Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish is confirmed to start Tuesday night for the first time since June 14, 2024.
Bradish hasn’t faced the Red Sox since Oct. 1, 2013, when he was shortened to two innings before the playoffs.
Those were good times for Bradish, but he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the elbow in January 2024 and lasted eight starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Bradish had posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.068 WHIP in 39 1/3 innings after placing fourth in American League Cy Young voting the previous season. He struck out 53 batters.
The Orioles deemed Bradish ready after he made six starts and totaled 22 innings on his rehab assignment.
They must create room on the 26-man and 40-man rosters.
The Orioles can’t get away from the Astros and Red Sox.
The last road trip made stops in Houston and Boston, and the Orioles returned home to face both teams before heading to the West Coast. They went 3-4 against the Astros overall and are coming off a two-game sweep at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox are 4-5 against the Orioles, including 2-1 at Camden Yards. Thirty-eight runs have been scored in the eighth inning or later in these games, most in the majors, according to STATS. So expect some late fireworks.
Luis Vazquez, Jeremiah Jackson, Dylan Beavers and Coby Mayo have hit their first major league home runs this season.
Gunnar Henderson’s .581 career slugging percentage against the Red Sox is fourth-highest among active players. He owns a 21-game on-base streak.
Tomoyuki Sugano gets tonight’s start, his 25th. He’s posted a 3.97 ERA in 131 1/3 innings.
Sugano faced the Red Sox in his last start and allowed an unearned run in five innings. In his last five outings, he’s surrendered six earned runs in 28 1/3 innings, and his ERA is 2.01 and WHIP 0.985 this month in four starts.
Sugano hasn’t surrendered a home run to the last 106 batters faced, the sixth-longest streak in the majors among starters, per STATS. Trevor Rogers is first with 165.
More Sugano: He leads all rookie pitchers in wins (10) and innings pitched (131 1/3) this season and can become the fourth Oriole to rank ahead of rookies in those categories, along with Daniel Cabrera (2004), Wally Bunker (1964) and Chuck Estrada (1960).
The Orioles have played 16 one-run games since the All-Star break, three more than any other team, per STATS.
The Red Sox are using an opener, left-hander Brennan Bernardino, a former 26th-round draft pick of the Reds in 2014 who has a 2.93 ERA in 49 appearances. He’s allowed one home run in 46 innings.
Bernardino also started against the Reds on July 2 and tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He hasn’t gone more than 2 1/3 this season, and he hasn’t allowed a run in his last 13 appearances.
The Orioles have seen Bernardino three times this season and he’s charged with one run with no hits in 2 2/3 innings. He’s faced them 15 times in his career, with one start, and he’s posted a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings.
Henderson is 3-for-12 with two triples against him.
Right-hander Richard Fitts is expected to work in bulk relief. He’s made 10 starts and registered a 4.83 ERA in 41 innings.
Fitts hasn’t faced the Orioles and none of the current players have faced him.
Boston’s 3.15 ERA since July 1 is lowest in the majors.
The Red Sox are five games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the American League East and they hold the first Wild Card. They’ve gone 30-35 on the road.
They’re 18-1 when Trevor Story homers.