Can the Mariners Regain Their Footing at Camden Yards?

I like to think that the turn-of-the-century charm of Camden Yards will revive the Mariners’ hitting, although the third game with the Yankees suggests that the lineup does not require charm. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built Camden Yards at the beginning of the twentieth century to store goods until the 1970s.  The architect(s) building Orioles Park at Camden Yards used it as a backdrop for the ballpark that opened in 1992. The only person to have hit the building from home plate is the Mariners’ own Ken Griffey, Jr. during the 1993 Home Run Derby!

I am from Maryland but attended Orioles games at the no-longer-standing Memorial Stadium in the Cal Ripken, Jr. era. I hope to make it to Camden Yards someday soon.

The Orioles have had a strong season, ranking second behind Tampa Bay in the American League East, with a win-loss record of 45-28. Despite the difference in wins and losses, I have a positive feeling about the Mariners heading into the series with the Orioles. I, for one, am also looking forward to "seeing" Adam Frazier play.

Who Will the Mariners' Pitchers Face at the Plate?

Several of the Baltimore players play more than one position. The Mariners will likely encounter a version of this lineup.

Catcher: James McCann, .194 BA, and 7 RBIs

Catcher/DH: Adley Rutschman, .272 BA and 32 RBIs) Sounds like Rutschman will be an All-Star!

1B: Josh Lester .190 BA and 4 RBIs

2B: Adam Frazier .223 BA and 32 RBIs

2B: Joey Ortiz, .219 BA and 4 RBIs

SS/3B/DH: Gunnar Henderson .242 BA and 20 RBIs

SS: Jorge Mateo .224 BA and 27 RBIs

3B/1B: Ramon Urias .267 and 23 RBIs

LF: Austin Hays .323 BA and 31 RBIs

CF: Aaron Hicks .321 BA and 10 RBIs

RF/DH: Anthony Santander, .260 and 42 RBIs

RF/1B/DH/PH: Ryan O’Hearn .341 BA and 20 RBIs

RF/PH: Ryan McKenna .230 BA and 8 RBIs

An Irrelevant observation: to hit for the Orioles, your first name needs to begin with A, J, R, or G.

Who Will the Mariners’ and Orioles’ Batters Face on the Mound?

While Seattle’s hitting will be key, the pitchers’ performances for both teams obviously contribute to the games’ final outcomes.

Friday: RHP Kyle Gibson (3.94 ERA; 65 SO and 39 runs in 89 IP) v. RHP Logan Gilbert (4.31 ERA; 84 SO and 41 runs in 79.1 IP) J.P. Crawford, Ty France, Dylan Moore, Eugenio Suarez and Kolten Wong have hit 50 percent or more of Gibson’s pitches in past games.

Saturday: RHP Dean Kremer (4.56 ERA; 72 SO and 43 runs in 81 IP) v. RHP Bryce Miller (3.68 ERA, 45 SO and 21 runs in 51 IP) Tom Murphy, Julio Rodriguez, and Eugenio Suarez previously hit 50 percent or more of Kremer’s pitches.

Sunday: TBD v. RHP George Kirby (3.29 ERA; 75 SO and 33 runs in 87 IP)

The hitting that saved the Mariners from a Yankee sweep is very encouraging. We hope to see more hitting success and perhaps some Chaos Ball. Go, Mariners!