The Baltimore Orioles have found enough ways to stay in the chase for an American League wild card. The recent formula has come in the form of comebacks this week.
“I feel like we showed that we can come back all year,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Like we’ve had some chances and shots that we’ve scratched and clawed to come back.”
The Orioles will look to get it done again Saturday night regardless of how the script plays out when they meet the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in the middle game of a three-game series.
Baltimore is looking for its second three-game winning streak since the All-Star break.
“There are obviously a couple games where we kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” shortstop Gunnar Henderson said. “But overall, I feel like we played better baseball and there’s still, obviously, a lot more room for improvement, but I felt like we started to get back to where we are and trending in the right direction.”
The Phillies have lost eight of their last nine games after falling 6-4 in Friday night’s meeting. They were undone by the Orioles’ four-run seventh inning.
“It feels different to me,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “I think early (in the season) when it’s snowballing, it’s a lot easier to go ‘we’re going to be fine,’ I think now it will be a little bit more sense of urgency where we’re at.”
Shortstop Trea Turner had half of Philadelphia’s six hits, including a home run, in the series opener.
Henderson had only one RBI for Baltimore across a nine-game stretch prior to his go-ahead, two-run triple in Friday’s seventh inning.
“It was big for Gunnar, big for us,” Albernaz said. “But big for Gunnar just because, I mean, the standards are high for Gunnar in his eyes and to come through like that for us was huge.”
The Phillies look to starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (13-4, 2.73 ERA), a left-hander, to launch a turnaround of the team’s fortunes. He’ll be looking for a victory in his fourth consecutive start.
Sanchez was a bit erratic during Sunday night’s six-inning effort in defeating the visiting New York Yankees, giving up three runs and handing out three walks – the most he had issued in a game since April.
Five of Sanchez’s victories this year have come against American League teams. He has faced Baltimore only once, going without a decision while giving up two runs in seven innings in a July 2023 meeting.
The Orioles send right-hander Shane Baz (4-9, 3.98 ERA) to the mound searching for his first victory since June 12. He hasn’t reached the five-inning mark in two of his last three starts.
Baz’s control has improved because in July he issued five walks and struck out 20 batters in 21 innings. In his career, he has made two starts vs. the Phillies, going 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA across 8 2/3 innings.
Baz could be throwing to a Baltimore newcomer after the Orioles acquired catcher Jake Rogers from the Detroit Tigers. He made his debut with the Orioles as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning Friday.
“The intangibles jump off, like great teammate, everything we’ve heard about him,” Albernaz said. “So he’ll fit in nicely with us.”
-Field Level Media
