Saturday Orioles-Red Sox doubleheader game thread: 12:10, 6:10

If you watched last night’s Orioles game all the way to the end, you can be forgiven for wondering if maybe there’s something a little bit different about this team compared to the last few we’ve seen. They aren’t good yet. There are a lot of problems. But there’s an energy to them, and even an overall talent level, that feels fresh, and sometimes when things go right they can score ten unanswered runs to win 12-8 on a Friday night at Fenway Park. It’s fun.

We’re not going to have to wait long to find out whether the O’s can carry over any kind of forward momentum from that fantastic comeback or whether they will just be spent after that one win. The O’s have a split doubleheader today, with game 1 coming not long afternoon, a 12:10 scheduled start time. It would be nice if they can split this doubleheader.

I will never forget how the day after the Orioles famously pulled off that big comeback against the Red Sox in 2009 to win, 11-10, they then blew a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning against Boston the very next day only to end up losing in 11 innings. One magic game was only that. They didn’t halt Boston. They didn’t turn their own season around. They just went back to losing.

What can the 2022 Orioles do? They are on pace for close to the same final record as that 2009 squad ended up with. The 2009 losers won 64 games. This team is on pace for 67-95. That’s a substantial improvement over last year’s 52-110, if they can stay on that pace for the whole season. Then again, if they get swept in today’s doubleheader, they’ll be right on pace to win 64 games. Maybe that’s what this team is, too.

Game 1 Orioles lineup

1. Cedric Mullins - CF
2. Trey Mancini - 1B
3. Anthony Santander - RF
4. Austin Hays - RF
5. Ryan Mountcastle - DH
6. Rougned Odor - 2B
7. Ramón Urías - 3B
8. Robinson Chirinos - C
9. Chris Owings - SS

Jordan Lyles - P

After needing to get 7.1 innings out of the bullpen last night and with a second game still to come later today, the Orioles could really use another 6+ inning start out of Lyles. If he pitches well, that would be a nice bonus, but pitching long would be fine on its own.

You can note the absence of Adley Rutschman from the lineup. There was no way he was going to catch both ends of a doubleheader and this way he’s getting the first game off entirely - though if there’s a late-inning situation where he might pinch hit for Chirinos or Owings, I hope he does. Owings is 40.4% of the way to a Caleb Joseph no RBI season.

Available in the bullpen for the doubleheader will be pitcher Cody Sedlock. The Orioles used their top pick in the 2016 draft - 27th overall, with a higher pick having been forfeited idiotically due to the signing of Yovani Gallardo - on Sedlock. He’s been on a long and rocky road to finally get this one day in the majors. Maybe it will be all he gets. I hope he gets to pitch in one of the games and that the outing goes decently.

Sedlock is on the full roster: His contract was selected, with Jahmai Jones being designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man. Pitcher Beau Sulser, who threw three innings last night, was optioned back to Norfolk. The extra roster player for the doubleheader will be Denyi Reyes, who will be making the start in the nightcap.

Game 1 Red Sox lineup

1. Kiké Hernández - CF
2. Rafael Devers - 3B
3. J.D. Martinez - DH
4. Xander Bogaerts - SS
5. Alex Verdugo - LF
6. Christian Arroyo - 2B
7. Franchy Cordero - 1B
8. Kevin Plawecki - C
9. Jackie Bradley Jr. - RF

Nathan Eovaldi - P