The Orioles and Astros Walk Into Camden Yards Both Desperate to Stop the Bleeding

Here's the reality: neither the Baltimore Orioles nor the Houston Astros can afford to stumble into Tuesday night's series opener. The Orioles have dropped three of their last five games, including back-to-back losses to Boston where they couldn't climb out of early deficits. The Astros? They're 3-7 over their last 10, limping in after barely avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Yankees thanks to a 7-4 win on Sunday. Both teams had Monday off, which gives them time to reset. The question is whether they actually can.

Baltimore's Baz Searching for His First Win at Home

Right-hander Shane Baz takes the mound for the Orioles on Tuesday night with something to prove. The guy is 0-2 with a 5.08 ERA through six starts in a Baltimore uniform, and he desperately needs to break through. He's been durable, working at least five innings in every outing, but the results haven't followed. In his last two starts, he's been tagged for four runs each time. At home, things get worse: he's given up seven runs across 10 and one-third innings in just two home games. Baz has faced the Astros three times in his career, going 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA over 18 innings. He needs to flip that script.

Astros Shuffling Deck in Rotation as Walker Heats Up

Houston's injury-riddled rotation has forced manager Joe Espada to get creative. Kai-Wai Teng, a right-hander who spent the last two seasons with San Francisco, is being moved from the bullpen to start Tuesday as an opener. Teng has logged 16 and two-thirds innings over 11 relief appearances with 16 strikeouts and six walks. This will be his first time facing Baltimore. The upside: Christian Walker smashed a home run and a double on Sunday and has now homered in back-to-back games and three of his last six. Houston scored seven runs on Sunday, matching their second-highest total in three weeks.

The Orioles know they can produce runs. Gunnar Henderson has crushed nine home runs this season, and catcher Samuel Basallo has homered in two of the last three games. Baltimore scored just four runs combined over their last two games, though, which tells you everything about their current funk. They've lost three of their four most recent home series, dropping two of three in each case.

The Astros sit at 11-18, making them the second straight last-place division team to visit Baltimore. First pitch is Tuesday night. Both teams need a win here. Both teams know it.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.