Orioles-Cardinals series preview – Camden Chat

The Orioles dealt with plenty of rain over the long weekend in Boston. Trevor Rogers immediately became the story with his impressive start on Saturday, but Rogers won’t factor into the series against St. Louis. The Orioles returned (not optioned) the 27th man from the doubleheader, so he can be recalled at any point, but the guy needs a few days off in between starts.

Colton Cowser began a rehab assignment with Aberdeen, but he will not be eligible to return from the 60-day IL until May 30. Jordan Westburg and Tyler O’Neill are not expected back yet either. Baltimore will have to take on St. Louis with its currently constructed roster.

That roster does not include reliever Cionel Pérez after the lefty was designated for assignment over the weekend. High-leverage relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto have not performed consistently enough, but the bullpen has been sparked by the return of Andrew Kittredge.

The Cardinals bullpen ranks in the middle of the pack with an ERA just north of four. Closer Ryan Helsley has reached the double digit save mark, but the bullpen shouldn’t be what’s stopping Baltimore from adding runs late in games. The team’s performance with runners in scoring position, well, that could be another story.

Game 1: Monday, May 26, 3:05 pm — MASN

RHP Charlie Morton (0-7, 7.68) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (3-3, 3.77 ERA)

The Orioles had to juggle their rotation with all the rain. The Orioles optioned Chayce McDermott after his appearance last week, so McDermott cannot return unless he is replacing an injured player.

Charlie Morton earned a return to the rotation with 4.1 innings of one-run ball after the last Kyle Gibson disaster. Morton became the topic of early scorn as the Orioles struggled at the start of the season, but Gibson reminded everyone that things can always get worse.

Morton’s stuff has looked fine for a majority of his outings, but the veteran has missed in the middle of the strike zone far too often. It still feels obtainable for the 41-year-old to deliver five or six innings of decent ball if he limits those mistakes to at bats with the bases empty.

St. Louis will start RHP Erick Fedde. Fedde allowed four runs to a red-hot Tigers team his last time out, but he held Philly scoreless over 5.2 frames on May 14. Fedde—a free agent to be—could become available at the deadline if the Cardinals fall out of contention, but St. Louis should be a factor in the NL Central race moving forward.

The game will start at 3:05 on Memorial Day, so make sure to fire up the grill a little early.

Game 2: Tuesday, May 27, 6:35 pm — MASN

RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. RHP Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.18 ERA)

Tomoyuki Sugano will get an extra day of rest after holding the Brewers to two runs over six innings on May 21. Sugano has provided a steady hand to a sinking ship for a majority of the season, and he could increase his trade value with another strong start if things continue to trend in the current direction.

Andre Pallante is a 26-year-old righty in his fourth big league season. Pallante worked mostly as a reliever in his first two seasons before joining the rotation last year. He’s a ground ball pitcher that doesn’t strike many batters out, but Pallante could generate a few inning-ending double plays.

Game 3: Wednesday, May 28, 6:35 pm —MASN/MLBN

LHP Cade Povich (1-3, 4.86) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (4-2, 3.51 ERA)

The Orioles are set to face three righties in the series, which feels like a plus, but Mikolas is rarely an easy matchup. The 36-year-old has been with St. Louis since 2018. He’s a two-time All Star who has eclipsed 30 starts in the last three seasons. He’s 3-0 in his last three appearances with only two total earned runs during that stretch.

Cade Povich will be on regular rest to start Wednesday. He posted a fine start against Boston last week, but things got quite ugly after he left the game.