The Oakland Athletics are set to take on the Baltimore Orioles in what promises to be an exciting matchup between two teams with very different records. On Sunday afternoon in Oakland, California, the A’s will have the opportunity to secure a season-series win over the Orioles in their sixth and final meeting of the season.
The A’s are coming off a dominant performance on Saturday, where they hit five home runs in a 19-8 victory over the Orioles. This win gave them a 3-2 lead in the season series against a team that holds the second-best record in the American League. The standout moment of the game came when Oakland’s backup catcher, Kyle McCann, homered off Baltimore’s backup catcher, James McCann, who was called in to pitch the eighth inning.
Oakland has been particularly impressive at home this week, hitting a total of 12 home runs in five games and winning four out of five matchups. All-Star hopeful Brent Rooker has been a key contributor to the A’s success, hitting three home runs in the last five games to bring his season total to 18. Other players like Shea Langeliers, Lawrence Butler, and Max Schuemann have also made significant contributions with multiple home runs.
On the pitching side, the A’s will rely on right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to keep the Orioles’ hitters at bay. Rodriguez, who has a 10-3 record and a 3.45 ERA, has only allowed 10 home runs in his 15 starts this season. He is coming off a strong performance in his last outing, where he pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings against the Seattle Mariners.
For the Orioles, it will be important to bounce back from Saturday’s loss and finish the season series on a high note. They will send rookie right-hander Mitch Spence to the mound, who has a 5-4 record and a 4.15 ERA. Spence recorded his second major league win earlier in the season against the Orioles and will look to replicate that success on Sunday.
As the two teams face off in their final meeting of the season, there is more than just a win at stake. With Major League Baseball set to announce the full All-Star Game rosters on Sunday afternoon, several Orioles players are in the running to earn a spot on the team. Players like Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg, and Craig Kimbrel have made strong cases for themselves in the series and will be looking to impress in the final game.
Overall, Sunday’s matchup between the A’s and Orioles promises to be an exciting game with playoff implications and All-Star Game selections on the line. Both teams will be looking to end the series on a high note and secure a crucial win as they continue their push for the postseason.
