Orioles Begin Critical Nine-Game Road Trip With Three-Game Set Against Cardinals
The Baltimore Orioles are running out of time to turn a frustrating season into a playoff run, and their upcoming road trip could determine whether they remain in the American League Wild Card race.
Baltimore opens a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, beginning a nine-game trip that will also take the Orioles to Oakland and Colorado.
The Orioles enter the series at 63-68 after dropping Sunday’s series finale to the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1. Baltimore took two of three from Tampa Bay but finished a difficult 10-game stretch against the New York Yankees and Rays with a 5-5 record.
St. Louis comes in at 66-66 after being swept in Philadelphia over the weekend. The Cardinals lost all three games against the Phillies, including a brutal 6-4 defeat Sunday in which Philadelphia erased a five-run deficit with six runs in the ninth inning.
Neither club is where it hoped to be entering the final portion of August, but both still have enough time to make things interesting.
For Baltimore, this series carries particular importance because the schedule is about to offer one of its best opportunities of the second half.
Orioles Need to Take Advantage of This Stretch
The Orioles have spent much of the season hovering around the edge of contention without putting together the sustained winning streak necessary to make a serious move.
That needs to change now.
Following the three games in St. Louis, Baltimore travels to face the Athletics and Rockies. On paper, it is one of the Orioles’ most manageable stretches remaining on the schedule.
After that, things get much tougher.
Baltimore still has games remaining against several postseason contenders, including Boston, Cleveland, Toronto, Milwaukee and both New York clubs.
The Orioles cannot afford to simply play .500 baseball on this trip.
They need wins.
Baltimore has scored 4.5 runs per game this season while hitting .235 as a team. The Orioles have also hit 159 home runs, compared with St. Louis’ 137.
Pete Alonso remains the centerpiece of Baltimore’s offense. Alonso enters the series hitting .270 with 30 home runs and 85 RBIs, leading the Orioles in all three categories.
The Orioles also recently received a major reinforcement with the return of Samuel Basallo.
Basallo was activated from the injured list after missing time with right shoulder inflammation. He entered his return with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs over 86 games and gives Baltimore another dangerous left-handed bat for the stretch run.
Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo and the rest of Baltimore’s lineup will need to provide more consistent production behind Alonso and Basallo.
Sunday was a reminder of the problem. Baltimore managed only one run in the loss to Tampa Bay, another game in which the pitching gave the Orioles a reasonable opportunity to win but the offense could not capitalize.
Game 1: Chris Bassitt vs. Matthew Liberatore
Tuesday, Aug. 25 — 7:45 p.m. ET
Busch Stadium
Baltimore will give the baseball to veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt in the series opener.
Bassitt enters at 4-4 with a 5.08 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 67 1/3 innings.
Those numbers are not what Baltimore envisioned from Bassitt, and his performance Tuesday could be especially important because of the problems currently affecting the Cardinals’ rotation.
St. Louis counters with left-hander Matthew Liberatore.
Liberatore is 5-11 with a 5.04 ERA over 125 innings. He leads the Cardinals with 125 strikeouts but has struggled with consistency throughout the season.
This is a matchup Baltimore’s offense needs to attack.
Liberatore’s ERA is above five, and Baltimore possesses several right-handed bats capable of doing damage against left-handed pitching.
The Orioles cannot allow another struggling starter to settle into an early rhythm.
ESPN Analytics gives St. Louis a narrow advantage in the opener, with the Cardinals carrying a 52 percent matchup probability compared with Baltimore’s 48 percent.
On paper, however, this appears close to a toss-up.
Both starters have ERAs above five, making early offense potentially critical.
Game 2: Kyle Bradish vs. Michael McGreevy
Wednesday, Aug. 26 — 7:45 p.m. ET
Game 2 could feature the best starting pitching matchup of the series.
Kyle Bradish is scheduled to start for Baltimore.
Bradish enters at 7-12 with a 3.70 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 138 2/3 innings. Despite the losing record, Bradish has been one of Baltimore’s most dependable starters.
His 3.70 ERA leads the Orioles’ projected starters for the series.
St. Louis is expected to counter with Michael McGreevy.
McGreevy is 5-9 with a 3.54 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 137 1/3 innings.
This game has the potential to become a low-scoring pitchers’ duel.
The numbers between Bradish and McGreevy are remarkably close, although McGreevy holds the advantage in ERA and WHIP.
ESPN Analytics slightly favors Baltimore in Game 2, giving the Orioles a 50.7 percent chance compared with 49.3 percent for St. Louis.
For Baltimore, Bradish giving the team six or seven quality innings would go a long way toward protecting the bullpen during the middle game of the series.
Game 3: Trevor Rogers vs. Cardinals TBD
Thursday, Aug. 27 — 2:15 p.m. ET
Trevor Rogers is scheduled to start Thursday’s finale.
Rogers enters at 9-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 132 2/3 innings.
St. Louis has not yet officially announced its starter for the finale.
That uncertainty is partly connected to recent injuries within the Cardinals’ rotation.
Andre Pallante was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Pallante had been one of St. Louis’ best starters, going 12-6 with a 3.57 ERA.
The Cardinals also lost Hunter Dobbins to right forearm tightness. Dobbins’ injury has created even more uncertainty around the back end of the rotation.
St. Louis recalled pitchers from Triple-A to help cover those innings, but Baltimore could find itself facing an inexperienced or recently promoted starter Thursday.
That makes the finale another game the Orioles should view as winnable.
ESPN Analytics currently gives St. Louis a 52.3 percent probability of winning the finale compared with Baltimore’s 47.7 percent, though that projection could change once the Cardinals announce a starter.
Cardinals Enter Series Reeling
Baltimore is not the only club dealing with pressure.
St. Louis has lost four of its last five games.
The Cardinals dropped two of three in Cincinnati before getting swept by Philadelphia.
Sunday’s loss may have been the most painful.
St. Louis carried a 4-0 advantage into the ninth inning before Philadelphia erupted for six runs, capped by a walk-off home run from Kyle Schwarber.
A loss like that can linger.
The Orioles need to take advantage of a Cardinals club that has struggled to close games and is currently dealing with pitching injuries.
St. Louis is hitting .241 as a team and averaging approximately 4.4 runs per game.
Alec Burleson leads the Cardinals with a .291 batting average, while Jordan Walker has supplied much of the power with 27 home runs and 96 RBIs.
Walker will be one of the biggest threats Baltimore’s pitching staff must contain.
The status of shortstop Masyn Winn is also worth monitoring after he recently missed time with a thumb issue.
Key to the Series: Baltimore’s Offense
Baltimore’s starting pitching gives the Orioles a legitimate chance to win this series.
The bigger question remains whether the offense can consistently support it.
The Orioles have too frequently followed strong offensive performances with games in which they struggle to score at all.
That inconsistency has prevented Baltimore from putting together a prolonged run.
Against St. Louis, there should be opportunities.
Liberatore enters with a 5.04 ERA.
The Cardinals are dealing with multiple rotation injuries.
Their bullpen also endured a disastrous ninth inning Sunday.
Baltimore needs to apply pressure early rather than waiting until the middle or late innings.
Alonso remains the obvious power threat, but the Orioles need contributions throughout the order.
Basallo’s return could be particularly important. His combination of power and plate coverage gives Baltimore another hitter capable of changing a game with one swing.
Series Schedule
Tuesday, Aug. 25 — 7:45 p.m. ET
Chris Bassitt (4-4, 5.08 ERA) vs. Matthew Liberatore (5-11, 5.04 ERA)
Wednesday, Aug. 26 — 7:45 p.m. ET
Kyle Bradish (7-12, 3.70 ERA) vs. Michael McGreevy (5-9, 3.54 ERA)
Thursday, Aug. 27 — 2:15 p.m. ET
Trevor Rogers (9-8, 4.14 ERA) vs. TBD
MSB Prediction
There is very little separating these teams statistically.
Baltimore enters at 63-68.
St. Louis enters at 66-66.
Both teams are trying to remain relevant in crowded Wild Card races, and both have been inconsistent throughout the season.
The difference could be Baltimore’s rotation.
Bradish and Rogers give the Orioles two starters capable of controlling games, while St. Louis enters the series with uncertainty after injuries to Pallante and Dobbins.
Baltimore should not be satisfied with simply avoiding a series loss.
This is the beginning of a nine-game road trip against opponents the Orioles need to beat if they are going to make September meaningful.
The opportunity is there.
Now the Orioles have to capitalize.
MSB series prediction: Orioles win two of three.
Series: Baltimore Orioles at St. Louis Cardinals
Dates: Aug. 25-27, 2026
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis
