(Photo credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports)
The Baltimore Orioles are heading toward the playoffs as the calendar flips to September and the final four weeks of the regular season.
Baltimore (78-59) sits 1 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East and would have to endure a swoon to fail to reach the postseason.
The Orioles will look to start the month on a high note Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies (51-86) in Denver.
Baltimore will send right-hander Zach Eflin (9-7, 3.72 ERA) to the mound against Colorado left-hander Ty Blach (3-6, 6.36).
The Orioles have one of the best records in baseball despite grinding through a tough August. They finished the month with a 13-15 record after splitting a four-game series vs. the Houston Astros, dropping two of three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and splitting the first two contests in Denver.
“We’ve been grinding for a couple months, honestly,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said after Saturday’s 7-5 loss to Colorado. “The effort that our guys are putting in is fantastic. I think our guys are handling everything really, really well right now. It’s a tough time in the season. We’re also pretty banged up. Looking forward to getting some guys back.
“To be competitive against two first-place teams, that’s good. But we want to keep pushing and start doing some things a little bit better.”
Baltimore is stocked with young players and plans on adding another when the rosters expand to 28 on Sunday. The Orioles are expected to bring up Coby Mayo, their top prospect, to join them in Denver.
Colorado knows all about young players. Saturday’s lineup included two rookies and three other players who made their major league debuts in either 2022, 2023 or 2024. That has resulted in growing pains for the Rockies — who are on pace for a second straight 100-loss season — and a glimpse of a promising future.
Brenton Doyle, who is one of those young stars, has improved at the plate while playing great defense in center field. On Friday night, he made a diving catch of Austin Slater’s sinking liner, rolled over and fired to third base to cut down Jackson Holliday.
“I’ve played that position for a very long time and have made some very acrobatic movements out there,” Doyle said. “That’s just one of them. Definitely a feel-good moment, but you’ve just got to settle back down and worry about the next pitch.”
Doyle hit just .203 as a rookie last season but has improved to .273 this year and leads the team in home runs (22), RBIs (66) and stolen bases (25).
Eflin won his fourth straight start with Baltimore on Aug. 15, allowing one run on five hits in six innings of a 5-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. He is 2-3 with a 5.57 ERA in six career appearances (all starts) against the Rockies.
Blach will be recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to start in place of Cal Quantrill, who is dealing with right triceps inflammation.
Blach posted a 1-3 record with an 11.32 ERA in five starts with the Orioles in 2019. He allowed one run on three hits in seven innings of a no-decision in his lone career start against Baltimore.
–Field Level Media
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