Orioles-Mets series preview: O’s head to New York looking to improve interleague results (2024)

For the second time in as many weeks, the Orioles will face an opponent from the NL East when they travel to take on the New York Mets. On paper, this series should be a welcome sight to Birdland. The Mets are a mere 33-32 at Citi Field this season, while the Orioles are an impressive 36-24 on the road in 2024. However, interleague play hasn’t exactly been the Orioles’ best friend this year.

Heading into this matchup in Queens, the Orioles have a losing record in interleague play, going 15-19 against the senior circuit. The O’s record against the NL’s mediocre teams is even more frustrating. Baltimore has already scored series wins over presumptive playoff teams the Phillies Braves, and Diamondbacks. However, the Orioles are a combined 2-10 against the Cubs, Cardinals, Pirates and Marlins—all teams with losing records.

The Mets are currently above .500 and are just barely on the outside of the NL playoff picture. And while the O’s have tended to play better against NL contenders than against NL bottom feeders, playing in Shea Stadium/Citi Field is historically bad news for Baltimore. The Orioles’ first trip to Queens came all the way back in the 1969 World Series when the O’s lost three straight road games to give the Mets their first championship.

Since then, Baltimore is only 6-13 on the road against the Mets and things have only gotten worse since the move to Citi Field. The O’s are 3-8 in the Mets’ new home, and their only series win there came back in 2018. The pitching staff was the hero in that two-game sweep, as Alex Cobb and Dylan Bundy combined to pitch 13 innings, allowing only five total hits and one run while striking out 12.

In 2024 this series has potentially big implications for both teams and their dreams of making the postseason. With the Yankees taking on the Guardians this week, the Orioles will look to take advantage of an easier matchup vs. the Mets to try and take over first place in AL East. The Mets, meanwhile, are trying to chase down their rivals the Braves for the last NL Wild Card spot. The Orioles haven’t traveled to Citi Field since 2021, so this will also be their young core’s first chance to play in one of the NL’s newest stadiums.

Game 1: Monday, August 19th, 7:10pm ET, MASN

Probable pitchers: LHP Trevor Rogers (2-11, 4.89 ERA, 92 Ks) vs. LHP David Peterson (7-1, 3.04 ERA, 56 Ks)

The Orioles open the series with Rogers on the mound as the southpaw faces off against a familiar foe. Despite previously playing in the same division as the Mets this year, Rogers has only faced New York one time this season. The 26-year-old acquitted himself fairly well, allowing only two runs (one earned) over 4.2 innings.

Monday’s matchup should be a great opportunity for Rogers to reverse his fortunes as an Orioles, as historically he’s been dominant in Citi Field. In six career starts in Queens, the southpaw has a 2.73 ERA, held opponents to a .198 average and struck out 39 hitters in 29.2 innings. Those numbers are a far cry from the less dominant performances Rogers has put up as an Oriole, as he has a 7.53 in 14.2 innings since being traded to Baltimore.

Opposing Rogers is the Mets’ own towering left-hander, David Peterson. The former first-round pick was taken one pick ahead of DL Hall in the 2017 draft, debuted in the 2020 season, and has found a new level of success this year. He comes into the matchup against Baltimore with a career-best 3.04 ERA, and the Mets are 10-3 when Peterson takes the mound. The lefty relies heavily on his sinker and is one of the best ground ball pitchers in MLB. That could signal a big day for Adley Rutschman, who hits .363 against lefties and slugs .633 on sinkers.

Game 2: Tuesday, August 20th, 7:10pm ET, MASN

Probable pitchers: RHP Dean Kremer (5-9, 4.48 ERA, 84 Ks) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (6-8, 4.26 ERA, 103 Ks)

Kremer has been more down than up this season but is coming off an excellent outing the last time against the Nationals. In that 4-1 Orioles win, the 28-year-old right-hander completed six innings for only the fifth time this season, holding Washington to only one run in the process.

A big key to Kremer’s success against the Nats came from an adjusted game plan that saw him throw a season-high 33 splitters. The split-finger fastball is a new offering for Kremer this season and has been his best pitching by opponent batting average (.141 against the splitter). If the Mets stack lefties against Kremer, expect to see a bunch more splitters. The Os starter throws the splitter 25% of the time against lefties, but only 9% of the time against righties.

The Mets send another lefty to the mound in Game 2 as they turn to the 13-year vet Quintana. The former All-Star frustrated Oriole hitters last year in Baltimore, holding them to six runs and two hits over six innings at Camden Yards. Despite his good performance, Quintana took the loss against Baltimore and has often been the unlucky loser vs. the O’s. In 10 career appearances against the Orioles, Quintana has a respectable 3.66 ERA but a less than encouraging 2-5 record.

Game 3: Wednesday, August 21st, 1:10pm ET, MASN

Probable pitchers: RHP Zach Eflin (9-7, 3.72 ERA, 112 Ks) vs. LHP Sean Manaea (9-5, 3.46 ERA, 129 Ks)

There’s an argument to be made that since the Orioles acquired Eflin from the Rays, he’s been the club’s true ace. In four starts for Baltimore, the 30-year-old has a 2.13 ERA, racked up 25 Ks in 25.1 innings, and limited opponents to a .240 average. The Orioles are 4-0 in his starts. In that same time frame, Corbin Burnes has a 7.06 ERA and opponents are hitting .284 off him as the All-Star goes through his first period of struggle with the O’s.

To say Eflin has been exactly what the Orioles needed is certainly an understatement and he’ll look to continue that impressive run in black and orange against the blue and orange. After spending the first seven years of his career in Philadelphia, Eflin has plenty of experience against the Mets—though it hasn’t always been a good experience. In 15 career starts vs. New York, Eflin is 3-6 with a 5.45 ERA and a .278 BAA against. Those numbers only get worse at Citi Field, where Eflin is 0-4 with a 6.57 ERA in eight starts.

The Mets will complete an all-lefty series rotation with their de facto ace, Sean Manaea. In his first season pitching for a team not in California, the veteran lefty is enjoying the best numbers of his career, posting a 3.46 ERA and .218 BAA. After relying predominantly on his four seamer the last two seasons, Manaea is back to using his sinker as his primary pitch in 2024. Previously a mediocre pitch, Manaea’s sinker is now one of the best in baseball. The lefty trails only the Phillies’ Zach Wheeler and the Angels’ José Soriano for total Run Value on sinkers this season.

Manaea will hope this tweaked approach can yield better results against an Orioles team that has previously given him trouble. In two career starts vs. the O’s, Manaea has allowed 10 runs on 13 hits in only 5.1 innings.