The Orioles took their team photo this afternoon, one of those feel-good moments where one team connects to all the rest in history. Of course, due to a couple of injuries and also Dan Duquette's insatiable desire to option anyone and everyone in sight, the photo is without Matt Wieters, Manny Machado, Wei-Yin Chen, and Kevin Gausman. Steve Clevenger and Jimmy Paredes snuck in there, though. We're saved.
Pitchers
RHP Jeremy Hellickson, Rays
2014: 7 GS, 38 IP, 2.61 ERA, 33 SO, 9 BB, .224 BAA, 1.08 WHIP
Last start (at Blue Jays): 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Hellickson hasn't faced the Orioles yet this season, but those are impressive numbers up to this point. If there's a silver lining, it's that he's averaging less than six innings per start, so maybe the Orioles can work the count and get him out of there early or something. No, this is the O's we're talking about, so we can forget about that.
RHP Bud Norris, Orioles
2014: 22 GS, 129 IP, 3.91 ERA, 100 SO, 39 BB, .250 BAA, 1.24 WHIP
Last start (at Cubs): 2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Norris was chased by a long rain delay in his last start, so that wasn't quite the disaster that it looks like. He last started against the Rays back in May, giving up two runs in 5.2 innings at the Trop in a game that the Orioles were able to win.
Since the start of June, Norris has only gone six innings or more in five of the 12 starts he's made. He's actually lowered his ERA from a high of 4.41 to the current 3.91, which is not great but is less terrible. If the Orioles hitters look like they do last night, Norris is going to need to throw a shutout. Good luck, Bud.