Orioles lineup vs. Padres to begin new homestand

The Orioles are playing a home game tonight for the first time since the dramatic walk-off win against the Yankees on July 14. They’re 30-22 at Camden Yards and 31-19 on the road.

The Padres are making their first visit since 2019, which again brings Manny Machado back to Baltimore. They won both games.

Only the Giants have gone longer without returning to Baltimore, edging the Padres by 24 days.

Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Colton Cowser is in center. Connor Norby is playing second base and batting ninth.

Kjerstad now dresses at the locker that used to belong to Austin Hays, who was traded today to the Phillies for reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache. Domínguez and Pache didn’t have lockers set up this afternoon and the Orioles didn’t announce another roster move.

Anthony Santander is in right field and batting third. He’s tied with Gunnar Henderson for the team lead in home runs with 28, matching last season’s total and leaving him five behind his career high set in 2022.

Santander has amassed 139 in 2,607 at-bats, ranking sixth on a list of players with fewest career at-bats per home run by a switch-hitter at 18.76, according to STATS. Mickey Mantle is first with 15.11, followed by Mark Teixeira with 16.96, Lance Berkman with 17.73, Tony Clark with 18.06 and Todd Hundley with 18.66.

Santander is the fifth switch-hitter in franchise history with 400 RBIs, which he totaled in 688 games. Eddie Murray is the only Oriole to reach that figure in fewer games with 643.

Grayson Rodriguez seeks his 13^th win. He pitched in San Diego on Aug. 14, 2023 and allowed only one run in seven innings. Garrett Cooper, now at Triple-A Norfolk, hit a home run.

Rodriguez is the seventh Orioles pitcher with 12-plus wins and 120-plus strikeouts before August, per STATS. He joins Dave McNally in 1968, Mike Cuellar and Jim Palmer in 1970, Pat Dobson in 1971, Palmer in 1977 and Mike Mussina in 1996.

The Orioles hold a two-game lead over the Yankees. They’ve gone 12-12 all-time against San Diego.

The Padres have won five in a row, with their starters allowing four runs in 35 innings. Dylan Cease no-hit the Nationals yesterday.

Rookie right-hander Adam Mazur has made seven starts and posted a 7.84 ERA and 1.839 WHIP in 31 innings. He’s walked 19 batters and struck out 21.

The second-round draft pick in 2022 out of the University of Iowa made his debut on June 4 and held the Angels to one run and two hits in six innings. He surrendered eight runs and eight hits in his next start against the Diamondbacks. He hasn’t gone more than five innings in his last seven appearances.

Mazur’s 7.84 ERA in his first seven career appearances is the highest in Padres history. He’s passed Dennis Tankersley (7.75) in 2002, also per STATS.

Michael King and Randy Vásquez start the next two games.

Severna Park’s Jackson Merrill has a homecoming this weekend with the Padres. The All-Star outfielder is batting .282 with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 49 RBIs and a .755 OPS in 101 games.

For the Orioles

Gunnar Henderson SS
Adley Rutschman C
Anthony Santander RF
Ryan O’Hearn DH
Jordan Westburg 3B
Heston Kjerstad LF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Colton Cowser CF
Connor Norby 2B

Grayson Rodriguez RHP