BOSTON - The Red Sox flip-flopped starters for today’s doubleheader, using the rainout to move Brayan Bello ahead of Lucas Giolito. The Orioles are sticking with left-hander Cade Povich for Game 1 but haven’t committed to a starter for the nightcap.
Charlie Morton was listed for tonight before the weather forced a fourth postponement. He could get the ball anyway, or the Orioles could use an opener ahead of him, move Zach Eflin to Game 2 on normal rest rather than wait until Saturday, or choose a pitcher who’s called up as the 27th man.
It won’t be Chayce McDermott because he was optioned Wednesday.
Left-hander Trevor Rogers, also on the 40-man roster, hasn’t started for Triple-A Norfolk since May 16 and he’s listed as tonight’s starter against the St. Paul Saints. He’s allowed 12 earned runs (13 total) and 16 hits with six walks and 15 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.
The 40-man isn’t really a consideration because the Orioles have two openings.
Brandon Young has made his first two major league starts but he’s on Norfolk’s seven-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort.
Why is it important for Povich to throw first-pitch strikes today?
Let’s take a look.
Teams are batting .250 with a .288 on-base percentage and .433 slugging when Povich gets ahead with his first pitch or puts the ball in play. They’re batting .333 with a .412 OBP and .567 slugging when he’s behind 1-0. His strikeout percentage drops from 23.4 to 13.2, and his walk percentage rises from 5.4 to 11.8.
* Andrew Kittredge was the 25th different player to throw a pitch for the Orioles when he appeared in Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee, tying the Angels for second-most behind the Dodgers’ 27. The Athletics and Mets have used 24.
Thirty-four players threw a pitch for the Orioles last season, which tied for eighth.
Yesterday’s rainout makes Kittredge available today after he retired all three batters he faced.
Kittredge threw six sliders and two 94 mph sinkers to retire the side in order. He had a career-high 74 appearances with the Cardinals last season and posted a 2.80 ERA, which got him a $10 million deal with the Orioles and a $9 million club option.
* Ryan O’Hearn could be in the lineup for both ends of the doubleheader because his bat is too hot to keep in the rack and the Red Sox are starting two right-handers.
O’Hearn is batting .306/.396/.507 in 39 games after going 4-for-6 on Wednesday. He has four multi-hit games in his last seven starts.
A .292/.378/.542 March/April has been followed by a .323/.417/.468 May, enabling O’Hearn to lead the club in average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS. His 41 hits are tied with Jackson Holliday for second behind Gunnar Henderson’s 43, and his seven homers are tied with Henderson for second behind Cedric Mullins’ 10.
O'Hearn has a 1.234 OPS in the Orioles’ victories this season, the fifth-highest mark by any player in a minimum 50 plate appearances behind Aaron Judge (1.425), Carson Kelly (1.373), Freddie Freeman (1.302) and Austin Hays (1.247), according to STATS.
O’Hearn can become a free agent after the season and would figure to be a trade candidate at the deadline if the Orioles are selling.
* Ramon Urias will be in at least one lineup today. He owns a career .365 average against the Red Sox, which is the sixth-highest in the expansion era (since 1961) in a minimum 150 plate appearances.
Urías trails Will Clark (.403), Shane Mack (.380), Ken Griffey Sr. (.376), Johnny Grubb (.370) and Freddie Freeman (.366). And I’m guessing that he isn’t aware of it.
* The victory Wednesday was just the third in Orioles’ history that happened after blowing leads in the ninth and 10th innings, per STATS.
This nugget leads to the obvious question: When were the first two times?
May 10, 1996 in Milwaukee and June 19, 1999 in Chicago against the White Sox. The last major league team was the Marlins on May 7, 2023 against the Cubs.
* Norfolk outfielder Dylan Beavers was scratched from the Game 1 lineup last night after experiencing right shoulder discomfort during batting practice.
Beavers, the 33rd-overall pick in the 2022 draft, is the No. 6 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline and he’s playing like it. He’s batting .303/.397/.421 in 39 games and is 10-for-21 in his last five. He has 19 hits this month in 13 games.
* High-A Aberdeen’s Teddy Sharkey underwent successful right elbow UCL reconstruction on Wednesday with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, TX.
The Orioles are keeping Meister busy and paying for his summer homes.
Sharkey was a seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Coastal Carolina. He has a 2.84 ERA in 15 games (one start) in the minors and averages 7.1 walks and 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings..