Monday night Orioles game thread: at Rangers, 8:05

Look, anyone can get excited for Opening Day and the first full weekend of baseball season. It’s a fun time, the unofficial start of summer full of pageantry and renewed hope. Who doesn’t love it? That’s easy.

But tuning in tonight takes a little more. Maybe you worked a full day or had to get up early for class. That alone can be draining. Add in some combination of a commute, cooking dinner, getting the kids settled down, perhaps even a chore or two around the house. And now you want me to watch nine innings of a team that couldn’t pitch its way out of a paper bag these last couple days? Get real!

Alright fine, I’ll do it. But only like 159 more times this year. MAYbe a few more if they go to the playoffs. But that is it!

The Orioles seem to have a tall task ahead of them. The Rangers scored 29 runs while sweeping the defending NL champs over the weekend. Meanwhile the Orioles were kicking the ball around the outfield and serving up 27 runs at Fenway Park. It doesn’t sound like a recipe for success down in Texas.

Jon Gray is on the bump for the Rangers. He faced the Orioles once last year. He allowed three earned runs in 1.1 innings and then went on the IL. He probably wants to do a little better this time,

Kyle Bradish may be the Orioles pitcher with the widest range of potential outcomes this season. He’s supremely talented, and had good stuff this spring. But his rookie season was rocky and many talent evaluators have him pegged as a reliever long term. For now, he’s part of an Orioles rotation that could really use some length after Dean Kremer and Cole Irvin combined for just six innings the last two days.

Orioles Starting Lineup

1. Cedric Mullins, CF
2. Adley Rutschman, DH
3. Anthony Santander, RF
4. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
5. Gunnar Henderson, 3B
6. Kyle Stowers, LF
7. Adam Frazier, 2B
8. Jorge Mateo, SS
9. Anthony Bemboom, C

Kyle Bradish, RHP (4-7, 4.90 ERA in 2022)

Stowers gets his first start of the campaign while Bemboom is back on a big league field for the first time since last May. That gives Rutschman’s knees a break. Ramon Urías also gets a breather as Brandon Hyde opts for the red hot left-handed Frazier at second base instead. It makes sense against Texas starter Jon Gray, who had rather drastic splits a season ago.

Rangers Starting Lineup

1. Marcus Semien, 2B
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Nate Lowe, 1B
4. Adolis García, CF
5. Josh Jung, 3B
6. Robbie Grossman, RF
7. Jonah Heim, C
8. Brad Miller, DH
9. Josh Smith, LF

Jon Gray, RHP (7-7, 3.96 ERA)