Orioles at Rays discussion

It’s a been a fun weekend of Orioles baseball. Back-to-back wins over the AL-leading Rays, paired with some helpful outcomes elsewhere in the league, have inched the O’s to within half a game of the final wild card spot in the American League. Another victory today could push them into sole possession of that place.

Here are the other games worth watching today:

• Yankees at Blue Jays, 1:37 p.m.
• Padres at Guardians, 1:40 p.m.
• White Sox at Tigers, 1:40 p.m.
• Phillies at Twins, 2:10 p.m.
• Rangers at Athletics, 4:05 p.m.

Thanks to an extra early start for the O’s today, you should be able to take in most of those other matchups in the afternoon if you so choose. That is the beauty of the “NBC Sunday Leadoff” game. It’s something I’m a fan of, though it does interrupt the typical flow of a baseball Sunday.

Craig Albernaz is deploying yet another different lineup in this one. Jackson Holliday will lead off for the first time this season. His bat has gone a bit cold (.533 OPS in August) recently after a dominant July (.921), but he has still been taking good at bats. Pete Alonso will play, but only DHs the day after suffering cramps in his calf on Saturday night. Gunnar Henderson is up to third in the order after collecting five hits and reaching base six times in the first two games of this series.

Trevor Rogers will hope to bounce back from a tough start in Minnesota, where he gave up two runs on four hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over just four innings last week. Going deep in this one, a day game after an extra innings night game, would be a big boost.

Orioles lineup

1. Jackson Holliday (L), 2B
2. Pete Alonso (R), DH
3. Gunnar Henderson (L), SS
4. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R), 3B
5. Dylan Beavers (L), LF
6. Leody Taveras (S), RF
7. Colton Cowser (L), CF
8. Coby Mayo (R), 1B
9. Yohel Pozo (R), C

LHP Trevor Rogers (7-8, 4.21 ERA)

Rays lineup

1. Yandy Díaz (R), DH
2. Jonathan Aranda (L), 1B
3. Junior Caminero (R) 3B
4. Ryan Vilade (R), RF
5. Chandler Simpson (L), LF
6. Jonny DeLuca (R), CF
7. Jorge Mateo (R), 2B
8. Nick Fortes (R), C
9. Taylor Walls (S), SS

RHP Freddy Peralta (5-9, 5.33 ERA)