The Baltimore Orioles will appear like a unique staff once they open a three-game collection in opposition to the host Chicago Cubs on Friday.
The Orioles unloaded a giant chunk of their roster main as much as the commerce deadline, even making a cope with the Cubs to amass 17-year-old shortstop Wilfri De La Cruz for right-hander Andrew Kittredge.
In latest days, the Orioles additionally unloaded outfielder Cedric Mullins and left-hander Gregory Soto to the New York Mets, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramon Laureano to the San Diego Padres, right-hander Bryan Baker to the Tampa Bay Rays, right-hander Seranthony Dominguez to the Toronto Blue Jays and third baseman Ramon Urias to the Houston Astros, buying a number of prospects alongside the way in which.
The Cubs, in the meantime, have been within the consumers’ market all week. Their additions have been Kittredge, right-hander Michael Soroka (from the Washington Nationals), left-hander Taylor Rogers (from the Pittsburgh Pirates) and utility participant Willi Castro (from the Minnesota Twins).
The Orioles plan to begin left-hander Trevor Rogers within the collection opener.
Rogers (4-1, 1.49 ERA) confronted 4 sub-.500 groups in July and went 3-1 with a 1.03 ERA.
He most lately allowed one hit over seven shutout innings in an 18-0 win in opposition to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, the most important shutout in staff historical past.
“There’s at all times that voice at the back of my thoughts that is like, ‘Perhaps it is only a fluke,'” Rogers mentioned of his latest success. “I’ve had a whole lot of apply shutting that voice down and staying inside my course of, staying inside myself.”
Rogers arrived from the Miami Marlins eventually season’s commerce deadline however was optioned to Triple-A 3 weeks later, the place he remained till Might of this season.
“I’ve labored my butt off to get right here and I am attempting to take pleasure in it but additionally keep within the second as a result of I understand how rapidly issues can flip on this recreation,” he mentioned. “Simply attempting to remain even-keeled, keep within the center, admire and be thankful for the begins that I do have. And in the event that they go my method, take pleasure in it for the subsequent 5 hours or so, after which transfer on to tomorrow.”
Rogers has by no means confronted the Cubs in his profession.
Chicago plans to ship rookie right-hander Cade Horton to the mound on Friday.
Horton (4-3, 3.67 ERA) can be coming off an outstanding month of July during which he went 1-1 with a 1.52 ERA in 4 begins.
He enters the sport with a shutout streak of 12 2/3 innings.
“I simply really feel like, each time I am going on the market, I attempt to simply execute a pitch and actually sluggish the sport down,” Horton mentioned.
Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned Horton does a exceptional job of specializing in the subsequent pitch and never fascinated by the earlier one.
“I am saying that as a praise, as a result of that is arduous to do on this recreation,” Counsell mentioned. “I feel Cade’s wonderful at it, and it contributes to his success.”
Counsell may also see Horton’s confidence constructing with every begin.
“You may have outings, just like the final seven to 10 begins, and so they’re not all good, however you are taking what it is advisable study from those that are not so good,” Counsell mentioned. “He continues to try this, and that is what sort of retains pushing him ahead and retains getting him higher.”
–Subject Stage Media
