to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, Baltimore has gained seven of its final 9 video games, and persevering with to complete with the higher hand in every sequence is an efficient sample.
“Come into this subsequent sequence and attempt to do the identical factor once more,” Orioles outfielder Austin Hays mentioned of profitable a minimum of two of three video games. “We nonetheless bought a number of baseball left to play so we’re simply taking it at some point at a time. We’re simply attempting to win as many video games as we will.”
The Orioles trailed after the halfway level of every of the three video games with Colorado. The three runs scored Sunday matched their lowest whole of their final 9 video games.
“There simply was not sufficient offense,” Hyde mentioned.
The White Sox are driving a uncommon scorching wave after profitable Saturday and Sunday in opposition to the visiting Oakland Athletics. That helped them end a 3-4 homestand on a optimistic be aware.
The final time Chicago gained back-to-back video games, it ended up placing collectively a three-game profitable streak from Aug. 5-7.
Chicago’s Yoan Moncada went 4-for-4 with two doubles on Sunday.
The White Sox listing right-hander Michael Kopech (5-11, 4.95 ERA) as their beginning pitcher for Monday evening. He is coming off drastically totally different outings.
On Aug. 18, he surrendered 9 runs in 4 innings in a loss at Colorado. Then Wednesday evening in opposition to the Seattle Mariners, he threw 4 shutout innings whereas permitting one hit, although he walked 4 earlier than departing with leg cramps. He has walked a minimum of 4 batters in every of his final 5 outings, with 22 walks and 15 strikeouts throughout that stretch.
“It is his duty and ours to return collectively to get that psychological aspect proper,” White Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned of Kopech.
Kopech had a no-decision on April 15 versus Baltimore, giving up three runs in 5 innings. He had a pair of one-inning stints with out giving up a run in opposition to the Orioles in 2021 after which surrendered three runs in six innings in struggling a June 2022 loss to Baltimore.
Proper-hander Grayson Rodriguez (3-3, 5.38) might be Baltimore’s starter. The rookie has lasted a minimum of 5 innings in every of his seven begins since getting back from Triple-A Norfolk in mid-July, exceeding the 90-pitch mark in all of these video games.
“It is nearly consuming innings,” Rodriguez mentioned. “Happening the stretch, simply attempt to maintain the bullpen contemporary.”
Rodriguez confronted the White Sox in his third profession sport, pitching to a no-decision after working 5 innings and yielding 4 runs in Baltimore’s 8-4 victory. He is 0-2 in his final six residence assignments.
The three video games in opposition to the White Sox come earlier than a nine-game highway journey for the Orioles.
—Discipline Stage Media
