The Cleveland Guardians have been clicking lately but that’s nothing unusual. Their next opponent is the Baltimore Orioles, who have endured a rare rough patch.
The teams open a three-game series Monday night in Baltimore.
“Can’t wait to get back home and try to get back on track,” Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle said. “Lot of games left in the season.”
The Orioles were swept in three games at Houston, including their 8-1 loss on Sunday. This came after winning the final two games of a three-game showdown with the Yankees in New York.
The Orioles encountered back-to-back games without much spark offensively.
“We need to bounce back and start a new series,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’ve got to flush this one. Not a whole lot went right. We’ve got a real good Cleveland team coming into town, so we have to let this one go.”
The Guardians, who are embarking on a seven-game road trip, will arrive on a five-game winning streak after a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays that included a 6-5 win Sunday.
There could be some long balls hit in this series. Baltimore leads the major leagues in home runs, while the Guardians have almost 40 more home runs than at this point in the 2023 season.
Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan has homered in each of the past two games. He’s happy to join the home run parade, though he’s not certain of the main source of the uptick in production.
“Just more experience, good plans,” Kwan said. “It’s hard to point to one thing. The numbers speak for themselves.”
Cleveland first baseman Josh Naylor smashed his 20th home run of the season Sunday.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily trying to hit home runs,” Naylor said. “I think we’re just trying to have good at-bats.”
Baltimore’s Jordan Westburg homered and Gunnar Henderson extended his on-base streak to 30 games with a walk, but there really wasn’t much to be excited about offensively for the Orioles on Sunday.
“We just didn’t take our best at-bats,” Hyde said. “… And we’re facing some good Cleveland starters coming up, so we have to turn the page.”
Rookie left-hander Cade Povich (0-1, 3.94 ERA) will try to help the Orioles get back on track in his fourth career start Monday. In his only previous home outing, he blanked the Atlanta Braves on five hits for six innings.
Baltimore has won on the days of Povich’s past two starts, when he has allowed a total of one run across 10 2/3 innings. His nine walks in 16 total innings have been reason for concern.
The Orioles used only three relievers for one inning apiece Sunday, so perhaps the pitching isn’t too taxed.
Cleveland’s starting pitcher will be right-hander Tanner Bibee (5-2, 3.65), who has been the winner in three of his past five starts. He shut out the Seattle Mariners for six innings Wednesday night.
The Guardians are 12-3 in the games that Bibee has started this year. He has never faced the Orioles.
Monday night will be the first meeting of the season between the teams, launching the start of the Orioles’ seven-game homestand.
–Field Level Media
