Soon enough, the Orioles will finally get to play against a losing team. But they’ve got one more first-place club to face before the schedule softens up, as the AL West-leading Texas Rangers roll into Baltimore for three.
The Orioles last saw the Rangers from April 3-5, just the second series of the year for each club, and at that point it wasn’t yet apparent what powerhouses both teams would become. The O’s (33-17) and Rangers (31-18) enter this weekend’s series with the second- and third-best records in the majors.
A year ago, the Rangers were one of the most disappointing teams in baseball, scuffling to a brutal 68-94 record even after shelling out a combined $500 million to star middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.