The Baltimore Orioles, trying to get back in a groove, will turn to a newcomer for help.
Right-hander Chayce McDermott will make his major league debut as the starting pitcher Wednesday night when the Orioles meet the host Miami Marlins.
“We’ve got to figure a lot of things out at this point,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said of the pending roster move.
The Marlins won 6-3 on Tuesday in the opener of the three-game series.
“We just did not play well,” Hyde said. “We haven’t been playing our best baseball for a while. … We need to play better.”
The Orioles are 3-7 in their past 10 games, including a 2-2 mark since the All-Star break.
“I just equate that to baseball doing its thing,” Baltimore center fielder Cedric Mullins said. “There is always going to be moments you go through struggles, sometimes all at the same time. The fact that you play tomorrow, you’ve got to flush it and get ready to get after it.”
The Marlins have alternated wins and losses in five games since the All-Star break. Facing the Orioles is a chance for Miami to prove something.
“They walk and they slug,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “When you have a team that walks and slugs, no lead is real safe.”
The Marlins want to get on a roll to make it difficult on visiting opponents. They’ve won back-to-back games only twice in the past month.
“We came into the second half (of the season) to prove this isn’t a vacation spot,” Miami outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. said.
Chisholm put on a splendid display in the series opener. He hustled for a double, stole two bases and recorded an assist from center field.
“He can take over a game — offensively, defensively,” Schumaker said.
The Orioles are hurting in several ways. Second baseman Jorge Mateo exited in the third inning on Tuesday due to an injured left elbow. He got hurt in a collision with shortstop Gunnar Henderson as they pursued a third-inning grounder.
“Right now, he’s day-to-day, but we don’t know the extent of how hurt he is,” Hyde said of Mateo. “Jorge brings a lot to the team for us, so hoping for the best.”
Moments later, Baltimore starter Albert Suarez was struck in the right shin by a comebacker, and he also exited the contest.
Suarez said postgame, “It hurts, but the X-ray came out negative, so it’s just swollen and painful but nothing else.”
After the bullpen was forced to cover six innings on Tuesday, the Orioles could use some length from McDermott. The 25-year-old went 3-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 20 games (19 starts) for Triple-A Norfolk this season. He split time last year between Norfolk and Double-A Bowie.
The Marlins have right-hander Edward Cabrera (1-3, 7.36 ERA) lined up as their starting pitcher. After two months on the injured list, he returned to the big-league team on July 7, and he is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in three starts this month.
Cabrera’s lone victory came April 21 on the road against the Chicago Cubs. He has never faced the Orioles in 51 career games (49 starts).
Miami’s relievers controlled Baltimore’s bats in the first game of the series, firing 4 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings.
“We just didn’t do anything off their bullpen at all, couldn’t get any sort of rally going,” Hyde said.
The Orioles have been in attack mode often this year against relievers, so the Marlins won the first round.
“They’ve got some good arms,” Mullins said. “Sometimes there are moments where we do take advantage.”
–Field Level Media
