:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67135496/1164799275.jpg.0.jpg)
There’s a reason the Yankees elected to pay Gerrit Cole $324 million over the next nine years. There’s also a rationale against spotting the prized free agent five runs in the first three innings.
Maybe there’s a reason the Orioles have lost 17 consecutive games to New York.
All but one of those games came prior to this season (a 9-3 loss yesterday evening). Today is a new day, and this time Baltimore will be the club with its All Star pitcher on the mound.
That’s right, John Means will make his season debut tonight. The lefty turned plenty of heads last year as he emerged from a hardly-known reliever to an All Star in just a few months.
Means was set to take the ball on Opening Day, but the 27-year-old was sidelined with “arm fatigue.” Today will be the first test to see if that fatigue has subsided.
The Orioles optioned Cody Carroll to make room for Means. Carroll, who will report to team’s alternate training site, allowed six earned runs and recorded just one out in two appearances this season.
Chris Davis will sit out again tonight without an official explanation from the Orioles. Davis did not play yesterday.
José Iglesias will also be absent from the lineup. O’s skipper Brandon Hyde pulled Iglesias from the lineup prior to the seventh inning last night. The shortstop had reported tightness in his quadriceps. Iglesias has been a hot bat in the three-hole, and Baltimore will miss his presence tonight.
The Orioles will face J.A. Happ in his season debut this evening. Baltimore hit Happ hard last year, blasting 7 home runs in five games off the lefty.
The game will begin at 7:05 after originally being schedule a half an hour later.
For the Orioles
- Austin Hays CF
- Hanser Alberto 2B
- Renato Núñez 1B
- Anthony Santander RF
- Pedro Severino C
- Dwight Smith Jr. DH
- Pat Valaika SS
- Rio Ruiz 3B
- Cedric Mullins LF
John Means LHP