Orioles vs. Angels discussion

Fresh off taking two of three games on the road against the Dodgers, the Orioles are on the verge of possibly helping people to feel a little bit better about their fortunes. What is standing between now and that possibility occurring is a series against the Angels. The Orioles need to actually keep playing well now that they are playing a much worse team.

At every other turn this season, when presented with one of these opportunities, the Orioles have largely if not entirely wasted it. That’s why they bring a 37-42 record into this game. I keep bringing this up because it keeps amazing me: They haven’t won more than three games in a row all season. They have had five separate three-game winning streaks and zero have gone to four games. That’s not even what’s at stake tonight. They’ve only won the last two. But they won’t be able to break that futility tomorrow if they don’t extend the streak today.

These Angels have lost more games than any other American League team to date. Their best hitter, a resurgent Mike Trout, recently hit the IL. They were desperate enough that they recently had former Oriole Trey Mancini around for a handful of games. He got four hits in 13 at-bats, which is nice for him. Three of their six most frequent starting pitchers are on the IL, including former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez.

The Orioles are going to have to actually play well to make something good happen here. They are capable of doing that. They are also capable of not doing that. That is the frustrating thing about them this season. I would like it to go a better way tonight. That doesn’t mean it will. It’s up to the Orioles.

Note: The schedule of this west coast road trip is not kind to the availability of Camden Chat staff. The recap for this game will not be posted until I wake up and write it on Tuesday morning. Don’t stay up waiting for it!

1. Taylor Ward – LF
2. Gunnar Henderson – SS
3. Pete Alonso – 1B
4. Coby Mayo – DH
5. Tyler O’Neill – RF
6. Blaze Alexander – 3B
7. Colton Cowser – CF
8. Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
9. Sam Huff – C

This is the lineup in support of Kyle Bradish. He was very good last time around!

Huff is catching after Samuel Basallo caught the four previous games. He’s earned the day off. Jackson Holliday remains out of the lineup. That’s probably due to ongoing concern about his groin soreness, though the fact that the Angels are starting a lefty, Sam Aldegheri, surely also contributes.

1. Zach Neto – SS
2. Nolan Schanuel – 1B
3. Jo Adell – RF
4. Jorge Soler – DH
5. Wade Meckler – LF
6. Denzer Guzman – 3B
7. Donovan Walton – 2B
8. Logan O’Hoppe – C
9. Jose Siri – CF

Aldegheri, the Angels starter, was born in Verona, a location notably invoked in the opening lines of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona where we lay our scene,
From ancient blood break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean…

When I was in ninth grade, students had to memorize a 15-line portion of Romeo and Juliet and recite it in front of the class. A friend of mine read the 14-line opening sonnet that begins with the above and then, since that was only 14 of the 15 required lines, had to finish with the first non-prologue line: “Gregory, o’ my word, we’ll not carry coals.” Does that have anything to do whatsoever with this game? No, but it lives in my head forever.