BALTIMORE — The Orioles were scheduled to resume their season tonight at Camden Yards against the Tigers, and the weather may decide whether the opener goes off as planned. Baltimore is beginning a 10-game homestand with a matchup that brings Jack Flaherty back to the park as the visiting starter.
Flaherty, a former Oriole, was set to pitch for Detroit after a difficult stretch that left him 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA and a 1.603 WHIP in 10 outings. He had walked 29 batters in 43 2/3 innings, a rate that has undercut his ability to work deep into games. The Tigers entered tonight on a six-game losing streak, with a 20-31 record, last place in the American League Central and a 7-19 mark on the road.
The numbers around Detroit explain why the club is carrying so much weight into this series. The Tigers had lost nine of their last 10 games and 14 of their last 16, scoring 196 runs to rank 26th in the majors while posting a.690 OPS, 23rd, and a.372 slugging percentage, 25th. Their rotation held a 4.01 ERA, but the lineup and defense have not kept pace, with the club last in outs above average yesterday at minus-21.
That defensive gap also overlaps with Baltimore’s own concerns. The Orioles were minus-13 in outs above average yesterday, which ranked 27th, just ahead of the Rays at minus-14. Their rotation stayed in order for the weekend, with Brandon Young scheduled for Saturday and Trevor Rogers set for Sunday, though storms in the forecast could still force changes.
Detroit announced Framber Valdez for Saturday, giving the series another notable pitching matchup. Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million deal with Detroit and came in with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.400 WHIP in 10 starts. He was also suspended five games for intentionally hitting Trevor Story with a pitch, another reminder of how much edge has surrounded this staff.
For Baltimore, the homestand is also part of a broader reset after a rocky early stretch, including Chris Bassitt’s struggles after he signed an $18.5 million contract on Feb. 13. Bassitt was blunt about a loss earlier in the season, saying, “Yeah, obviously,” then adding, “Nothing,” and later, “I’m too old to deal with the positives. It was a bad game, bad loss.” Those comments fit the mood around a team trying to steady itself while the calendar turns deeper into the season.
The next few days may tell whether the Orioles can take advantage of a Tigers club that has been easy to push around or whether weather, rotation shuffling and Detroit’s uneven pitching keep the series unsettled. Either way, the home stand opens with a team trying to stop its skid and another trying to prove it can finally play like its record says it should.
