Orioles vs Angels Preview: Pitching Duel Heats Up

The Baltimore Orioles are riding a three-game winning streak and they're ready to keep it rolling. They beat the Angels 6-1 yesterday in a dominant performance. Outfielders like Ward and Mayo crushed massive home runs that sailed over the fence. Now Shane Baz takes the mound for Baltimore. This right-hander has a 4.04 ERA and isn't afraid of the challenge ahead. The Orioles are 38-42 on the season, sitting at .500, but they've got momentum on their side right now.

The Angels are struggling this season. They're 32-48 and only 4-6 in their last ten games. They just lost to Baltimore yesterday, and now Ryan Johnson takes the ball for the home team. The Angels are missing some big bats right now. Mike Trout is on the injured list with a hamstring issue. Without their superstar in the lineup, the Angels have to get creative offensively. Can they bounce back and find a way to compete against a rolling Orioles squad?

Shane Baz brings solid stuff to the mound for Baltimore with a 1.35 WHIP and 17 strikeouts. He's struck out batters and limited hits, which is exactly what you need in close games. Ryan Johnson starts for the Angels, but we don't have much data on his performance yet. The Orioles have pitching depth issues because Chris Bassitt is hurt. But right now, Baz looks like the sharper arm. He's keeping opponents off-balance with strikeout stuff. The Angels will need their hitters to generate early runs and take pressure off their pitcher.