The Orioles are down to their last 12 games of the 2026 season, including three this week against the Mets at Citi Field. They’ve fallen four back for the last Wild Card and three behind the Blue Jays for fourth place in the division.

The only consistency is their 36-39 record at home and on the road.

Pete Alonso returns to Queens, where he spent seven seasons. He hit 264 of his 299 home runs with the Mets and has three nights to attain an impressive milestone.

Only 170 players have reached the 300 mark, beginning with Babe Ruth and most recently including Shohei Ohtani.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor also has hit 299 homers. Former outfielder Tim Salmon retired with 299 and former Orioles infielder Mark Reynolds with 298.

Alonso and Lindor could be the second pair of players in major league history to belt their 300th home runs in the same game, after Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye with the White Sox on April 13, 2009.

Alonso can become the 20th player in major league history to hit his 300th career homer against his former club.

Alonso is the sixth Oriole to reach 100 RBIs in his first season with the team after Frank Robinson, Albert Belle, Miguel Tejada, Nelson Cruz and Mark Trumbo.

Besides Alonso, the only other players to have at least 100 RBIs and 75 walks in his first season with the Orioles are Belle (1999) and Robinson (1966).

Carlos Narváez is catching tonight and Samuel Basallo is on the bench. Basallo is hitting .132 with a .435 OPS in 23 games in the second half.

Coby Mayo is at third base and Christian Encarnacion-Strand is the designated hitter. Heston Kjerstad is in right field.

Brandon Young is making his 26th start. He’s posted a 3.71 ERA, lowest in the rotation, and seems assured of receiving votes for Most Valuable Oriole.

Young is trying to bounce back from a rough outing against the Guardians, when he allowed six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Left-handers are hitting .227/.311/.397 against Young, but right-handers are hitting .301/.340/.447.

Young faced the Mets last season at Camden Yards and allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Ronny Mauricio homered.

Alonso homered off Bryan Baker in the eighth inning in the Mets’ 7-6 win.

Four Orioles pitchers will make at least 26 starts this season to tie the club record.

The Orioles have 10 different players with at least 30 walks, tied for most in the majors with the Brewers and Twins. It’s also tied for the most by the Orioles in a single season, along with 1999, 1982, 1973 and 1970.

The Orioles are 7-18 against the Mets on the road, including the 1969 World Series. They’ve won two of their nine road series, in 2006 and 2018.

New York right-hander Jonah Tong is making his seventh major league start and his second this year in five appearances. He’s allowed eight earned runs and 10 total this season in 15 innings, with eight walks and 14 strikeouts.

Tong’s other start came on Sept. 7 in Miami, where he allowed four runs and struck out seven in five innings.

Left-handers have hit .229/.321/.300 against Tong in his nine major league games, and right-handers have hit .308/.378/.569.

Tong has posted a 3.15 ERA in 80 minor league games, and he’s averaged 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Bo Bichette is a career .340/.384/.508 hitter with 20 doubles, 10 homers and 43 RBIs in 72 games against the Orioles.

The Mets are 69-80 and tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the National League East.

The Mets are averaging 7.09 runs per game this month, second in the majors behind the Brewers (7.67).

For the Orioles
Dylan Beavers LF
Pete Alonso 1B
Gunnar Henderson SS
Coby Mayo 3B
Jackson Holliday 2B
Christian Encarnacion-Strand DH
Heston Kjerstad RF
Colton Cowser CF
Carlos Narváez C

Brandon Young RHP

Alonso is the Orioles’ nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award. The Mets nominated him in 2021.

The Orioles will recognize Alonso in a special on-field ceremony at at Camden Yards prior to Friday night’s game against Brewers. Major League Baseball will make a donation to The Alonso Foundation.

For the Mets
Francisco Lindor SS
Juan Soto LF
Bo Bichette 3B
Carson Benge RF
Jared Young DH
Marcus Semien 2B
A.J. Ewing CF
Brett Baty 1B
Francisco Alvarez C

Jonah Tong RHP

*The Orioles have recalled right-hander Codi Heuer from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned Yaramil Hiraldo.

Heuer, who’s wearing No. 59, had his contract purchased from the Brewers on Aug. 3, two days after the Guardians traded him. He appeared in eight games with Cleveland and posted a 4.66 ERA and 1.759 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings.

Heuer also has pitched for the White Sox, Cubs, Rangers and Tigers since 2020 and registered a 3.76 ERA in 97 games. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2022 and another elbow procedure the following year to repair a fracture.

In 12 games with Norfolk, Heuer tossed 14 2/3 scoreless innings with nine hits, four walks and 12 strikeouts.

Hiraldo was charged with four runs yesterday in the eighth inning in Toronto.