The Los Angeles Angels finally secured their first win of a nine-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins. Now, they hope to keep the good fortunes rolling as they enter a four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Angels and Orioles are having relatively mirrored seasons. In Anaheim, 2022 could not have gotten off to a better start, as every facet of the roster was humming along. But they have since hit a major snag, and are now desperately trying to will themselves back into the wild card picture.
Meanwhile, the Orioles had an expected slow start to the year. They were 8-16 through 24 games and 14-24 through 38. But, they’ve now had two four-game win streaks since June 22, including the one they are currently on. They most recently completed a sweep of the Texas Rangers.
If the Angels are going to get back on track, this would be a good series for it. They could leapfrog one of the several teams ahead of them in the AL standings while building some momentum before returning to Anaheim.
Game 1: Thursday, July 7, 4:05 p.m. PT
Chase Silseth is the probable starter for the series opener on Thursday night. After a difficult outing in his most recent start, the Angels ensured that he would get another opportunity. It would be big for the team’s rotation for him to gain some confidence.
He’ll have a real opportunity for success against an Orioles team that has struggled offensively this season. The Orioles have the fourth-worst batting average in baseball and the sixth-worst OPS.
On the flip side, the Angels could do very well against Jordan Lyles, who has allowed a strong .893 OPS against left-handed batters this season. Look for Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh to have potentially big games in the opener.
Game 2: Friday, July 8, 4:05 p.m. PT
Originally, Michael Lorenzen was slated to pitch in the second game of this series. However, he was placed on the IL Thursday afternoon with a right shoulder strain. The Angels have not announced how this will affect the rotation for the series.
For the Orioles, Tyler Wells has been one of their best and most consistent starters. He has a 3.09 ERA — and a home ERA of 2.20 — in 75 innings pitched. He is not a heavy strikeout thrower, which would be a nice change of pace for an Angels team that has frequently recorded outs in that fashion.
Game 3: Saturday, July 9, 1:05 p.m. PT
The Halos will have the highly-trusted Patrick Sandoval on the mound for Game 3. He is in the midst of an excellent season, and has quietly cemented himself as one of the league’s better young pitchers. He’s certainly now an established part of the Angels’ future.
He has a 3.09 ERA and has thrown 74 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched. He’ll have another bite at the apple to improve those numbers against the Orioles.
The Orioles will toss Dean Kremer on the mound, a young pitcher with an interesting statline up to this point in the season. In 32.2 innings, he’s allowed 33 hits and nine walks, but only nine earned runs. We’ll see if this bend but don’t break mentality continues on Saturday afternoon.
Game 4: Sunday, July 10, 9:05 a.m. PT
West coast fans need to wake up early for this series finale, airing on Peacock. And for those who tune in, it’ll be Jose Suarez on the bump for L.A. Suarez has been in and out of the rotation this season, and has at times struggled to replicate some of the success he had in 2021.
He’s still fighting to earn his way into the starting rotation permanently, meaning he’ll have plenty of motivation to perform in the early afternoon battle in Baltimore.
Austin Voth is the projected starter for the Orioles, and it would be only his fifth start to go along with 22 bullpen appearances. However, he’s struggled mightily with a 7.20 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP. The Angels should have a chance to pounce early before heading home that night.
