Wednesday afternoon Orioles game thread: vs. Mets, 4:05

Remember how the Orioles went through their entire, 162-game schedule in 2019 without sweeping a single series? Yeah. Weird. But they’re making up for it this year.

This afternoon they have a chance to bag their fourth sweep of the truncated 2020 season after winning the opener of a two-game series against the Mets last night. So far, the Orioles have either swept or gotten swept in seven of their 11 series this year (or eight of 12, if you want to count their four games against the Marlins in Baltimore as a pair of two-and-two series).

If the O’s hope to bust out the brooms, they’ll look for John Means to finally shake off the rust and put up a vintage 2019 performance. Means has yet to win a game — or even complete five innings in a start — this season, after starting the season on the injured list with shoulder fatigue and going on bereavement leave after the death of his father in August. In so many ways, it’s been a year Means would like to forget.

There’s still a month left for Means to salvage his season. He’s never faced the Mets nor any of their current hitters, so their unfamiliarity with him may work in his favor. Meanwhile, the Birds are using almost the same lineup that posted nine runs last night — except swapping in Pedro Severino for Chance Sisco as the catcher and No. 5 hitter — as they face veteran righty Michael Wacha for the first time in his career. Jose Iglesias (2-for-7) is the only current Oriole who has seen him before.

Orioles lineup:

CF Cedric Mullins
RF Anthony Santander
DH Jose Iglesias
1B Renato Nunez
C Pedro Severino
LF Ryan Mountcastle
3B Rio Ruiz
2B Pat Valaika
SS Andrew Velazquez

LHP John Means