Baltimore has dropped the first two of this set — 4-3 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday — and now they get a noon start against an A's club that just keeps winning. The Athletics are 21-18 and sitting on a 3-game heater. The Orioles, at 17-23, have lost 8 of their last 10 and the home crowd is restless.
The pitching matchup tilts the wrong way for Baltimore on paper. Severino has a 3.60 road ERA and has been the more reliable starter all year. Bassitt, to his credit, is better at Camden than on the road, and his last time out he was sharp — a quality start against Houston with 7 strikeouts in 6.2 innings. The problem is the body of work behind it: a 5.91 ERA and a rough first month.
Behind Severino, the A's lineup has Nick Kurtz riding a 33-game on-base streak — currently the longest active streak in the majors. That is the kind of bat the Orioles' beat-up roster doesn't really have an answer for right now.
- 10-Day-ILDenzel Clarke CF — Clarke (foot) has begun a running and hitting progression, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMax Muncy 3B — Muncy (hand) has yet to resume baseball activities, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund SP — Hoglund (knee/back) was given a cortisone injection in his left hip May 1, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayRichard Guasch SP — no
- Day-To-DayWill Robertson LF — The Orioles reassigned Robertson to minor-league camp Wednesday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- Day-To-DayKeagan Gillies P — Gillies will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a quad injury, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
- Day-To-DayLuis Vazquez SS — Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday that Vazquez has been diagnosed with a broken right thumb, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJackson Holliday 2B — Holliday (hand) will play at third base in his rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 10-Day-ILHeston Kjerstad LF — Kjerstad (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Chesapeake on Saturday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
- 15-Day-ILCade Povich SP — The Orioles placed Povich on the 15-day injured list Friday with left shoulder inflammation.
- 15-Day-ILDean Kremer SP — Kremer (quadriceps) is expected to miss several weeks, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
The Orioles' IL situation is its own genre at this point. Eflin had Tommy John, Kremer is out for weeks with a quad, Povich has shoulder inflammation, and Trevor Rogers is still working back. The position-player side isn't much better with Holliday, Westburg, and Kjerstad all out. Jackson Holliday at least is getting closer — he's playing third base on a rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday.
The market sees this as basically a coin flip, with the A's a slight favorite on the moneyline and the total down at 9.5 on DraftKings. Pinnacle has it at 10. Given Bassitt's home/road split and the fact that the Orioles' bullpen has been carrying real innings this week, the under has some logic — but neither side is showing real EV here. This one feels like a stay-away unless you've got a strong read on Severino.