Orioles and Angels lineups (and notes)

An Orioles rotation that must proceed without ace John Means, who’s undergoing Tommy John surgery next week, finds Spenser Watkins back on the mound in the continuation of a road trip that’s produced two wins in five games.

Watkins earned another turn after holding the Athletics to one run and two hits in five innings.

The right-hander’s first major league appearance came in Anaheim on July 2, 2021, when he retired all three batters he faced in relief. He started against the Angels on Aug. 24 in Baltimore and surrendered eight runs in two innings.

Orioles starters have allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 consecutive games.

Trey Mancini is in right field tonight and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Santander is the only player in the majors to reach base in each of the first 14 games.

Anthony Bemboom is catching tonight.

Noah Syndergaard is making his third start with the Angels after signing a one-year deal for $21 million. He’s 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 0.794 WHIP in 11 1/3 innings, with two runs and seven hits allowed.

Syndergaard spent parts of six seasons with the Mets, missing 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and making only two starts the following year. He was an All-Star in 2016, going 14-9 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.149 WHIP, striking out 218 batters in 183 2/3 innings and surrendering only 11 home runs in 31 games.

Syndergaard’s only career start against the Orioles came as a rookie in 2015, when he allowed three runs and eight hits with six strikeouts in five innings. Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer.

For the Orioles

Cedric Mullins CF

Anthony Santander DH

Trey Mancini RF

Ryan Mountcastle 1B

Rougned Odor 2B

Austin Hays LF

Ramón Urías 3B

Anthony Bemboom C

Jorge Mateo SS

Spenser Watkins RHP

Bruce Zimmermann has struck out 10 batters on his changeup this season per Statcast, tied for the most in the majors with Seattle’s Marco Gonzales and the Mets' Carlos Carrasco. The Orioles have recorded 37 strikeouts on off-speed pitches, second to the Mets' 40.

Zimmermann is the fourth starter in club history to begin a season with a scoreless streak of 14 innings or more, and the first since Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in 1978.

Zac Lowther is starting tonight for Triple-A Norfolk and Cody Sedlock on Sunday.

Infielder Rylan Bannon has an eight-game hitting streak and has scored a run in seven games in a row. He’s 11-for-29 (.379) with six RBIs and five walks in his last eight games.

Bannon has hit safely in 12 of 14 games this season.

Over six appearances, reliever Cole Uvila hasn’t allowed a run or hit through six innings and 23 batters.

The Tides’ 11-5 record matches their best start through 16 games since becoming an Orioles affiliate in 2007.

For the Angels

Shohei Ohtani DH

Mike Trout CF

Anthony Rendon 3B

Jared Walsh 1B

Taylor Ward RF

Brandon Marsh LF

Max Stassi C

Tyler Wade 2B

Andrew Velazquez SS

Noah Syndergaard RHP