The Orioles (59-63) continue a four-game road series against the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (74-47) at Tropicana Field on Saturday, having won five of their last ten games while the Rays have won nine of their last ten — nine straight, in fact, before Friday.
Baltimore snapped that streak in the series opener, taking a 6-5 win behind a dominant night from Gunnar Henderson, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBI. It's the latest sign of a hot stretch for Henderson, whose two-run homer Friday was part of a broader turnaround manager Craig Albernaz has noticed at the plate.
"The work he's been putting in is really starting to show. He's doing a great job of managing at-bats, laying off the tough pitches, even if they're called strikes... and getting himself into better situations where he can get a pitch to hit," Albernaz said.
Dylan Beavers contributed two RBI on a 2-for-2 night, and Colton Cowser added a solo home run. Chris Bassitt, back from the injured list, gave the Orioles 5.1 innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out three in his return start, and the bullpen mostly held up behind him — Yennier Cano was the lone hiccup, allowing three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning before Andrew Kittredge and Rico Garcia closed it out cleanly.
Kyle Bradish takes the mound for Baltimore on Saturday carrying a 7-11 record and 3.69 ERA, a split that reflects a pitcher who's outperforming his win-loss line. He'll face Tampa Bay left-hander Ian Seymour, a 27-year-old who converted from the bullpen to the rotation this season and has emerged as one of the more unusual matchups in the league. Seymour doesn't throw hard — his fastball sits in the low 90s — but an exaggerated pre-pitch head turn delays how quickly hitters can pick up the ball out of his hand, and his changeup plays faster than the velocity gap alone would suggest. He's 9-3 with a 4.08 ERA this season, working through a Tommy John recovery that once threatened his career after Tampa Bay drafted him in the second round out of Virginia Tech in 2020.
Tampa Bay's nine-wins-in-ten stretch, even with Friday's loss, has the Rays sitting comfortably atop the AL East. Winning the first two games of a four-game set against the best team in baseball would be a real statement for a Baltimore roster that's still finding its footing after the trade deadline. A win Saturday gives the Orioles back-to-back victories to open the series and would pull them within three games of .500 for the first time in over a week.
Probable Starters
Tampa Bay Rays: LHP Ian Seymour (9-3, 4.08 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish (7-11, 3.69 ERA)
Where to Watch/Listen
First pitch: 6:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
Weather: Indoors
TV: MASN
Radio: 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio (AM 1090 / FM 101.5)