Orioles lineup minus O'Neill again to close out series vs. Guardians

The Orioles will try to win their first series tonight and post their first back-to-back victories with Heston Kjerstad and Jackson Holliday staying in the lineup and Cedric Mullins batting leadoff.

Gunnar Henderson moves down to second in the order.

Tyler O’Neill is out of the lineup due to neck stiffness that forced him to be scratched yesterday. Ryan O’Hearn is playing right field.

Jordan Westburg is playing tonight, serving as designated hitter. He’s hitless in his last 20 at-bats.

Adley Rutschman slides down to third in the order.

Tomoyuki Sugano is making his fourth start after allowing six runs and 17 hits in 14 innings. He’s struck out only five, including four in his start in Kansas City.

Right-handers are batting .321/.387/.500 against Sugano and left-handers are batting .286/.355/.429.

Sugano has made the splitter his primary pitch against left-handers by throwing it 32.3 percent of the time. He’s thrown his fastball 36 percent of the time against right-handers.

The Orioles won last night for only the fourth time in 12 games.

“We’ve shown some signs of being a super awesome team and playing really well together and our offense really playing well, and we’ve struggled at the same time. But overall, I think we’ve taken good at-bats and hit the ball hard, and sometimes, you just hit it at people,” Holliday said.

“I don’t really know how to gauge it on just (17) games, or however many we’ve played, but I think we’re fine. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I think we’re hitting the ball hard, and I think it’ll come.”

The Orioles have drawn at least one walk in 95 consecutive games dating back to July 2, the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by the team since a 116-game run from June 3, 1995-April 5, 1996.

The Orioles are batting .275 with runners in scoring position and two outs this season, the seventh-highest average in the majors. The Guardians’ .154 average is third-worst.

Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee has allowed seven runs and 14 hits in 14 1/3 innings. He’s walked seven batters and struck out 10.

Two of Bibee’s three starts are scoreless over 10 1/3 innings. He surrendered seven runs and nine hits, including four homers, in four innings in Anaheim.

Bibee’s only career start against the Orioles came on June 24, 2024 at Camden Yards, when he allowed one earned run and two total with seven strikeouts in six innings. Kjerstad, Henderson and Rutschman each had a double against him.

Gary Sánchez is 3-for-6 with a double, home run and five RBIs against Bibee.

Bibee has increased his ground ball percentage from 34.6 percent last season to 44.4 percent in 2025.

The eight-run differential last night was the Guardians’ largest defeat since July 14, 2023 in Texas and the largest against the Orioles since June 6, 2021 at Camden Yards.

Gabriel Arias is hitting .471 (8-for-17) in his last five games since April 11 after going 0-for-14 through his previous four.

José Ramírez has four hits over his last two games after totaling three hits in the previous eight.

For the Orioles

Cedric Mullins CF
Gunnar Henderson SS
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan O’Hearn RF
Jordan Westburg DH
Heston Kjerstad LF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Jackson Holliday 2B
Ramón Urías 3B

Tomoyuki Sugano RHP