Orioles and Marlins set for unusual doubleheader today

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

August 04, 2020, 7:44pm

Comments

Getting the Marlins to play one game is a chore.

Let's try two.

The Orioles are the hosts today for the first game of a doubleheader and the visitors for the second. The uniform colors should change, but the teams won't be switching dugouts.

We wouldn't want to make a mockery of coronavirus baseball.

The clubs get an extra player for the doubleheader, with both games set for seven innings. The Orioles likely will want another bullpen arm, but I'm done trying to predict anything as it relates to 2020.

According to a report in The Athletic, rosters will be reduced from 30 to 28 players on Thursday but no longer are going to be whittled to 26 on Aug. 20.

The outbreak of COVID-19 on multiple rosters is responsible for the freeze at 28.

The Orioles could remove Bryan Holaday from the active roster because they can carry a third catcher on the taxi squad during their upcoming trips to D.C. and Philadelphia. Same reason they had two catchers on opening day and Holaday traveled with them to Boston.

The taxi squad is increasing from three to five players, per The Athletic. Be smart and start writing down this stuff.

David Hess hasn't been used since allowing three runs and seven hits over three innings in the July 24 opener in Boston. His spot could be in jeopardy.

Thomas Eshelman is with the club and can work in long relief. Or his spot is in jeopardy. I'm just tossing out some ideas.

Alex Cobb is on the mound for the first game. He's made five career starts against the Marlins and gone 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA and 0.928 WHIP in 32 1/3 innings.

Asher Wojciechowski, who starts the nightcap, has made two career relief appearances against the Marlins and threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and five strikeouts.

The Orioles need to win the series in order to move four games above .500 for the first time since June 8, 2017, when they began a six-game losing streak. They'd be heading in the opposite direction.

The Marlins are 23-8 all-time against the Orioles.