The Orioles begin a three-game series against the Dodgers tonight with Trey Gibson making his fifth major league start and sixth appearance.

Adley Rutschman won’t catch him.

Rutschman is out of the lineup after being hit on the side of the helmet yesterday while running to first base in the ninth inning.

Gibson has a 5.91 ERA and 1.594 WHIP in 21 1/3 innings. He needs to bounce back after facing the Padres in his last outing and allowing six runs with five walks in 4 1/3 innings.

The Orioles’ last two starting pitchers threw at least seven innings and struck out at least nine batters, which hadn’t happened in back-to-back games since Aug. 28-29, 2016, according to STATS.

More STATS: Gibson had seven strikeouts in his last game against the Padres in his first career game the National League. The only Orioles to have that many strikeouts in their first interleague game are Kyle Bradish (2022), Dylan Bundy (2016), Miguel Gonzalez (2013) and Mike Mussina (1997).

Gibson has a 54.3 ground ball percentage. The major league average is 42 percent.

Taylor Ward is the designated hitter tonight. Jeremiah Jackson is in left field.

Samuel Basallo is the cleanup hitter.

Leody Taveras is in right field, with Colton Cowser in center again. Coby Mayo is the third baseman. Hot-hitting Blaze Alexander begins the night on the bench.

Pete Alonso has a career 1.094 OPS at Dodger Stadium.

Ward has 64 walks and 70 hits through 75 career games with the Orioles. Ken Singleton was the only other player with at least 60 walks and 70 hits through 75 career games with the club.

Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki has posted a 4.76 ERA and 1.332 WHIP in 12 starts. He’s struck out 64 batters in 62 1/3 innings.

Sasaki also needs to do a 180 after his last start, when he faced the White Sox in Chicago and allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He tossed seven scoreless with two hits and 10 strikeouts in his previous outing against the Angels.

Sasaki hasn’t faced the Orioles in his brief major league career. Taveras is the only Oriole with a history against him, going hitless in two at-bats.

Sasaki has held cleanup hitters to a .133 average this season.

The team’s 3.11 rotation ERA is the lowest in the majors. The 42 quality starts are the most.

The Dodgers (48-27) have won at least 48 of their first 75 games for the fourth time this century, also doing it in 2019 (50), 2017 (49) and 2009 (48). They completed their sixth sweep of the season and 22nd comeback win on Wednesday.

The Orioles have scored multiple runs in 20 straight games against the Dodgers, their second-longest active streak after 24 against the Guardians, per STATS. This is the longest active streak by any team against Los Angeles.

The Dodgers’ 967 player games missed on the injured list are the most in the majors. The Orioles are third at 866. The Dodgers have 14 players currently on the IL, which is tied for the most in the majors.

For the Orioles
Taylor Ward DH
Gunnar Henderson SS
Pete Alonso 1B
Samuel Basallo C
Leody Taveras RF
Colton Cowser CF
Coby Mayo 3B
Jackson Holliday 2B
Jeremiah Jackson LF

Trey Gibson RHP