Hays in left field and Cowser in right tonight vs. Twins

The Orioles avoided a sweep in the Brewers series with yesterday’s 6-4 win, running their streak in the regular season to 96. Jackson Holliday collected his first major league hit with a single in the seventh inning, and he’s batting ninth and playing second base tonight against the Twins at Camden Yards.

Holliday was 0-for-13 before his ground ball reached right field.

“Not so much difficult, just a lot, but it’s been fun,” he told the media at his locker. “It’s quite an experience. I don’t think I’d ever take it for granted, the experience that I’ve had and it’s a good learning experience. If you are 0-for three or four games, that’s going to happen in baseball. I’d prefer it not to happen at the beginning of my career, but it’s going to happen and I’m glad to hopefully learn from it.”

Anthony Santander gets a breather tonight, with Colton Cowser in right field and Austin Hays in left.

Cedric Mullins homered yesterday and has a six-game hitting streak.

Cowser also homered and also has a six-game hitting streak. He’s the first Oriole to homer four times in as many games since Ryan Mountcastle on April 10-13, 2023, and the team’s first rookie since Mountcastle on June 16-19, 2021.

Cowser has 10 extra-base hits, 13 RBIs and two stolen bases through his first 14 games this season. The only other rookie in this century to reach those marks through his first 14 games of a season is the Rockies’ Jeff Baker in 2006 (12, 18, two), according to STATS.

Left-hander Cole Irvin makes his third start tonight. He’s allowed nine runs and 14 hits in 10 innings.

Irvin has done well against the Twins in three career starts, allowing only three runs in 18 innings. Christian Vázquez is 6-for-12 against him.

The Orioles possess a plus-21 run differential combined in the sixth and seventh innings, the highest in the majors, according to STATS.

The Orioles are facing three right-handers in the series, beginning with Louie Varland, a 15^th-round draft pick in 2019 out of Concordia University in St. Paul. He’s lost both starts this season and has allowed nine runs and 13 hits with five walks and 10 strikeouts in nine innings.

Varland has never faced the Orioles.

The Twins are 6-8 overall but 5-4 on the road. They won two of three in Baltimore last season but were swept at home in a three-game series, being outscored 24-5.

The Orioles hadn’t swept the Twins in a three-game series since 2016.

For the Orioles

Gunnar Henderson SS
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan O’Hearn DH
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Colton Cowser RF
Jordan Westburg 3B
Cedric Mullins CF
Austin Hays LF
Jackson Holliday 2B

Cole Irvin LHP