PITTSBURGH – The Orioles bring a 3-4 record into today’s game at PNC Park, and they have Colton Cowser in right field and Dylan Beavers in left.

Blaze Alexander moves from third base to second, with Coby Mayo back in the lineup.

Alexander and Jeremiah Jackson have batted ninth and combined to post a .400 average. (10-for-25). The 10 hits are tied with Toronto for the most out of the nine spot in the order in the majors.

Taylor Ward remains in the leadoff spot, of course, and he’s the designated hitter. He’s 9-for-20 (.450) with three doubles, five RBIs and three walks over his last five games. He’s doubled in three straight games to tie his career high.

Ward is the first Orioles player with at least one double and one RBI in three straight games since Ryan Mountcastle from June 19-21, 2024.

Only four Orioles in team history have accomplished the feat in four consecutive games: Ramón Hernández (2006), Chris Hoiles (1993), Cal Ripken Jr. (1983) and Reggie Jackson (1976).

Adley Rutschman is catching. He’s reached base safely in each of his first six games, slashing .294/.429/.529 (5-for-17) with four doubles, two RBIs and four walks.

Orioles hitters have registered a .912 OPS with two outs, the fourth-highest mark in the majors behind Washington (.960), Philadelphia (.937) and Milwaukee (.928). They have 27 two-out hits, tied for second behind the Rangers’ 29.

Former Pirates first-round draft pick Shane Baz allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in his Orioles debut against the Twins. He’s faced the Pirates once in his career, on April 1, 2025 in Tampa, and shut them out over six innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

Baz has gone 33 2/3 consecutive innings without permitting a home run dating back to Aug. 26, 2025, the second-longest active streak among starting pitchers in the majors behind the Reds’ Graham Ashcraft (38).

Interesting stat from STATS: All of Beavers’ hits this season have come when he’s behind or even in the count.

Another one: The Orioles are hitting .377 this season against fastballs of at least 95 MPH, best in the majors, while Pittsburgh’s .121 mark ranks last.

The Pirates are starting Carmen Mlodzinski, their first-round pick in 2020 who tossed two scoreless and hitless relief innings against the Orioles, walking two batters, on Sept. 10 at Camden Yards.

Mlodzinski has gone 51 straight innings without allowing a homer since July 6, 2025, but only four of his 21 outings during that period came as a starter.

Going into today, the Orioles, Guardians, Tigers, Rockies and White Sox are the only teams that haven’t faced a left-handed starter.

The last six games between these teams have been decided by one run, tying the major league interleague record shared by the Rays versus Astros from 2003-10 and Giants versus Angels from 1999-2001.

It also ties the Orioles’ record against any opponent, along with the White Sox in 1973 and Angels in 1997-98.

For the Orioles
Taylor Ward DH
Gunnar Henderson SS
Pete Alonso 1B
Adley Rutschman C
Dylan Beavers LF
Coby Mayo 3B
Leody Taveras CF
Colton Cowser RF
Blaze Alexander 2B

Shane Baz RHP