The Orioles have done a good job over the first week of the season showing off the many ways that baseball can hurt a fan. Their latest work, wherein Mike Wright Jr. sort of outpitched Justin Verlander and the Orioles still ended up losing the game, was a particularly impressive and horrible thing to behold.
Though they got past Verlander, things don’t get any easier today as they try to avoid a sweep in the finale while facing Astros starter Dallas Keuchel. The presence of a tough lefty has offered a face-saving excuse for Buck Showalter to get Chris Davis out of the leadoff spot and out of the lineup entirely.