The Baltimore Orioles (65-45) will face the Cleveland Guardians (66-42) in Game 2 of their series on Friday, August 2, at 7:10 PM ET at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Orioles are slightly favored to get back on track, with moneyline odds coming in at -125.
The Orioles came up short in Game 1 of this series, losing 10-3 against the Guardians. The biggest difference was a 5-0 outing in the seventh inning, which pushed the game further out of reach for the Orioles.
Hopefully, their defense from the mound will have better luck in this matchup. They will start Dean Kremer (4-7), who has an ERA of 4.20 and a WHIP of 1.23. Their team ERA is 3.78, so they should have some solid relief later in the game.
Their offense also needs to step up, as they were relatively flat towards the end of the game. Anthony Santander will be key here as he leads them with 32 homers and 74 RBIs, both of which rank third and ninth in the league.
The Orioles have a slightly more appealing prospect at the plate with a .255 batting average. Defensively, they allow their opponents to get .233. This shows a solid difference between the two averages and could be a factor in this game.
The Guardians have won their last four games and aim to extend that streak for Game 2. Over their last four games, they have averaged 6.75 runs a game and have allowed just 2.50.
Their defense has been great, but this game could have some hiccups. They will start Carlos Carrasco (3-9), who has an ERA of 5.68 and a WHIP of 1.40. Their bullpen will likely need to pick up the slack, as they average a 3.64 ERA.
On offense, they have been firing on all cylinders. Jose Ramirez leads them with 28 homers and 90 RBIs. He currently ranks second in the league for his RBI output, which makes him a key component of this game.
The Guardians are averaging .241 at the plate this season and are holding opponents to .232. This is still good to see but not as appealing as the Orioles averages.
MyBookie has the MLB betting odds ready for this showdown. The odds currently favor the Baltimore Orioles, with market analysis showing their 54.2 percent likelihood of winning.
The Guardians have been playing outstanding baseball over their four-game winning streak. However, will their dominance continue? The Orioles will likely respond better in Game 2, and they have a better pitcher on paper to start.
