BALTIMORE ORIOLES NOTES:
TWO IN A ROW: The Orioles defeated the Rangers last night, 7-2, clinching their first series win of the 2023 campaign while also winning back-to-back games for the first time this year…The Birds will go for the sweep in today’s series finale in Arlington.
Kyle Gibson earned the win after allowing two runs on six hits (2 HR) with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings; marked the first quality start by an O’s hurler this year.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW!: Grayson Rodriguez is scheduled to make his Major League debut this afternoon after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to today’s game… Will become the first Oriole to make his Major League debut this season; 13 players (7 pitchers) made their debut for the O’s in 2022…Will also become the first O’s pitcher to start his Major League debut since DL Hall on August 13, 2022, and the youngest O’s pitcher (24-140) to start his debut since Kevin Gausman (22-137) on May 23, 2013… Rodriguez is currently ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect by Baseball America and No. 7 by MLB Pipeline, as well as the No. 2 pitching prospect by both outlets…He is ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect by ESPN…Rodriguez will wear No. 30 after wearing No. 85 in Spring Training…The last O’s player to wear No. 30 was Chris Tillman from 2012-18.
STARTING WITH A BANG: Baltimore’s five straight games with multiple home runs to start the season ranks tied for the third-most by a team since at least 1901 (see chart at right); also ranks tied with the 1994 team for the most in club history; the O’s are the only team in MLB to start the 2023 campaign with five consecutive multi-homer games…The Orioles have homered in each of the first five games of the season for the fifth time in club history and first since 2012 (also 5); the club record for the most consecutive games with a home run to start a season is seven by the 1966 and 1984 teams…Baltimore’s 11 home runs through the first five games are the most in team history, surpassing the previous mark of 10 by the 1966 and 1994 squads; the club record for the most home runs through the first six games of a season is 12 by the 1966 team.
TAKING ON TEXAS: The Orioles have now won eight straight games against the Rangers dating back to July 4, 2022; marks Baltimore’s longest winning streak against a single opponent since also winning eight in a row against the Mariners from July 3 to September 19, 2012…The last time the O’s won nine straight games against a single opponent was against the Royals from July 26, 2006 to May 10, 2008…The O’s went 6-0 against the Rangers last season, their first sweep of a season series against a single opponent since 2020 against the Phillies (3-0) and their first season sweep of at least six games against a single opponent since 2010 against Los Angeles-AL (6-0)… Marked Baltimore’s first season sweep of any length against Texas, and the first time the Rangers had ever been swept in a season series by an American League opponent.
RUNNIN’ WILD: The Orioles stole 10 bases through their first two games, the most by a team in its first two games of a season since at least 1901, surpassing the previous record of nine stolen bases held by the 1976 Cincinnati Reds and the 1983 Los Angeles Dodgers…The 10 stolen bases are also the most in any two-game span in team history, surpassing the nine stolen bases from August 28 (G2) to August 29 (G1), 1986.
Jorge Mateo is the first player in O’s history and the eighth MLB player since at least 1901 with multiple stolen bases in each of a team’s first two games to begin a season, and the first since San Diego’s Tommy Pham in 2020.
Baltimore’s 11 stolen bases currently lead MLB and are two more than the next team (Cleveland, 9 SB).
STARTING PITCHER – #30 GRAYSON RODRIGUEZ – RHP
QUICK HITS: Rodriguez is scheduled to make his Major League debut this afternoon after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to today’s
game…Will become the first Oriole to make his Major League debut this season; 13 players (7 pitchers) made their debut for the O’s in 2022…Will also become the first O’s pitcher to start his Major League debut since DL Hall on August 13, 2022, and the youngest O’s pitcher (24-140) to start his debut since Kevin Gausman (22-137) on May 23, 2013…A Texas native, Rodriguez attended Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas, roughly 180 miles southeast of Arlington…Had his contract selected to the 40-man roster on November 15, 2022…Originally selected by the Orioles in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft. NUMBER NEWS: Rodriguez will wear No. 30 after wearing No. 85 in Spring Training…The last O’s player to wear No. 30 was Chris Tillman from 2012-18.
LAST TIME OUT: Made one start for the Tides on March 31 at Durham, Norfolk’s season opener…Did not factor in the decision after allowing three runs (2 ER) on four hits (1 HR) with four walks and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings…Threw 75 pitches, 48 strikes.
PROSPECTING: Currently ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect by Baseball America and No. 7 by MLB Pipeline…He is ranked as the No. 2 pitching
prospect by both outlets, trailing only Andrew Painter of the Phillies.. Rodriguez is the No. 2 O’s prospect according to both outlets, behind
Gunnar Henderson.
SPRING TRAINING: Attended his second Major League Spring Training and made five starts with the O’s, going 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA (12 ER/15.1 IP) and 19 strikeouts…Worked 4.0 innings in his last start on March 23 vs. Detroit, allowing five runs on four hits (1 HR) with one hit batter and five strikeouts.
2022 HIGHLIGHTS: Owned a 6-2 record with a 2.62 ERA (22 ER/75.2 IP) with 109 strikeouts in 17 starts between High-A Aberdeen, Double-A Bowie, and Triple-A Norfolk…Started the season with Norfolk and made his Triple-A debut on 4/8 vs. Charlotte, allowing just one hit with seven strikeouts to one walk in 4.0 shutout innings…Pitched to a 1.19 ERA (2 ER/15.1 IP) in his first three Triple-A starts…Spent time on the Injured List with a strained right lat muscle…Made three rehab starts, one with Aberdeen and two with Bowie, pitching to a 7.50 ERA (5 ER/6.0 IP) with 11 strikeouts and five walks… Reassigned to Norfolk on 9/11 and made his next start on 9/16 vs. Charlotte, allowing two hits with four strikeouts to one walk in 5.0 scoreless innings… Allowed just two home runs across three levels in 2022.
HIGH TIDE: Went 6-1 with a 2.20 ERA (17 ER/69.2 IP) with 97 strikeouts in 14 starts for the Tides in 2022…Named International League Pitcher of the Month for May, going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA (8 ER/32.0 IP) and 48 strikeouts in six starts…Prior to his injury, Rodriguez led the International League in starts (11), ERA (2.09), innings pitched (56.0), batting average against (.168), WHIP (0.84) and strikeouts (80).
COLLECTING HARDWARE: Rodriguez was named Orioles Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year in consecutive seasons (2019, 2021)…Orioles
player development and scouting awards were not administered in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Season because of the COVID-19 pandemic…Named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year in 2021.
TEXAS RANGERS NOTES:
WINS AND LOSSES: Texas lost to the O’s last night, 7-2, and have dropped 2 straight since winning season’s 1st 3 games…the current 3-2 record still matches the best 5-G start by a Rangers team in the last 11 seasons beg. 2013 (also 3-2 in 2013 and 2019)…team opened the year with a 3-0 record for just the 9th time in Rangers history, longest season-opening win streak since 2011 (6-0).
• Texas reached a season-best 3-over .500 with Sunday’s win, 1st time to be 3-over since a 58-55 mark after losing the 1st game of a doubleheader on 8/7/19 at CLE.
WITH A WIN TODAY, the Rangers could:
• Finish with a 4-2 record on the season-opening homestand…club did not have a winning homestand in 2022 until a 6-3 mark from 5/10-18/22 vs. KC/BOS/LAA.
• Match team’s best 6-G start in the last 12 seasons (4-2 in 2012, 2013, and 2019).
• Avoid going 0-3 in this week’s series vs. BAL and snap a current 8-G losing skid against the O’s (last win 9/26/21 at BAL).
• Maintain at least a tie for 1st place in the A.L. West.
STANDINGS: The Rangers enter today’s slate tied with the Los Angeles Angels (also 3-2, .600) for the A.L. West lead, sitting +1.0 GA of 3rd-place Oakland (2-3, .400)…Texas has been alone or tied atop the division for each of the last 6 days, as this marks the latest date for the club to own even a share of 1st place in the West since the final day of team’s division-winning season in 2016 (10/2/16)…from 2017-22, the Rangers had one day in which it held, or was tied for, 1st place in the West (1-0 on 7/24/20, tied for division lead).
SERIES STUFF: Rangers are now 1-1-0 in series this season after securing a series loss against the O’s with last night’s defeat…the 3-0 finish vs. PHI to open the season marked the 1st time for Texas to win the 1st series of a season since 2019 (won final 2 G of 3-G series 3/28-31 vs. CHC), and the 7th time in club history to open a campaign with a sweep in a series of 3+ G (last 3-0 in 2011 vs. BOS).
• The Rangers were winless (0-4-0) over their first 4 series in 2022, failing to record their first series win until 4/22-24/22 at OAK (2-1).
VS. BALTIMORE: The Rangers are 0-2 against the Orioles this season, with the two clubs scheduled to meet 4 additional times in 2023: today and 5/26-28 in Baltimore (3 G)… Texas has lost 8 straight against the O’s dating back to the start of 2022, including an 0-6 showing last season which was the first winless campaign against an A.L. opponent in Washington/Texas franchise history…current 0-8 span matches TEX’s longest active losing streak against any foe (TEX is 0-for-last-8 vs. SD), and one shy of matching longest skid ever against the O’s (0-9 both 6/2/72-8/27/73 and 5/30/03-8/9/04)…Texas is 3-12 vs. BAL since start of 2021, but retains a 14-12 edge in Arlington beg. 6/5/14…BAL leads all-time series (273-218-1).
OPPONENTS IN ML DEBUT: RHP Grayson Rodriguez is scheduled to make his ML debut today for Baltimore in a start opposite Jacob deGrom…the only pitcher to make a start against TEX in his ML debut last season was HOU’s Hunter Brown on 9/5/22 at Minute Maid (W, 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO)…Brown was the 1st opposing starter to win vs. TEX in his ML debut since Brendan McKay on 6/29/19 at TB…since 2016, the only opposing pitcher to win a ML debut vs. TEX in Arlington was LAA’s Jaime Barria on 4/11/18 (W, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R-ER).
BRING BACK THE BATS: Since batting .375 with 27 runs and 5 HR over the season’s 1st 2 G against Philly, the Rangers have totaled 4 runs and 3 HR over the past 3 G, batting .176 (16-91) with 2 BB/21 SO…club is 1-for-11 w/ RISP the past 3 G after going 12-for-21 (.571) w/ RISP over 1st
2 G.
COME PICK ME UP: Dane Dunning and Taylor Hearn combined for 6.1 shutout innings to finish last night’s loss, as Texas relievers now have a streak of 18.1 consecutive scoreless innings since a run against Jonathan Hernández in the 7th inning on Thurs. vs. PHI…the Texas bullpen leads MLB in relief ERA (0.83), opp. BA (.151), and WHIP (0.78), remaining one of 5 teams whose relievers have yet to allow a HR (also BOS/CIN/NYY/STL).
LOWEST RELIEF ERA’S IN MLB, 2023
ERA Team ER / IP
0.83 Texas 2 / 21.2
1.37 Atlanta 3 / 19.2
1.53 Minnesota 3 / 17.2
1.71 New York-AL 4 / 21.0
1.72 Milwaukee 3 / 15.2
DANE DANDY: Dane Dunning pitched 4.0 scoreless innings in relief of Andrew Heaney last night, extending a run of early-season success…Dunning now has 7.0 SHO IP over his 2 relief appearances this season, holding opponents to a .167 BA…his 7.0 relief innings lead MLB, and he is one of only 2 MLB pitchers with at least 5.0 scoreless relief innings in ‘23 (BAL’s Tyler Wells has 5.0 SHO IP).
deGROM DAY: Jacob deGrom makes his 2nd start with Texas today, facing a Baltimore club that has averaged 9.4 SO/G over the season’s 1st 5 contests…deGrom has produced swing-and-miss on 31.0% of swings against him in his career, the highest percentage of any player since pitches were first tracked in 1988.
HIGHEST SWING-AND-MISS PCT. SINCE 1988
(Minimum 1300.0 IP)
Pct. PItcher
31.0 Jacob deGrom
29.7 Francisco Liriano
29.4 Max Scherzer
29.3 Chris Sale
29.1 Pedro Martinez
DAY GAMES: TEX enters today’s homestand finale with a 2-0 record in day games, winning Thurs. and Sat. vs. PHI to open the year with a 2-0 overall record…the offense scored 27 runs in those 2 contests, batting .375 with a 1.080 OPS… TEX has gone 7-4 in last 11 day games at GLF beg. 8/14/22. SWEET HOME CHICAGO: The Rangers are scheduled to fly to Chicago after today’s game and have an off day tomorrow in the Windy City…this will be the 1st of 2 trips to Chicago this season for Texas, also playing White Sox on the South Side from 6/19-21…TEX is 9-9 all-tme vs. Cubs, with last meeting to open season 3/28-31/19 at the former Globe Life Park in Arlington (TEX won 2 of 3 G)…Rangers have not visited Wrigley since dropping 2 of 3 out of AS break, 7/15-17/16.
BRUUUUUUUUUCE: Rangers manager Bruce Bochy enters today’s game with a lifetime managerial record of 2,006- 2,031 (.497) over 4,037 games with San Diego (951-975, .494), San Francisco (1,052-1,054, .4995), and Texas (3-2, .600)…he currently ranks 12th on MLB’s all-time managerial
wins list, needing just 3 more victories to move into 11th place over Hall of Famer Leo Durocher (2,008 wins).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – #48 Jacob deGrom, RHP
TODAY: The 34-year-old right-hander is slated to make his 2nd start of the season (3rd of his career in Arlington) in the final game of the series today against Baltimore…allowed 5 runs (all earned) over 3.2 innings in his Texas debut on Thurs. vs. PHI…is 2-0, with a 1.23 ERA (2 ER/14.2 IP) in 2 career games/starts vs. Baltimore…the 2-time National League Cy Young Award winner (2018-19) signed a 5-year free agent contract with Texas on 12/2/22…owns the 3rd-lowest ERA in the Expansion Era (since 1961) among pitchers with at least 200 starts: 2.19-Sandy Koufax, 2.48-Clayton Kershaw, 2.55-deGrom…was the N.L. Rookie of the Year in 2014, and is one of just 3 pitchers in baseball history to win multiple Cy Young Awards and a Rookie of the Year Award (also Justin Verlander and Tom Seaver)…has received Cy Young Award votes in 6 of the last 8 seasons (2015-17-18-19-20-21), including 5 straight years prior to an injury-shortened 2022 campaign…is a 4-time All-Star (2015, 2018, 2019, 2021) and has twice been selected All-MLB First Team (2019, 2020)…spent his entire career with the Mets organization prior to signing with Texas, as he was selected by New York-NL in the 9th round of the 2010 MLB Draft…the Deland, Fla. native and resident played college baseball at his hometown Stetson University, the same school which produced 2-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber…in college, played third base and shortstop his first 2 years before converting to a pitcher as a junior in 2010.
OPENING DAY NOTES: DeGrom made his 4th career Opening Day start on Thurs. vs. PHI, becoming the first multi-time Cy Young Award-winner to start a season-opener for the Rangers…allowed career-high 6 extra-base hits (HR, 3 2B, 2 3B), including a 2-run HR to Alec Bohm in the top of the 2nd…struck out 7 of 17 (41.2%) batters faced without issuing a walk, becoming the first starting pitcher in club history to post 7+ strikeouts and no walks while recording 11-or-fewer outs…had entered the outing having gone scoreless in his 3 previous Opening Day starts (17.0 IP)…avoided suffering his 1st career Opening Day loss after the Rangers rallied for 9 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.
• DeGrom became just the 3rd Texas pitcher to start on Opening Day for the club after having previously won a Cy Young Award, joining Fergie Jenkins (1971 N.L. Cy Young with CHC), who started the opener for Texas on 4/8/75 vs. MIN and 4/7/79 at DET, and Gaylord Perry (1972 A.L. Cy Young with CLE; also 1978 N.L. Cy Young with SD), who was the Rangers’ O.D. starter on 4/9/76 vs. MIN…he became the 14th different pitcher to start an opener for Texas in the last 15 seasons (beg. 2009), with Cole Hamels (2016 and 2018) being the only 2-time O.D. starter for the Rangers in that span.
DE-GOAT: A 2-time National League Cy Young Award winner with the Mets (2018-19), deGrom leads MLB pitchers over the last 3 seasons since the beg. of 2020 (min. 200.0 IP) in ERA (1st, 2.21), opp. BA (1st, .165), WHIP (1st, 0.75), strikeouts per 9 innings (1st, 14.17), and walks per 9 innings (1st, 1.46)…has averaged 10.92 strikeouts per 9 innings in his MLB career from 2014-22, the 2nd-best figure in Major League history among pitchers with at least 1300.0 innings (11.07-Chris Sale)…1,614 career strikeouts are the most in MLB history by any pitcher through his first 210 outings in the big leagues…also has the highest swing-and-miss rate (31.0%) since pitches were first tracked in 1988.
SPRING TRAINING: Was scoreless with a 1-0 record over 2 Cactus League ‘A’ game starts (6.2 IP) this spring…struck out 10 of 26 (38.5%) batters faced while issuing just 2 walks, as opponents combined to go 4-for-24 (.167)…took ND in last outing on Sat. vs. SD (3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO), Texas’ final Arizona exhibition of the spring slate…made Cactus League ‘A’ game debut on 3/19 vs. SEA (3.0 IP, 4 SO)…saw first game action of 2023 in Triple-A contest on Field 1 in Surprise on 3/13 (2.0 IP, 5 SO, 1 HR, 24 pitches/20 strikes)…reported left side tightness upon arrival in camp on 2/15…took 4 days off from throwing before resuming regular bullpen sessions…faced batters in live BP on 3/8 (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 SO).
Date Opp. Dec. ERA IP H R ER BB SO HR P/S
3/13 vs. KC (AAA) — 4.50 2.0 1 1 1 0 5 1 24/20
3/19 vs. SEA W 0.00 3.0 2 0 0 0 4 0 –
3/25 vs. SD – 0.00 3.2 2 0 0 2 6 0 –
‘A’ Totals 1-0 0.00 6.2 4 0 0 2 10 0 –
VS. BALTIMORE/A.L. EAST: Has gone 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA (2 ER/14.2 IP) in 2 career games/starts against the Orioles (both during the 2015 season)… has lasted at least 7 innings, allowed one run, struck out at least six batters and thrown 100-or-more pitches in both starts against Baltimore…deGrom owns an 8-11 record with a 3.11 ERA (58 ER/167.2 IP) in 26 games/starts against A.L. East opponents, with 12 of those starts coming at Citi Field…has lasted at least 6.0 innings in 11 of 12 home starts against A.L. East opponents at home.
IN ARLINGTON / AT HOME: DeGrom went 41-32 with a 2.12 ERA over 109 G/GS at Citi Field in his time with the Mets, holding opponents to a .191/.243/.293/.536 slash and 0.914 WHIP figure…his 2.17 career home ERA is the best among active pitchers (min. 700.0 IP) and the 5th-lowest since ER became an official stat in 1913 (min. 700.0 IP)…the lower home ERA’s on that list?: 2.04-Walter Johnson, 2.06-Eddie Cicotte, 2.108-Dick Rudolph, 2.112-Babe Ruth.
• Today’s start will mark deGrom’s 2nd appearance at Globe Life Field and his 3rd career outing in Arlington…he allowed 5 runs (all earned) over 3.2 innings in his Texas debut and 4th career Opening Day start on Thurs. vs. PHI, coughing up a career-high 6 XBH (HR, 3 2B, 2 3B) while not factoring in the decision…he surrendered career high-tying 8 ER in a start on 6/6/17 at TEX w/ NYM at the former Globe Life Park in Arlington (L, 4.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R-ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2 HR). 2022: In his final season with the Mets, deGrom went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA (22 ER/64.1 IP) over 11 appearances/starts after returning to the mound in early August…missed the season’s first four months with a stress reaction on his right scapula…beginning with his first start of the year on 8/2, led MLB for the rest of the season in SO (102), SO pct. (42.7%), opp. OBP (.202), and WHIP (0.75)… was 5-1, 1.66 (8 ER/43.1 IP) with a .135/.158/.216/.374 slash line and 4 BB/63 SO over 1st 7 starts, then went 0-3, 6.00 (14 ER/21.0 IP) in last 4 outings beg. 9/13…posted 5 G of 10+ SO, including season-high 13 K’s over 5.0 IP in win 9/18 vs. PIT…from 8/7-9/18/22, posted MLB-record 8 straight starts of 8+ SO and one-or-zero walks…declined a player option with Mets for 2023 season on 11/6, and declined qualifying offer from NYM on 11/15, formally making him a free agent.
