More on today's doubleheader and some Orioles notes

The Orioles will play their second doubleheader of the season today, with a third pending against the Blue Jays on July 29 at Camden Yards. To the benefit of everyone, the twin bill against the Twins that begins at 12:05 p.m. is the traditional single-admission type. None of this day-night nonsense.

Play Game 1, wait about 30 minutes and play Game 2.

Dean Kremer is starting the opener, but the Orioles list the second game as TBA. Cade Povich was supposed to pitch last night against his former team, but was called into manager Brandon Hyde’s office after the postponement.

Tomoyuki Sugano is supposed to start Thursday afternoon, but he’d be on regular rest today. Or maybe it turns out to be Povich anyway.

Povich faced the Twins in his last outing and allowed five runs in six innings at Target Field. All five runs scored in the third, including Carlos Correa’s 458-foot shot into the second deck in left field.

Per STATS, Povich has faced 158 batters this season without hitting anyone, the longest streak to start a season by an Orioles left-hander since Keegan Akin in 2022.

Kremer has lowered his ERA to 5.24 by allowing two runs in 14 innings in his last two starts. He didn’t get the decision at Target Field last week after allowing only two runs and three hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings. Trevor Larnach hit a game-tying homer in the sixth.

Kremer would like to take a chunk out of his career 9.00 ERA in three starts against the Twins -14 runs in 14 innings.

Ryan Mountcastle would like to keep seeing Twins pitching. He has a 14-game hitting streak against them, which is tied for third-longest by an Orioles player since the Senators moved to Minnesota, according to STATS. He’s 22-for-52 (.423) during the streak with seven doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs.

Here’s the streak list:

Miguel Tejada – 16
Adam Jones – 15
Ryan Mountcastle – 14
Nick Markakis – 14
Rafael Palmeiro – 14
Frank Robinson – 14
Luis Aparicio – 14

Mountcastle has a seven-game hitting streak this month, going 4-for-8 in the last two games, and is 11-for-35 (.314) in May. He has four doubles, but his last home run was April 30.

Mountcastle has totaled eight RBIs in his last 11 games after having five through his first 27.

Manager Brandon Hyde must decide on a leadoff hitter for both games. He used Cedric Mullins, Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson in the Angels series in Anaheim.

Henderson has reached base safely in his last 17 games, slashing .309/.356/.529 (21-for-68) with four doubles, one triple and three home runs. It’s the second-longest stretch of his career after the 36-game streak from May 22-June 29, 2024.

Henderson has scored a run in eight of his last 12 games and has totaled 248 in 375 career games. He can reach 250 quicker than any other player in Orioles history.

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. scored 250 in 393 games, Brian Roberts in 403, Nick Markakis in 426, Manny Machado in 449 and Hall of Famer Eddie Murray in 468.

The last 12 games between the Orioles and Twins have been decided by multiple runs, the longest streak since a 14-game stretch from August 2003-May 2005, per STATS.

The Orioles will try in the opener to win back-to-back games for only the third time this season. They’re nine games below .500 at 15-24 and still in last place in the division.

“You’re not going to make up five games in five days. It’s just not how this thing goes,” first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said yesterday in a media scrum at his locker.

“Take it one series at a time, try to win every series. The series against the Angels was great to go on the road and come away with a series win. Want to take that momentum into this series against the Twins and get some payback for what happened last week.”

Both teams will have a 27^th man today.

Infielder Ramón Urías could be reinstated from the injured list. Hyde indicated in Anaheim that it was a possibility, and Urías was in the clubhouse yesterday.

Jordan Westburg is trying to get rid of the soreness in his left hamstring. He also was in the clubhouse yesterday, rather than working out with or playing for Triple-A Norfolk on a rehab assignment. He didn’t have any updates yesterday.  

Down on the farm, Samuel Basallo caught for the first time last night with Norfolk and finished with a double and two home runs off Jacksonville’s Connor Gillispie.

Andrew Kittredge had a spotless inning in his fourth rehab appearance and third with Norfolk. He threw 11 pitches, eight for strikes.