A three-game series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Baltimore Orioles already has been eventful.
One of the teams will capture the series victory when they meet for the decisive game of the set on Wednesday afternoon in Baltimore.
The Diamondbacks evened the series with a 4-3 victory on Tuesday, a night after the Orioles rallied from six runs down to win 9-7.
The series also included a scary sight and then relieving news for the Orioles. First-year manager Craig Albernaz sustained a broken jaw and some fractured cheekbones when he was struck in the face by a foul ball Monday night, but he was back on the job Tuesday.
“I kind of have to show up every day,” he said. “… We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.”
There will be some adjustments away from the field for Albernaz, but he said he can handle the baseball managerial duties. He will be on a special diet and for six weeks he won’t be allowed strenuous activities, so that nixes his role of throwing pitches during batting practice.
“I think it’s more of the peace of mind, knowing I don’t need surgery and stuff,” he said. “I can see the whole eating component could be really difficult, which makes sense about the baby food diet, so soft foods for a while.”
The Diamondbacks faced their own health issue on Tuesday, pulling Ketel Marte from the lineup a night after he hit two home runs. The second baseman was dealing with back tightness, so his availability for the quick turnaround for the Wednesday afternoon game might be in question.
“We were working on him during the course of the game,” manager Torey Lovullo said after the Tuesday contest. “I got word about the fifth inning he’d be unavailable. I’ve got him in the lineup (Wednesday), so hopefully he can go out there.”
The Orioles will hand the ball to right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-2, 5.27 ERA) on Wednesday. He reached the five-inning mark for the first time this year on April 8 in a road victory against the Chicago White Sox. Bradish has been dealing with control issues, as he has walked three batters in each of his three outings.
In parts of five big-league seasons, Bradish’s only encounter with Arizona resulted in a victory during a September 2023 matchup. He allowed two runs on four this across six innings, striking out six and walking three.
Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 0.50 ERA) gets the call for the Diamondbacks. The left-hander hadn’t allowed an earned run until his third outing, when the New York Mets broke through for a single tally on Thursday in a game Arizona won 7-1. He went six innings in that appearance.
Rodriguez holds a 14-5 career record with 2.74 ERA in 25 games (23 starts) against the Orioles. Baltimore is the only opponent against which he owns double-digit wins in his 11-year career.
Depending upon how long Rodriguez last on Wednesday, he could have an unfamiliar reliever taking over for him.
With veteran pitcher Merrill Kelly joining the Arizona rotation this week, Brandon Pfaadt was shifted to the bullpen. Pfaadt has appeared in relief in just one of his 87 major league outings, and that was a 2023 game in which he was the bulk reliever after an opener.
Lovullo acknowledged the move will be an adjustment for Pfaadt.
“It’s just where we’re sitting right now,” Lovullo said. “I want to believe it’s going to be great, but it’s going to take some work.”
Last April, Pfaadt threw six shutout innings against the Orioles as a starter, and Arizona won the game 9-0 in Phoenix.
–Field Level Media
