Thursday evening Orioles game thread: at Phillies, 4:05

Maybe this is recency bias speaking, or perhaps a result of quarantine, but this has felt like the most fun week to be an Orioles fan in a couple of years. The entire team is clicking, and even when they mess up it seems like they make up for that mistake moments later, erasing it from your memory.

What it really could be is manager Brandon Hyde finding a groove with his roster. Austin Hays has been removed from the lead-off spot. Chris Davis has been hidden as much as possible. And the O’s bullpen has settled to the point where Hyde can call on anyone of a handful of hurlers to get crucial outs (most of the time).

The Orioles portion of the internet is having a field day with this team. Someone made an O’s-inspired Mortal Kombat video. They are dunking on the Phillies sponsors. Even MLB affiliated accounts are getting in on it. Personally, I have been looking forward to the daily O’s game far more than I did in 2019 or 2018.

The low expectations. The wacky season format. The roster full of misfits. It all makes for a perfect recipe that allows for a good time that will be memorable regardless of what happens in the final month and a half of this campaign.

Orioles lineup:

1. 2B Hanser Alberto
2. RF Anthony Santander
3. DH Jose Iglesias
4. 3B Rio Ruiz
5. 1B Renato Nunez
6. LF Dwight Smith, Jr.
7. C Pedro Severino
8. CF Austin Hays
9. SS Pat Valaika

RHP Thomas Eshelman