Baltimore is 53-56. Philadelphia is 57-51. And this is the last series the Orioles play before Monday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline forces Mike Elias to decide what kind of team he's building the rest of this season around.
That timing raises the stakes on all three games against the Phillies at Camden Yards. Baltimore is still within a couple of games of the final American League wild-card spot, coming off a 10-9, 12-inning comeback win over Detroit after trailing 7-0 — exactly the kind of game a front office points to when deciding whether to buy. Three results against a legitimate NL contender before Monday won't make the final call for Elias, but they'll be part of the conversation. Baltimore Sports Feed's trade deadline tracker has the latest on who could be bought, sold, or neither.
Brandon Young gets the ball for the opener, and his season is one of the better under-the-radar stories on the roster. The 27-year-old right-hander, added to the 40-man roster in 2024 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and named Baltimore's minor league pitcher of the year that same season, has turned a rough rookie debut into an 8-2 record and a 3.13 ERA this year. He doesn't miss a lot of bats — his strikeout rate sits below 20%, and he's fanned five or more in six straight starts despite pitching mostly to contact — but he's turned weak contact into outs consistently enough to become one of the more reliable arms in Baltimore's rotation.
The Phillies' lineup has its own questions after a recent skid, being swept by the Marlins in their previous series, but Philadelphia counters with rotation depth built for exactly this kind of series. Zack Wheeler (2.53 ERA, 10 wins) and Cristopher Sánchez (13 wins, 157 strikeouts) headline a Phillies staff that can slow down a team even when the offense isn't clicking. Sánchez is lined up for Saturday's game; Wheeler for Sunday.
Tonight's starter for Philadelphia hasn't been formally announced, but it could be Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter, who reportedly is with the team in Baltimore today.
Probable Starters
Philadelphia Phillies: TBD
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Brandon Young (8-2, 3.13 ERA)
Where to Watch/Listen
First pitch: 7:05 PM ET at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
TV: MASN and NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio (AM 1090 / FM 101.5)