Orioles preparing for 3-city road trip as tight race for wild card heats up; O’s-Rays lineups

BALTIMORE—The Orioles are preparing for their second three-team road trip of the month. After Sunday’s game with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Orioles play three games in St. Louis beginning Tuesday, followed by three games each against the Athletics and Colorado Rockies.

The Orioles begin play Sunday with a record of 63-67, a game in back of the third wild card spot, currently held by the Texas Rangers. The Rangers and Cleveland Guardians are both 64-66. Toronto is a half-game back while Minnesota and the Orioles are a game back. Seattle and Detroit are two and 2 ½ games back.

The Orioles have three games left with Cleveland and six with Toronto.

Chris Bassitt (4-4, 5.08), Kyle Bradish (7-12, 3.70) and Trevor Rogers (9-8, 4.14) are the Orioles starters. The Cardinals have yet to name their starters.

St. Louis begins Sunday 4 ½ games behind the San Diego Padres for the third wild card spot.

After their three games with St. Louis, the Orioles play the teams with the worst records in baseball. The Athletics are 50-80 and the Rockies are 50-79.

“I know for me in particular, but also our players, we’re just kind on focused winning one pitch at a time,” hitting coach Dustin Lind said.

“You show up and whoever you’re playing that day, you just kind of do the bet you can to prepare for that, and once the game starts it’s all about just getting to the next pitch and trying to win that one. You hope you look up in a couple of weeks and you’re where you want to be.”

Notes: The Orioles return on September 3^rd to face the Boston Red Sox. It will be Adley Rutschman’s first game against the Orioles since being traded to the Red Sox on August 3^rd. …Pete Alonso enters the game with a 14-game hitting streak, the longest by an Oriole since Colton Cowser’s 17-game run from July 19^th-August 4^th, 2024.

Orioles-Rays lineups:

Orioles

Jackson Holliday-2B

Pete Alonso-1B

Gunnar Henderson-SS

Samuel Basallo-C

Coby Mayo-DH

Dylan Beavers-LF

Christian Encarnacion-Strand-3B

Colton Cowser-CF

Leody Taveras-RF

Shane Baz-RHP

Rays

Yandy Diaz-DH

Jonathan Aranda-1B

Junior Caminero-3B

Liam Hicks-C

Chandler Simpson-LF

Jonny DeLuca-RF

Cedric Mullins-CF

Richie Palacios-2B

Taylor Walls-SS

Nick Martinez-RHP

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