BALTIMORE — The Orioles are set to resume their season tonight at Camden Yards against the Tigers if the weather cooperates, opening a 10-game homestand with a matchup that carries more weight for Detroit than the standings might suggest. Jack Flaherty, a former Oriole, is scheduled to start for the Tigers as they try to stop a six-game losing streak after yesterday’s loss left them 20-31 and in last place in the American League Central.
Flaherty has not looked like a stopper for much of this season. In 10 outings, he is 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA and a 1.603 WHIP, and he has issued 29 walks in 43 2/3 innings. That makes tonight a difficult spot for a Detroit team that has lost nine of 10 and 14 of 16, been swept by Cleveland in a four-game series, and already owns a 7-19 road record. The numbers behind the slump are blunt: after the loss to Cleveland, the Tigers had scored 196 runs, which ranked 26th in the majors, while their.690 OPS ranked 23rd and their.372 slugging percentage ranked 25th.
That is part of why the game matters now. The Orioles are at the start of a long home stretch, and the pitching schedule around it is already in flux because storms in the forecast could change the rotation. Brandon Young is slated to start Saturday for Baltimore, with Trevor Rogers scheduled for Sunday, while the Tigers have announced left-hander Framber Valdez for Saturday and are listed as TBA for Sunday. Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million deal with Detroit and has a 4.58 ERA with a 1.400 WHIP in 10 starts, while striking out a career-low 7.4 batters per nine innings. He was suspended five games for intentionally hitting Trevor Story with a pitch, a detail that sits far from the cleanest version of the pitcher Detroit was banking on when it made the deal.
The broader picture is just as unsettled in Baltimore. Chris Bassitt, who was signed by the Orioles to an $18.5 million contract on Feb. 13, has a 5.44 ERA and a 1.698 WHIP in nine appearances, including eight starts, and he allowed four runs and six hits in five innings in a 13-3 loss in Washington. Asked about the loss, Bassitt said, “Yeah, obviously,” before adding, “Nothing,” and then, “I’m too old to deal with the positives. It was a bad game, bad loss.”
Ryan Klimek, who has worked with Bassitt, said, “One thing I’ve always respected about Chris is the way that he’s able to change speeds and change lanes,” and added that the key is “continuing to get his command refined, trusting his stuff in the zone.” That is the thread running through both clubs: the Orioles are trying to stabilize on the mound and in the field, while the Tigers are trying to stop a slide that has exposed an offense, a rotation with a 4.01 ERA, and a defense that was last in outs above average at minus-21 yesterday. Baltimore was minus-13 in outs above average, which ranked 27th, just ahead of the Rays at minus-14.
For Detroit, the next few days could say more about where this season is headed than the record already does. Flaherty gets the ball tonight, Valdez is lined up for Saturday, and a team that has already lost its top pitcher, Tarik Skubal, to elbow surgery is running out of room for a reset.
