Orioles lineup with magic number at one

A win tonight gives the Orioles their 10^th division title and first since 2014. It’s that simple.

The magic number is one and the Orioles are entering a four-game series against the Red Sox at Camden Yards. A 100^th victory would match their total in 1980.

Ryan Mountcastle returns to the lineup and is playing first base. He was reinstated from the 10-day injured list yesterday after dealing with left AC joint inflammation.

Austin Hays stays in the leadoff spot after reaching base four times last night. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter again.

Aaron Hicks is the center fielder. 

Gunnar Henderson, playing third base, has totaled 28 home runs and nine triples. Only three rookies have gone 30/10, per STATS – the Red Sox’s Wally Berger in 1930, Ted Williams in 1939 and Nomar Garciaparra in 1997.

Henderson needs one more run to become the first Orioles rookie with 25 homers and 100 runs scored, and the first in the American League since Mike Trout in 2012, per STATS.

Dean Kremer is making his 32^nd and final start of the regular season. He’s allowed nine earned runs and 12 total in his last three starts over 12 2/3 innings.

Kremer has faced Boston twice this season and surrendered nine runs and 13 hits in 8 2/3 innings.

Rafael Devers is 6-for-16 with a double and two home runs, and Alex Verdugo is 7-for-19 with two doubles and two home runs.

The Orioles are 15-3 in Kremer’s starts this season and have won the last nine, the longest streak by any pitcher in the majors this season, according to STATS.  They won 12 in a row with Chris Tillman on the mound in 2016.

Kremer is 5-0 with a 3.57 ERA in 10 starts against division opponents. He can become the second undefeated Orioles starter against the American League East since 1969, in a minimum of six games started, after Erik Bedard went 6-0 in 2007.

The Orioles are 5-4 against the Red Sox this season, winning two of three at Camden Yards. They haven’t claimed a season series since 2017, when they went 10-9.

For the second time this season, the Orioles have allowed one run or fewer in four consecutive games. They had a five-game streak in April.

They are the first team in the majors to build two streaks of that length in the same season since the 2011 Orioles. The last team with two streaks of at least five games is the 1972 Angels.

Left-hander Chris Sale has a 4.42 ERA and 1.147 WHIP in 19 starts. He’s struck out 123 batters in 97 2/3 innings.

Sale has allowed one run in his last two starts and struck out 17 in 11 innings. He’s faced the Orioles three times and surrendered 18 earned runs (19 total) and 22 hits in 12 innings.

Before this season, Sale never allowed more than four runs against the Orioles in 23 games and exceeded three only once.

Hicks is 13-for-35 (.371) with three doubles and a home run. Hays is 6-for-18 with three homers.

Devers has 172 career home runs with the Red Sox, tied with Jim Rice for the most in club history by a player prior to turning 27-years-old.

The Red Sox are 7-21 since Aug. 27, the worst record in the majors.

For the Orioles
Austin Hays LF
Adley Rutschman DH
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Aaron Hicks CF
Gunnar Henderson 3B
Jordan Westburg 2B
James McCann C
Jorge Mateo SS

Dean Kremer RHP

The Orioles are hosting a public memorial service for Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson on Monday beginning at 10 a.m. at Camden Yards. Complimentary parking is available in lots A/B/C and fans can enter the ballpark through Gate E. Lots open at 8:30 a.m. and entry to the ballpark starts at 9 a.m.

Three Orioles prospects were named to Baseball America’s Minor League All-Star Team – Player of the Year Jackson Holliday, outfielder Heston Kjerstad and catcher Samuel Basallo.