Orioles Head to Texas for Crucial Three-Game Series Against Rangers
By Brian Hradsky | Maryland Sports Blog
The Baltimore Orioles begin one of their most important series of the 2026 season Friday night when they open a three-game set against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
Baltimore enters the weekend at 56-59, while Texas sits just one game better at 57-58. More importantly, the Rangers currently occupy the third American League Wild Card position. The Orioles had an opportunity to pull even with Texas on Thursday but fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Angels. Baltimore remains one of five teams within 1½ games of the Rangers in a crowded Wild Card race.
That makes this much more than another August road series. Baltimore has a direct opportunity to gain ground on the team it is chasing.
The series also begins a difficult 10-game, 11-day road trip for the Orioles, who will travel from Texas to Minnesota and Tampa Bay before returning to Camden Yards.
Series Schedule
Friday, Aug. 7 — 8:15 p.m. ET
Shane Baz vs. Nathan Eovaldi
TV: Apple TV
Saturday, Aug. 8 — 7:15 p.m. ET
Kyle Bradish vs. Jacob deGrom
TV: FOX / FOX ONE
Sunday, Aug. 9 — 2:35 p.m. ET
Cade Povich vs. Kumar Rocker
TV: MASN
There has already been an update from the screenshots provided earlier. Baltimore had not announced its Sunday starter at the time, but MLB’s current probable-pitchers page now lists Cade Povich against Rocker.
Game One: Shane Baz vs. Nathan Eovaldi
Baltimore will turn to right-hander Shane Baz, who enters Friday at 4-10 with a 3.86 ERA and 111 strikeouts.
The record does not accurately represent how effective Baz has been. A sub-4.00 ERA while carrying a 4-10 record points toward a pitcher who has not consistently received enough offensive or bullpen support.
Texas counters with veteran right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who is 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA and 135 strikeouts.
This is also a rematch from the Orioles’ opening-week series against Texas. Baltimore hit Eovaldi hard on April 1, scoring six earned runs against him in four innings on the way to an 8-3 Orioles victory. Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers homered in that game while Baltimore collected 12 hits.
Basallo is currently injured, but that previous success should still give several Orioles hitters confidence against Eovaldi.
The Rangers are slight favorites in the opener, with ESPN Analytics giving Texas a 55.3 percent chance to win compared with Baltimore’s 44.7 percent.
For Baltimore, the key will be getting Baz some early support. Falling behind at Globe Life Field and allowing Eovaldi to settle in would make Friday significantly more difficult.
Game Two: Kyle Bradish vs. Jacob deGrom
Saturday provides the marquee pitching matchup of the weekend.
Kyle Bradish enters at 7-10 with a 3.79 ERA and 117 strikeouts. Texas will answer with two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, who is 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA and 135 strikeouts.
Despite the intimidating name, deGrom has been much more hittable this season than he was during his dominant years with the New York Mets.
Baltimore already knows that firsthand.
Pete Alonso homered against his former Mets teammate on March 31 at Camden Yards. Gunnar Henderson also doubled home two runs against deGrom in that game. Texas eventually won 8-5, but Baltimore showed it can produce offense against the veteran right-hander.
Bradish gives Baltimore an opportunity to match deGrom inning for inning. His 3.79 ERA is slightly better than deGrom’s 3.96 mark, and this could develop into the type of game decided by one big hit or one bullpen mistake.
Baltimore cannot afford to give Texas additional outs. If Bradish keeps the Rangers to two or three runs, the Orioles should have a legitimate chance to steal the middle game.
Game Three: Cade Povich vs. Kumar Rocker
The Orioles now have Cade Povich lined up for Sunday’s finale.
Povich is 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA and 19 strikeouts, while Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker enters at 4-8 with a 4.08 ERA and 98 strikeouts.
On paper, this is the most favorable offensive matchup Baltimore will receive all weekend.
Neither starter has the established résumé of Eovaldi or deGrom, meaning the Orioles need to view Sunday as a game in which their lineup can dictate the outcome.
If Baltimore can get through the first two games with at least a split, Sunday’s matchup could provide an excellent opportunity to win the series.
Pete Alonso Remains the Center of Baltimore’s Offense
The Orioles need their biggest power threat to make an impact in Texas.
Pete Alonso enters the series with 23 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .249 batting average, leading Baltimore in both homers and RBIs.
Alonso has already homered against deGrom this season, and Globe Life Field offers another environment where his power can change a game quickly.
Baltimore needs more than Alonso, though.
Gunnar Henderson, Dylan Beavers, Coby Mayo and the rest of the lineup must generate traffic in front of him. With Basallo unavailable, the Orioles have lost one of their better power bats and cannot afford extended stretches of empty at-bats.
Baltimore’s offense has been inconsistent throughout the season. That cannot continue during a series where every game could effectively represent a two-game swing in the Wild Card standings.
Rangers Have Several Dangerous Bats
Texas does not have an overwhelming offense, but the Rangers have enough power to punish mistakes.
Joc Pederson leads Texas with 20 home runs while batting .252. Jake Burger has 19 home runs and a team-best 66 RBIs, giving the Rangers another significant power threat in the middle of the order.
Third baseman Josh Jung has arguably been their most complete hitter, carrying a .294 batting average, .361 on-base percentage and .441 slugging percentage into the weekend.
Jung has consistently been one of Texas’ toughest outs, while Brandon Nimmo and others give the lineup additional depth.
Baltimore’s starters need to limit baserunners ahead of Pederson and Burger. Solo home runs can be survived. Three-run homers in a close Wild Card series cannot.
Rangers Have Started to Recover
Texas recently went through a miserable stretch.
The Rangers lost the final two games of a series against Tampa Bay before getting swept in three games by Houston and dropping the opener of their next series against San Francisco. That produced a six-game losing streak and knocked Texas from 55-52 to 55-58.
They responded by winning the final two games against the Giants, including a 6-0 victory Wednesday, to enter the Orioles series at 57-58.
Baltimore is therefore catching a Rangers team that has been vulnerable but may be beginning to stabilize.
Orioles Looking for Revenge From Opening Series
Texas already owns the season-series advantage.
The Rangers defeated Baltimore 5-2 on March 30 and followed with an 8-5 victory March 31. Baltimore avoided the sweep with its 8-3 win April 1.
That makes Texas 2-1 against Baltimore entering this weekend.
A series victory would allow the Orioles to even the season series at minimum, while a sweep would completely flip it in Baltimore’s favor.
The head-to-head games could also become increasingly significant if these teams remain close through September.
Three Keys for the Orioles
1. Win Friday.
Baz gives Baltimore a legitimate opportunity against Eovaldi. Starting the road trip with a victory would immediately pull the Orioles even with Texas in the standings.
2. Create offense before the bullpen enters.
Baltimore cannot rely on late rallies every night. Putting pressure on Eovaldi, deGrom and Rocker early would allow manager Craig Albernaz to manage from ahead rather than constantly chasing games.
3. Keep the middle of Texas’ lineup quiet.
Jung, Pederson and Burger are capable of turning mistakes into runs quickly. Baltimore’s pitching staff needs to force the bottom of the Rangers’ lineup to win the series.
MSB Take
This feels like the biggest Orioles series of the season to date.
Baltimore has spent much of 2026 trying to recover from its inconsistent start, and despite everything that has happened — injuries, trades and the stunning departure of Adley Rutschman — the Orioles are still right in the American League Wild Card race.
Now they have the team holding the final spot directly in front of them.
There are no standings to watch from afar this weekend. Baltimore can take the Wild Card position away from Texas itself.
The pitching matchups are difficult, particularly Bradish against deGrom on Saturday, but none are unwinnable. Baz has pitched considerably better than his record, Bradish has been solid, and Povich gives Baltimore a chance Sunday.
Winning two of three should be the minimum objective.
A sweep could completely change the direction of Baltimore’s season.
A Rangers sweep could do the opposite.
For a team still trying to prove it belongs in the postseason conversation, the Orioles have reached a weekend where August baseball will feel a lot like October.
Prediction: Orioles win the series, 2-1.
