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Game Thread #22: A's at Orioles

Ride the wave!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Alex Hall
Minnesota Twins v Oakland Athletics Game 2 Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Oakland A’s are the hottest team in MLB, with a 13-game win streak. They enter Sunday with the chance to sweep the Baltimore Orioles in their road series at Camden Yards. Oakland took the first two contests on Friday and Saturday.

The finale features two exciting lefties on the mound. For the A’s it’s Jesús Luzardo, potential future ace, who got off to a rocky start this year but had a breakout performance in his last outing against the Twins on Tuesday. He carried a shutout into the 6th inning in that game, and he did it in his signature glasses rather than the contact lenses he’d tried in his first few shakier appearances.

(I’m not even sure if I’m joking or serious in mentioning the glasses in his analysis. I’m not saying it’s a thing, but if it turned out it was, would it be that hard to believe?)

Baltimore turns to John Means, and he what he means is business. The southpaw was an All-Star in 2018, albeit from a 108-loss team, and last year he struck out a batter per inning and six per walk but had that overshadowed by an alarming homer rate. Through four starts this year, he’s got an AL-best 1.52 ERA backed up by strong peripherals (3.01 FIP).

The A’s will need to work for this one if they want their 14th straight.

A’s lineup (away)

  1. LF Mark Canha (R)
  2. DH Jed Lowrie (S)
  3. 1B Matt Olson (L)
  4. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
  5. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
  6. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
  7. SS Elvis Andrus (R)
  8. C Aramis Garcia (R)
  9. 2B Vimael Machin (L)
  • LHP Jesús Luzardo

Hittin’ Machin starts against a lefty pitcher.

Orioles lineup (home)

  1. CF Cedric Mullins (L)
  2. DH Trey Mancini (R)
  3. 3B Maikel Franco (R)
  4. C Pedro Severino (R)
  5. 1B Ryan Mountcastle (R)
  6. LF Austin Hays (R)
  7. SS Freddy Galvis (S)
  8. 2B Ramon Urias (R)
  9. RF Ryan McKenna (R)
  • LHP John Means

Let’s Go Oakland!

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