Sunday afternoon Orioles game thread: vs. Athletics, 1:35

The Orioles have taken care of business so far this weekend. Unfortunately, so have their wild card competitors.

The O’s are doing what they’re supposed to do against a bad team, winning the first two against the AL-worst Athletics, but the Blue Jays have done the same in Pittsburgh, taking the first two against the woeful Pirates. The Birds remain 1.5 games behind Toronto for the third and final wild card spot. Tomorrow, at least, the Orioles will get to directly control their own destiny as the Jays come to Baltimore for a pivotal four-game series.

The O’s can’t look ahead just yet, though, as they’ve got one more game before the Athletics leave town. Spenser Watkins will look to pitch the Birds to a three-game sweep and bounce back from a rough outing in Cleveland, in which he retired the first 11 batters he faced before coughing up six hits and five runs in the blink of an eye.

Adley Rutschman is DHing in this day game after a night game (with a doubleheader on deck tomorrow). Gunnar Henderson, whose first four major league games have seen him start at third base, shortstop, second base, and third base again, moves back to second this afternoon. As long as he’s in the lineup, I’m sure he doesn’t care which position. The O’s will be facing rookie right-hander Adrián Martínez, who has a 5.28 ERA in his first six MLB starts. Martínez has yet to work more than 5.1 innings in a start, so perhaps the Orioles will get another early look at the A’s bullpen.

Orioles lineup:

CF Cedric Mullins
DH Adley Rutschman
RF Anthony Santander
1B Ryan Mountcastle
2B Gunnar Henderson
3B Ramón Urías
LF Austin Hays
SS Jorge Mateo
C Robinson Chirinos

RHP Spenser Watkins

Athletics lineup:

2B Tony Kemp
3B Vimael Machin
DH Sean Murphy
1B Stephen Vogt
C Shea Langeliers
RF Seth Brown
LF Cody Thomas
SS Sheldon Neuse
CF Cal Stevenson

RHP Adrián Martínez