The Orioles have a nasty taste in their mouth, left there by a four-game sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees.
The Miami Marlins are either the first in line to feel Baltimore’s wrath after such a deflating series… or they are the first in line to shove the O’s deeper into the hole they are already in.
History suggests the latter.
Baltimore has won a season series against the Marlins twice in franchise history: 2023 and 2000. The O’s also hold a 2-4 record against Miami in their last six meetings across the past two seasons.
So, how do the Birds respond to their embarrassment in the Bronx?
Headlined by a couple of familiar faces in Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby, Miami is in the midst of a 10-game home stand, which began with a four-game series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins have been defeated in two of their last three series, ironically achieving their lone series victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Though Miami ranks ninth in team batting average (.251), they have experienced a hitting slump as of recently, including an average of 3.4 runs per game across the last 10 games. Their offense is not very powerful, ranking 27th in the league with 25 combined home runs.
But, Baltimore’s pitching staff has allowed 23 runs in the past two games and 50 runs in the past five games. So, what happens when a movable object meets a stoppable force?
Veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt will be the first to find out as he makes his seventh start of the season on Tuesday. Bassitt is fresh off his best start of the season against the Houston Astros, notching season-highs in innings pitched (6 ⅔) and strikeouts (7). The O’s have won each of the veteran’s last four starts as he has brought his season ERA down to 5.46.
Miami will trot out its ace Sandy Alcantara for the series opener. Will that be too much for Bassitt and company to handle? The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner has accrued a 3.04 ERA in a league-leading 47 ⅓ innings pitched this season. After a rare seven-run outing against the Detroit Tigers on April 12, Alcantara has returned to his shutdown form, allowing three or fewer runs in each of his last three starts. He is not unhittable, however. The 30-year-old has allowed 16 hits across his last two games, though that may be irrelevant to Baltimore’s struggling offense.
After his 10-run meltdown in the second game of Baltimore’s doubleheader against Houston on Thursday, Brandon Young is looking for a rebound in the middle game of the series. Young had a strong start to his 2026 season, allowing just three runs in 10 ⅔ innings. The 27-year-old does have a game of experience against Miami in July 2025. Unfortunately, he allowed seven earned runs in under five innings. Young is hoping to bounce back in multiple aspects on Wednesday.
Right-handed pitcher Eury Perez will take the mound for the Marlins in game two. Perez has started seven games this season, allowing 18 earned runs on 34 hits in 36 ⅓ innings. The 23-year-old owns a 4.46 ERA in addition to the second-most strikeouts this season by a Miami starter (39).
Baltimore will close out its road trip with left-hander Cade Povich on the bump, also in search of a bounce back game after allowing five runs to the Yankees on Friday. Like Young, Povich was dealing ahead of his most recent start with three runs allowed in his first 12 ⅓ innings. With the Marlins being significantly better from the plate against righties, the 26-year-old’s Thursday outing could be key in determining the outcome of the series.
Povich will match up with Marlins standout right-hander Max Meyer, who has not allowed an earned run since April 20. Meyer is truly on a heater, with 20 strikeouts in his last three games and a season ERA of 2.68 in seven starts. The 27-year-old has allowed a .182 opponent batting average this season.
Birds to Watch
Gunnar Henderson, SS
At some point, Gunnar Henderson has to return to his All-Star form.
Henderson has recorded a strikeout in 19 of his last 21 games as his quest to lead the O’s in home runs continues. But, that’s just not what the team needs.
Instead, Baltimore needs the threatening left-handed swing that hit .274 last season and .281 the year before. They especially need that with runners in scoring position.
He does have a hit in six of his last seven games and seven of his last nine, so he is clearly starting to take a more contact-centered approach. But, the constant whiffs from Baltimore’s star shortstop need to cease considering how detrimental his struggles are to the offensive outcome.
In nine career games against Miami, Henderson is hitting .207 with three doubles and five walks.
Colton Cowser, OF
Is Colton Cowser back in business?
Batting .308 with four walks in his last eight games, Cowser is poised to have a sizable role against a Miami team that is considerably worse when pitching to lefties. The Marlins allow an opponent batting average of .237 to left-handed batters, much higher than their .203 average to righties.
Tyler O’Neill is also sluggishly hitting 2-for-16 (.125) since returning from the injured list on April 25, potentially creating an opportunity for the once fan favorite to step up.
So, what do we say? A Milkman takeover in Miami?
Andrew Kittredge, RHP
Last time we saw Andrew Kittredge, the 36-year-old allowed seven runs in one inning to the Yankees. Before that, he had tossed three scoreless relief outings this season.
Kittredge was re-signed to the team after a brief hiatus with the Chicago Cubs that saw him post a 3.32 ERA in 21 ⅔ innings. He was supposed to be the reliable veteran arm deployed in mid-relief situations.
But, if he fails to meet the standard, there should be no reason Mike Elias and company is tied to Kittredge.
With an 18.90 ERA through four appearances, his performance against Miami will be key in determining his future use in the bullpen.
Keys to the Series
More from the top of the lineup
In their most recent series against New York, Baltimore’s top four batters hit 10-for-61 (.164). Outfielder Taylor Ward is 1-for-10 in his past three games. On a team that has never fostered a strong bottom of the lineup, the front half simply needs to do more. Baltimore will need to tax Miami’s starters early considering their bullpen ranks fifth in the MLB.
No more late-game collapses
In each of their last two games, the O’s were within three runs of New York entering the sixth inning. They were outscored by 19 runs across both games combined. Catastrophic meltdowns from bullpen relievers Kittredge and Lou Trivino sealed the team’s most recent losses. In their last seven games, Miami has scored multiple runs in the final three innings of a game twice.
Limit Miami base traffic
The Marlins rank seventh in the MLB in team batting average with runners in scoring position (.274) despite ranking 22nd in total runs scored this season. When they are given the opportunity, Miami finds ways to capitalize. The solution? Don’t give them the opportunity. Marlins hitters are a career 1-for-9 with four strikeouts against Baltimore’s opening starter Bassitt, so this may be an achievable reality, at least for the first game.
