The Orioles start a very tough stretch of baseball tonight. Six of their next nine games are against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, who have the most wins in the American League. You can check out details of the Rays’ season so far in our series preview, but suffice it to say they have been kind of the opposite of the Orioles this year.
This is the first time the Orioles have visited Tropicana Field since 2024, after the Rays spent 2025 at a spring training site while their ballpark was repaired.
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Some Orioles batters appear to be heating up, and it would be a nice change of pace if they would actually follow through and stay good. Gunnar Henderson and Coby Mayo are showing signs of life. Tyler O’Neill has started hitting balls harder. Even Colton Cowser hit a home run. Pete Alonso remains ice cold.
Trevor Rogers gets the ball for the Orioles tonight, and it would be another nice change of pace if he could manage to look anything like the Trevor Rogers of 2025. Come on, Trev! We want to believe!
For the Rays, it’s lefty Shane McClanahan. Gulp. He has a 2.27 ERA and an active 21.2-inning scoreless streak. I’m gonna be honest, I don’t feel like the Orioles have a chance against this guy. But maybe I’ll be wrong. That’s why they play the games, as the saying goes.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward (R) LF
Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
Adley Rutschman (S) C
Pete Alonso (R) DH
Tyler O’Neill (R) RF
Coby Mayo (R) 1B
Jeremiah Jackson (R) 2B
Weston Wilson (R) 3B
Blaze Alexander (R) CF
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LET BASALLO FACE LEFTIES! Also, I can’t wait to see what kind of shenanigans Blaze Alexander gets up to in center field.
Rays lineup
Yandy Díaz (R) DH
Jonathan Aranda (L) 1B
Junior Caminero (R) 3B
Ryan Vilade (R) RF
Jonny DeLuca (R) CF
Chandler Simpson (L) LF
Nick Fortes (R) C
Taylor Walls (S) SS
Carson Williams (R) 2B
Let’s go O’s!
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