The Orioles used Keegan Akin as an opener Sunday, followed by Chris Bassitt, and the plan worked beautifully. Akin retired his three batters on 13 pitches, striking out two, and Bassitt allowed one run over six innings in a 2-1 victory over the Athletics.

The three starters for the Yankees series were listed as TBA. Manager Craig Albernaz confirmed Sunday night that Brandon Young would pitch Monday, and the club announced yesterday morning that Trevor Rogers was reinstated from the injured list and would start.

Kyle Bradish’s next turn put him on the mound this afternoon, but the Orioles hadn’t made it official. The only other alternative was using another opener, with Akin a logical choice, and Bradish coming out of the bullpen.

Long after the final out last night, the Orioles shared that Bradish would start the series finale.

Akin has served as an opener four times going back to 2025, and tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Opponents are 1-for-15 with seven strikeouts. You can understand the temptation.

Bradish has made eight career starts against the Yankees and posted a 3.92 ERA and 1.513 WHIP in 39 innings. He lasted four innings at Yankee Stadium on May 2 and allowed five runs and six hits in four innings.

Bradish’s first start in 2024 came against the Yankees on May 2, and he held them to one run in 4 2/3 innings. He also faced the Yankees in his last two starts in 2025, allowing one run and two hits with nine strikeouts in six innings at Camden Yards and two runs and five hits with eight strikeouts in four innings in the Bronx.

*The rotation ERA rose to 5.19 after last night’s game, worst in the American League and ahead of only the Rockies (5.22).

Rogers was charged with six runs in four innings after returning from the injured list. He allowed a leadoff homer for the second time in his career, the other on Sept. 17, 2022 when the Nationals’ Lane Thomas ambushed him.

Rogers admits to some pressure being felt by the starters. They need to step up. They expect it to happen.

They know it must happen.

“I think it’s there,” he said. “That’s when you get into the point of, like, ‘I have to go and perform. I have to do this, I have to do that.’ I’ll still put this rotation up against anyone in the league. It’s just things just aren’t going our way.

“Like Bassitt, unbelievable start, so I think things are starting to turn over. Keep doing what we can control, keep doing what we need to do. I have no doubt that this is going to turn around, for me especially, so I’m not worried at all.”

*Taylor Ward continues to put up fascinating numbers with the Orioles.

Ward was hitless in his last 17 at-bats heading into last night, but he drew 11 walks over that span to raise his total to 41, which led the majors. His average dipped to .257, but his on-base percentage was .422.

The streak reached 0-for-19 before a leadoff double in the sixth, and he led off the eighth with a single. No walks.

Ward led the majors by getting on base 79 times, tying Albert Belle for the third most by a player in his first season with the Orioles. Roberto Alomar reached 88 times in 1996 and Frank Robinson 81 times in 1966. Ward’s OBP tied Milwaukee’s Brice Turang for first in the majors.

Sixteen straight games had passed without an extra-base hit before the double, the longest streak in Ward’s career. But he kept contributing to the offense in other ways.

Ward was averaging 4.56 plate appearances per walk, the best ratio in the majors. He posted a .244 average and 18.4 percent chase rate with two strikes. According to STATS, the major league average with two strikes is .167 with a 43.1 percent chase rate.

He gets into deep counts and makes pitchers work overtime.

“Every at-bat, he’s locked in and competing,” Albernaz said. “There’s a lot of stuff that stands out. His walk rate. His chase rate is extremely low. His three-ball chase is minuscule. That’s a big thing, the three-ball chase. He knows what pitches he wants to hunt and where he’s looking, and he’s very stubborn and disciplined to his takes. I think that’s really tough for hitters to do is just stay stubborn to their approach and not get swayed by the result of the pitch, whether it be a strike or not.

“Taylor’s done a great job of just staying in the strike zone and not chasing. It’s been fun to watch.”

Asked whether he wants some of his younger hitters to watch these plate appearances and take notes, Albernaz said, “Yeah, every hitter across the game should watch his at-bats.”

“It’s something special,” Albernaz added. “I feel like every at-bat he’s in is either 2-2 or 3-2 count. It’s extremely impressive just the way he manages the at-bat every single time. He’s unemotional about the previous at-bat, he’s unemotional if he takes a bad swing during the at-bat. If he takes a called strike, he just sticks to his process and his approach. It’s something that’s extremely hard to do night in and night out, and Taylor has done a phenomenal job of doing that this season.”

*Samuel Basallo returned to the lineup, stayed there, and extended his hitting streak to seven games. He doubled and had an RBI single.

Basallo is batting .440 (11-for-25) with four doubles, a triple, six RBIs and five runs scored during the streak.