Santander absent from Orioles lineup

Anthony Santander is out of tonight’s Orioles lineup due to some back soreness. Manager Brandon Hyde said the outfielder should be available off the bench.

“It’s really not a huge deal,” Hyde said.

Santander is batting .186/.265/.279 with no home runs in 11 games, and his 17 strikeouts rank among the league leaders.

Cedric Mullins is healthy and also out of the lineup. Ryan McKenna is playing center field and Adam Frazier is in right.

Catcher James McCann is making his 66^th start as the cleanup hitter. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter.

Rutschman has a hit in five consecutive games, slashing .563/.682/1.000 (9-for-16) with a double, two home runs, three RBIs, six walks and six runs scored.

Dean Kremer makes his third start tonight as the Orioles try to guarantee a series win over the last-place Athletics.

Kremer had allowed nine runs and 11 hits in eight innings. He’s made one career start against Oakland, last September, and surrendered two runs in six innings.

Ryan Mountcastle homered twice last night, including a grand slam, and tied a club record with nine RBIs. He’s the first Orioles player with a three-run homer and a slam in the same game since catcher Ramón Hernández in 2006 against the Mariners.

Oakland is starting another left-hander, Ken Waldichuk, the Yankees’ fifth-round draft pick in 2019 out of St. Mary’s College in California. He’s allowed 14 runs and 17 hits with four walks in 8 2/3 innings, and he leads the majors with seven home runs surrendered. His 14 earned runs are most in the American League.

Right-handed batters are slashing .312/.384/.645 against him during parts of two major league seasons, and left-handers are hitting .156/.206/.281. Eleven of the 12 home runs against him have come from right-handers.

The Orioles have never faced him.

Oakland has lost six games in a row and is 0-5 on the current road trip.

For the Orioles
Austin Hays LF
Adley Rutschman DH
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
James McCann C
Ramón Urías 2B
Gunnar Henderson 3B
Jorge Mateo SS
Adam Frazier RF
Ryan McKenna CF

Dean Kremer RHP

For the Athletics
Tony Kemp LF
Ryan Noda 1B
Ramón Laureano CF
Brent Rooker RF
Jace Peterson 3B
Aledmys Díaz 2B
Jesús Aguilar DH
Kevin Smith SS
Carlos Pérez C

Ken Waldichuk LHP