Thursday night Orioles game thread: at Angels, 10:07

For the second straight series, the Orioles will try to get in the way of a team looking to make a playoff push.

After facing the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three-game series, Baltimore will begin a four-game set with the Los Angeles Angels tonight. The Angels (54-49) have won four straight and began Thursday sitting four games behind the Athletics for the second wild card spot.

(For the record, Baltimore began the day 25 games out. Time for a hot August!)

The Orioles will look to get the series off to a good start behind the right arm of opener Jimmy Yacabonis, who’s 1-2 this season with a 6.95 ERA. It’ll only be Yacabonis’s third start of the season, and his first since June 25, when he went 2.2 innings and allowed five runs in a loss to the Padres.

Yacabonis’s only appearance this season against the Halos came on May 11, when he allowed a run on three hits while striking out three in two innings of work. Baltimore lost, 7-2.

His counterpart will be Jose Suarez, who’s 2-1 with a 5.51 ERA. Suarez last got the ball on July 14, and took a no-decision while allowing three runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings and striking out seven.

Of note in the Orioles’ order: Anthony Santander, who’s batting .448 over his last seven games, is batting cleanup for the first time all season. He’s also smacked three home runs in his last two games.

Orioles lineup

Hanser Alberto 3B

Trey Mancini 1B

Renato Nunez DH

Anthony Santander RF

Pedro Severino C

Jonathan Villar 2B

Dwight Smith Jr. LF

Stevie Wilkerson CF

Richie Martin SS

• Jimmy Yacabonis RHP

Angels lineup

David Fletcher SS

Mike Trout CF

Shohei Ohtani DH

Justin Upton LF

Kole Calhoun RF

Albert Pujols 1B

Kevan Smith C

Matt Thaiss 3B

Luis Rengifo 2B

• Jose Suarez LHP