Orioles vs Dodgers Preview: A Battle of Young Fire

The Orioles roll into Los Angeles sitting at 35-41, and they're hungry to turn things around. Trey Gibson takes the mound for Baltimore on Saturday. The Orioles know what they're facing—a Dodgers team that's been absolutely crushing it at 48-27. You can feel the urgency from Baltimore. They've dropped one in a row and gone 4-6 in their last ten games. A win here would be huge for their confidence. The pitching staff has to shut down Los Angeles's potent lineup. If Gibson can keep the ball in the park and get some ground balls, Baltimore stays in the fight.

Here comes Roki Sasaki, the Japanese star the Dodgers signed this year. His nickname is the Monster of the Reiwa Era, and you can see why when he steps on the mound. Sasaki's season shows 0-2 with a 5.11 ERA and 16 strikeouts so far. Los Angeles brought him in to dominate games like this one. The Dodgers are riding a three-game winning streak and sitting pretty at 48-27. Sasaki's strikeout power could be exactly what the Dodgers need to keep rolling. Baltimore's batters better come ready to battle. Sasaki's stuff is special.

The Orioles have been struggling to score consistently—going 4-6 in their last ten games tells you everything. Los Angeles's pitching is absolutely stacked with talent. You've got Yoshinobu Yamamoto as their ace, plus Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow waiting in the wings (both currently hurt but dangerous when they return). The Dodgers' home record is an impressive 25-12. Baltimore needs to string together hits and capitalize on scoring chances. One run might not be enough Saturday night. The Orioles' bats need to explode and put pressure on the Dodgers early. This is where Baltimore shows what they're made of.