The Baltimore Orioles would prefer some normalcy when they get back home to begin a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon.
But if they keep winning at a solid clip, they can deal with some of the quirks in their routines.
The Orioles are coming off a 4-3 road trip that was hampered by numerous weather-related delays. Included was a long delay prior to the beginning of Sunday’s game in Chicago, where they beat the White Sox 4-1 to complete a four-game sweep.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s been a lot of sitting around and waiting and delays. You can kind of get complacent. You can get flat really easily, and I feel like almost every game in this series, we had some sort of weather issue. So I give our guys a lot of credit, the way this road trip started.”
Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish threw seven no-hit innings Sunday, so that will be a tough act to follow for left-hander Cole Irvin against Boston.
The Orioles will have Irvin (4-2, 3.15 ERA) back in a starting role after a pair of relief outings. He has pitched only twice since May 10 as Baltimore has made various adjustments to its rotation while dealing with scheduling oddities.
Irvin gave up more runs (five) in 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen last week at St. Louis than he did in his previous 32 1/3 innings combined (four).
In six career outings against Boston, including three starts, Irvin is 0-1 with a 5.16 ERA across 22 2/3 innings.
This will be the second series between the teams this season. The Orioles won three straight games in Boston from April 9-11 .
The Red Sox haven’t been in much of a groove recently, though they won Sunday’s series finale 2-1 against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers to avoid a three-game sweep.
“We know we got Baltimore,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Day game there. It should be a packed house.”
Boston has won its last four road games, topping St. Louis in a series finale and then beating Tampa Bay the next three nights. The three games in Baltimore will be Boston’s only road assignments across a 12-game stretch.
The Red Sox will have right-hander Cooper Criswell (2-1, 2.86 ERA) on the mound. He has had four no-decisions this month, though the Red Sox won three of those games and have notched victories in five of his last six outings.
Criswell, who is in his first season with Boston, has never faced the Orioles despite appearing in 11 games over two seasons with another American League East team, the Tampa Bay Rays.
Starting pitching generally has been a boost for the Red Sox.
“You feel like our starters are going to give us a good start,” Cora said.
The Red Sox could be without outfielder Tyler O’Neill again Monday with a sore right knee, Cora said. He sat out Sunday as well.
Orioles catcher/designated hitter Adley Rutschman drove in seven runs in the Chicago series, with two coming on his 10th home run of the season in the last game of the series.
–Field Level Media