First baseman Pete Alonso was named the American League’s Player of the Week after going 12-for-22 with a double, two home runs, five RBIs, a .630 on-base percentage, an .864 slugging percentage, four walks and five runs scored in six games.

Sounds like the right choice.

Alonso was named the National League’s Player of the Week five times with the Mets. He’s the 12th player to earn the honor in at least five consecutive seasons.

Gunnar Henderson was the last Oriole to win the award on Sept. 9, 2024.

Alonso is 16-for-29 (.552) with two doubles, four home runs, nine RBIs, six walks and eight runs scored during an eight-game hitting streak. He’s batting .380/.466/.660 (19-for-50) this month.

The Orioles have a chance tonight to complete a four-game sweep of the Rays at Tropicana Field and get within one of .500 for the first time since April 30. They’re 5-4 on their road trip.

They also woke up this morning with ownership of the last Wild Card spot.

What a crazy season.

Brandon Young is 9-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 20 starts. The Orioles are 16-4 when he’s on the mound.

Young has never faced the Rays, who won nine in a row before the Orioles came to town. Tonight is his first taste of The Trop.

Alonso is the designated hitter again in back-to-back games after experiencing some tightness in his calf muscle.

Tyler O’Neill is leading off, Jackson Holliday is batting third again and Jeremiah Jackson is in left field.

Coby Mayo is the first baseman and cleanup hitter. Christian Franklin is in center field.

Colton Cowser’s home run yesterday off Steven Matz marked his first against a left-handed pitcher since taking Tampa Bay’s Ian Seymour deep on Sept. 23, 2025 at Camden Yards. It marked the second time in his career that he homered on a breaking ball against a southpaw.

The Orioles have scored 45 runs their last seven games after tallying 11 in the previous seven. They’ll try tonight to match the four-game sweep in June 2024 in St. Petersburg.

A win would be the seventh straight against the Rays for the first time since April 27-July 16, 2016. The franchise record is eight from April 18-Aug. 3, 2007.

The Orioles have homered in 14 straight games at Tropicana Field since July 23, 2023, the longest streak in team history.

Tampa Bay is reinstating left-hander Shane McClanahan from the injured list. He’s 7-0 with a 2.97 ERA in 11 career starts against the Orioles.

Alonso is 3-for-8 with a double and home run against McClanahan.

For the Orioles
Tyler O’Neill RF
Pete Alonso DH
Jackson Holliday 2B
Coby Mayo 1B
Gunnar Henderson SS
Christian Encarnacion-Strand 3B
Jeremiah Jackson LF
Carlos Narváez C
Christian Franklin CF

Brandon Young RHP

For the Rays
Yandy Díaz DH
Jonathan Aranda 1B
Junior Caminero 3B
Liam Hicks C
Chandler Simpson RF
Ryan Vilade RF
Cedric Mullins CF
Richie Palacios 2B
Jorge Mateo SS

Shane McClanahan LHP

Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Kyle Bradish are the starters for the series against the Yankees that begins Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

The Yankees listed right-hander Will Warren for Tuesday, but they announced earlier today that left-hander Carlos Rodón will make his first start since June 28 after missing almost two months with elbow inflammation.

Left-hander Max Fried (4-4, 2.81) and right-hander Gerrit Cole (6-6, 3.22) were listed for Wednesday and Thursday, but the order could change with Rodón’s return.  

Double-A Chesapeake left-hander Joseph Dzierwa was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after he tossed six shutout innings with one hit allowed last week in Reading.

Dzierwa is the No. 3 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. He has a combined 2.01 ERA and 0.857 WHIP in 22 games between Chesapeake and High-A Frederick, and he’s averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.