Monday night Orioles game thread: vs Rays, 6:35

The schedule does not get any easier as the Orioles welcome in the league-best Rays for a three-game set at Camden Yards. Even worse, it’s Shane McClanahan on the mound. The Baltimore-born southpaw has dominate the O’s during his career: 5-0, 2.45 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 40.1 innings. Yikes.

This won’t exactly be a soft landing for Kyle Gibson, who drew only one whiff in his most recent start. They are the top offense in baseball from just about every perspective. Hopefully the Camden Yards dimensions allow Gibson to tip toe around their prodigious power.

Adley Rutschman is back in the starting lineup after sitting to begin Sunday’s brunch game in Atlanta. But Cedric Mullins will hit the pine. Like Rutschman, Mullins has played in every Orioles game thus far, but this will be the third time he’s excluded from the starting lineup. Brandon Hyde likes to empty out his bench on a daily basis, so it may not be a full day off.

One would assume that most of the bullpen bullets are in play as the team has had more than 24 hours off since the conclusion on Sunday, but Yennier Cano and Austin Voth both threw 29 pitches, and Félix Bautista’s lone inning was rather laborious, so we shall see.

The Orioles will hope they can extend their streak of series-opening wins and get back to chasing the Rays down in the AL East.

Orioles Starting Lineup

1. Austin Hays, LF
2. Adley Rutschman, DH
3. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B
4. Anthony Santander, RF
5. Jorge Mateo, SS
6. James McCann, C
7. Adam Frazier, 2B
8. Ramón Urías, 3B
9. Ryan McKenna, CF

Kyle Gibson, RHP (4-1, 4.61 ERA)

Rays Starting Lineup

1. Yandy Díaz, DH
2. Wander Franco, SS
3. Randy Arozarena, LF
4. Brandon Lowe, 2B
5. Taylor Walls, 3B
6. Josh Lowe, RF
7. Jose Siri, CF
8. Luke Raley, 1B
9. Francisco Mejía, C

Shane McClanahan, LHP (6-0, 2.03 ERA)