Friday night Orioles game thread: vs. Angels, 7:05

The Orioles still haven’t won a game on a Friday since early June. This fact is increasingly more absurd each week and yet, Friday after Friday has come and gone and the Orioles just keep finding ways to lose these games.

They enter this particular Friday night contest against the Angels having lost their last two games and six of their previous ten. A loss tonight would send the Orioles to four games below .500 and four games out of the second wild card spot with possibly as many as seven teams to pass in order to claim a postseason chance. Really.

If the Orioles are going to maintain the illusion that they are in the playoff chase, they need to start winning some games. Preferably that will be tonight, with Jeremy Hellickson on the mound against Andrew Heaney. By the way, this is Heaney’s first MLB start since having Tommy John surgery last year.

Chris Davis and Welington Castillo are both sick and not in the lineup. Is it the worst thing in the world that Davis won’t be hitting against a lefty? Probably not. The consequence of these illnesses is that Rule 5 pick Anthony Santander, finally activated on Wednesday night, is getting thrown right into the lineup on his first real day as a big leaguer... and he’s not even the #9 hitter. Good luck to him.