Happy Saturday, folks! Hope you’re having a nice weekend. If you decide to spend it watching late-night West Coast baseball, I hope the Orioles grace you with a series win tonight. They snatched a win in Game One last night with a 4-3 victory in ten innings. Although Brandon Young pitched a strong seven innings, the bullpen couldn’t hold onto a meager 2-0 lead, and it took extras to sort things out: two clutch base hits by Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand gave the birds the winning margin of victory.
Let’s hope the Orioles make Game Two worth staying up for. Tonight, taking the mound at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park for the Athletics is Jack Perkins, a 26-year-old righty who debuted for the A’s in 2025, and has been used mostly as a swingman. In 11 starts and 20 relief appearances in 2026, he has an ugly 6.68 ERA, although it seems he’s been the victim of bad defense, to judge by his FIP (4.79) and xERA (3.96). He’s still been much more effective as a reliever, going by his ERA splits (4.76 ERA in relief/8.17 ERA as a starter). His best pitch is the sweeper, which generates a 36.1% whiff rate, followed by a decent changeup and cutter. The soft spot in Perkins’ arsenal is his mid-90s four-seamer: it’s been his most hittable pitch by far (.318 average, .664 slugging against, Run Value -14), and he still throws it nearly a third of the time. Perkins is also prone to the long ball (1.69 HR/9) and to putting runners on via the walk (3.79 BB/9) or hit-by-pitch (9 on the year).
As for the O’s starter, I don’t know if it’s crazy or reasonable to hope for a win, given that it’s unlucky Shane Baz who takes his turn on the mound tonight. Despite the fact that Baz (4.04 ERA, 3.34 FIP) has allowed three or fewer runs in 19 of his 26 starts, he doesn’t have a win in his last twelve starts (which is incredible to process). And he’s been pretty good! He had a 3.68 ERA in June, a 3.00 one in July, and August, while slightly worse, shows him at a 4.30 mark. Poor Baz. Can the schneid please end tonight?
Tonight’s lineup features a surplus of lefties. Jackson Holliday back in the leadoff spot, and Henderson, hopefully rested after his day off, hitting third. Dylan Beavers, hot lately, is back in, and so is Cowser playing center field. The newly activated Blaze Alexander is sitting today. However, Coby Mayo, slayer of lefties, is getting a start against the right-handed Perkins anyway, hitting seventh. And Pete Alonso, lately called our team’s “iron man,” is still out there, hitting, even with a sore calf.
Last night saw these Orioles snatch a game back from Cleveland’s lead to put them just two games back of the third and final Wild Card spot. Earlier today, the lowly Royals did the Orioles a huge favor, pummeling the Guardians 8-3, which gives the team chance to make up yet another game! The next four games against the A’s and the Rockies, whom the O’s visit next, represent a best chance to make score some easy wins in the wild card race, if such a thing is even possible.
Orioles lineup:
Jackson Holliday 2B
Pete Alonso DH
Gunnar Henderson SS
Christian Encarnacion-Strand 3B
Samuel Basallo C
Dylan Beavers LF
Coby Mayo 1B
Colton Cowser CF
Leody Taveras RF
RHP Shane Baz
Athletics lineup:
Henry Bolte CF
Jeff McNeil 1B
Zack Gelof 2B
Lawrence Butler RF
Tommy White 3B
Donovan Walton SS
Max Muncy DH
Carlos Cortes LF
Jonah Heim C
RHP Jack Perkins
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