Looking at possible Orioles lineups versus lefty

The Orioles are in the midst of their longest homestand of the season with the Guardians, the second of three opponents, visiting Camden Yards tonight for a three-game series. Cleveland is 8-7 but only 3-6 on the road.

The latest off-day arrived with the Orioles still in search of their first series and back-to-back wins. They’re batting .235/.302/.383 for a .685 OPS that ranked 18^th in the majors yesterday, 66 runs scored that ranked 13^th and 116 hits that were 16th. The offense can be described as “mid.”

Perhaps a better word is “inconsistent,” with enough ups and downs to cause nausea.

The bats really can’t be blamed for Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the Blue Jays except for the inability to bring home the automatic runner in the 10^th inning. The sport is set up now for one run to score in extras, with the burden placed on teams to do more. The Orioles got Jordan Westburg to third base on a ground ball and struck out twice.

The first eight losses this season occurred with the offense producing two, one, zero, four, two, one, three and zero runs. Six should be sufficient, but the bullpen allowed three in the eighth with the Orioles ahead 6-3.

Gregory Soto was charged with the three runs, the last when Yennier Cano let an inherited runner score on Bo Bichette’s RBI single at 93.2 mph. Bichette lined out to shortstop Gunnar Henderson at 102 mph to end the top of the 10^th. It’s all about location, like Myles Straw’s infield single at 68.8 mph that broke the tie in the 10^th.

Soto took some heat from fans who can’t get over the two four-run appearances within his first three games as an Oriole, but he allowed two earned runs in 22 1/3 innings with 29 strikeouts in 26 outings since Aug. 8.

But back to the lineup …

More tinkering is on the horizon with the Guardians starting left-hander Logan Allen. Right-handers hit .288/.355/.490 against him and left-handers hit .232/.318/.411. This is not a reverse splits situation like with the Royals’ Kris Bubic.

Henderson is expected to stay in the lineup and lead off, but manager Brandon Hyde could use the matchup as a chance to rest Jackson Holliday, who’s hitless in 17 at-bats to lower his average to .213 with a .569 OPS. Holliday was 10-for-30 on April 5.

The Orioles could start Jordan Westburg at second base and Ramón Urías at third, or Westburg at third and Jorge Mateo at second. Mateo is 0-for-11 and has been in the lineup only four times, most recently on April 6 in Kansas City with his start in center field. Urías quietly has gone 12-for-35 (.343) with a .410 on-base percentage and .782 OPS in 11 games. He has hits in eight of them.

“Ramón’s a really good player,” Hyde said over the weekend. “A special defensive player at third base. Gives you a competitive at-bat. When they leave the ball out over the plate for him, he usually drives the ball hard into right-center, the opposite field. Just a real solid player.”

Batters have splits, too, and Urías is a career .270/.336/.407 hitter against right-handers and .252/.319/.406 against lefties, but it doesn’t seem to dictate his usage. They aren’t that dramatic and he’s always got a decent chance to play when the opponent starts a southpaw.

Urías has a hit in eight straight home games since Aug. 23, 2024 and has slashed .400/.423/.600 (10-for-25) with a triple, home run and five RBIs during that time.

Gary Sánchez could catch or serve as designated hitter to get another right-handed bat in the lineup. He’s only 1-for-15 with three RBIs and seven strikeouts.

Does Heston Kjerstad get another start against a left-hander? Does Cedric Mullins stay in center field? What about Ramón Laureano, who’s 1-for-10 with five strikeouts?

Mullins is the team’s early Most Valuable Player while batting .277/.414/.553 with four doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs and nine walks. His RBI total ranked second in the American League yesterday behind Aaron Judge’s 20, and his OBP was fourth.

The schedule offered another rest day for Adley Rutschman, who’s reached base in all 14 games and has an eight-game hitting streak alive going into the Guardians series. He’s gone hitless only twice.

The season-opening on-base streak is the longest for an Oriole since Anthony Santander’s 18 games in 2022.