Tuesday night game thread: vs Padres, 7:05

Truthfully, I don’t know what to expect from this game. Are O’s fans going to give Manny a hero’s welcome or boo him like Nats fans did to Bryce Harper? Will Logan Allen make it two good starts in a row to kick off his career in the majors? Can the Orioles somehow piece together a bullpen game? If only I had the answers.

San Diego lefty Logan Allen (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 K) has pitched exactly one game in the majors, and it was a good one: seven scoreless against 42-36 Milwaukee, with just three hits allowed. An 8th-round draft pick by the Red Sox in 2015, Allen had a 5.15 ERA for Triple-A El Paso this season, but he recorded a 1.91 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP from April 15-May 24, and the Padres promoted him last week, with obviously good results. For what it’s worth, the Orioles are a team that holds its own against lefties, especially Hanser Alberto, Pedro Severino, and Trey Mancini (a .932, .990, and. 978 OPS against lefties, respectively).

If the Orioles can build a lead against Allen and SD’s weak middle relief and avoid facing closer Kirby Yates (1.36 ERA, 26 saves in 33 innings) ... well, then that lead is probably not safe. The last time the Orioles tried this opener thing, Jimmy Yacabonis (1-1, 4.70 ERA, 16 K) threw two scoreless innings against the Athletics, but then Josh Rogers, Shawn Armstrong, and Richard Bleier gave up eight runs between them. Let’s hope it goes better this time—because what else can we do?

Obviously, there’s been just a touch of chatter about this Manny Machado guy returning to the Yard as a Padre. Whether you find him polarizing or just a tough player, you’ve got to acknowledge everything he did for Baltimore as a member of some great Orioles teams from 2012-18. So, Orioles fans, let’s be on our best behavior!

Orioles lineup

Hanser Alberto 3B

Trey Mancini 1B

Pedro Severino C

Renato Núñez DH

Jonathan Villar 2B

Dwight Smith Jr. LF

Anthony Santander RF

Keon Broxton CF

Richie Martin SS

• Jimmy Yacabonis RHP

Padres lineup

Fernando Tatis Jr. SS

Eric Hosmer 1B

Manny Machado 3B

Hunter Renfroe LF

Franmil Reyes RF

Josh Naylor DH

Francisco Mejía C

Ian Kinsler 2B

Manuel Margot CF

• Logan Allen LHP