The Seattle Mariners have won eight of their last nine series, propelling them to first place in the American League West with a 24-20 record. They now face one of their toughest challenges of the season with a trip to Camden Yards to play the Baltimore Orioles, who are 27-14 and one of the top teams in the American League.
Seattle Mariners: The ‘team to beat’ in the AL West? Here’s why that’s now the case
The Mariners will start a three-game series against the Orioles on Friday at 4:05 p.m. You can catch all the action on Seattle Sports 710 AM or the Seattle Sports app.
Here are three things to know about this matchup of division leaders.
Seattle Mariners at Baltimore Orioles Primer
The Orioles’ Strong Pitching Staff
Over the past two seasons, the Baltimore Orioles have transformed from the league’s bottom-dwellers to one of its top contenders. After losing 110 games in 2021 and finishing with the worst record, the Orioles surprised everyone with an 83-79 record in 2022, much like the 2021 Mariners. With a steady influx of hitting talent, Baltimore continued its rise, winning 101 games last season, securing first place in the AL East, and breaking a seven-year playoff drought.
While the Orioles have been strong offensively for a couple of seasons, their starting pitching has often been a point of criticism. At the beginning of last season, veteran Kyle Gibson was the most notable name in their rotation, having had a respectable but unspectacular career. Many experts speculated that the Mariners and Orioles could be ideal trade partners due to Baltimore’s surplus of young hitters and Seattle’s strong young pitching core.
Instead, the Orioles made a significant offseason move by acquiring Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for shortstop Joey Ortiz and left-hander DL Hall. Burnes, who last pitched on Monday, might face the Mariners this weekend. Although Baltimore’s probable pitchers for the series weren’t listed as of Thursday night, a postponed game on Tuesday and a day off on Thursday could allow the Orioles to push someone back and still give Burnes up to five days’ rest if he were to pitch on Sunday. The Mariners are expected to miss Kyle Bradish, Baltimore’s best starter during a breakout 2023 campaign, as he pitched on Wednesday. However, the rest of the Orioles’ staff, including Cole Irvin, John Means, and Dean Kramer, have been solid, all sporting sub-4.00 ERAs. Irvin, in particular, has a 2.90 ERA, and the Mariners likely won’t need much motivation to compete against him.
Mariners at Orioles Primer
Mariners Hitters and the Baltimore Bullpen
Mariners hitters can take some solace in not having to face standout closer Félix Bautista, who is out for the season following Tommy John surgery in October 2023. Veteran Craig Kimbrel has stepped in as the closer for Baltimore, but he hasn’t been used in a save situation in nearly two weeks due to early struggles.
Orioles’ Powerful Lineup
The Mariners’ pitching staff will be tested by the Orioles’ potent lineup, which hits baseballs as hard as any team in the league. The Orioles lead MLB with 64 home runs and have the second-highest hard hit rate at 34.3%, just behind the Atlanta Braves. Despite their power, the Orioles have a middling strikeout rate of 22.3%.
Leading the Orioles’ power surge is 22-year-old shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who is tied for second in MLB with 12 home runs and has the third-highest hard hit rate at 45.3%. This is only behind Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (50%) and Orioles teammate Jordan Westburg (45.6%).
Seven other Orioles have hit at least five home runs, including switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman, who has nine. Only Raleigh and Kansas City’s Salvador Perez, each with 10 home runs, have hit more among catchers. Rutschman, a Portland native, is batting a team-high .314, while Westburg is hitting .301 with seven homers. This trio has propelled an offense that ranks fourth in the AL in runs scored (203), second in wRC+ (114), and leads MLB with a .442 slugging percentage.
Mariners’ Pitching Against the Orioles’ Power
The Mariners’ pitching staff ranks 13th in the league for home run prevention, having allowed 43 homers this season. This is partly due to the pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park. Camden Yards, once known for home runs, saw its fences moved back and raised before the 2022 season, leading to fewer home runs at home. The Orioles have hit 26 of their 64 home runs at Camden Yards despite playing nine more home games than road games.
Few Walks Expected
This series is unlikely to see many walks. The Orioles, despite their offensive strengths, are 29th in the league with a 6.9% walk rate, ahead of only the Miami Marlins. The Mariners’ pitching staff, excellent at avoiding walks, is tied for second in the league with the same 6.9% walk rate.
The Mariners will pitch their best control pitchers on Saturday and Sunday, with Luis Castillo and George Kirby, who rank 18th and second in the league, respectively, for lowest walk rates among qualified pitchers.
Baltimore pitchers also excel at avoiding walks, tied for fifth in the league with a 7.7% walk rate.
