RAINED OUT:
Club hopeful that Gonzalez can make two starts in final homestand
The Orioles and Nationals will play a third game Thursday after Monday’s series opener was postponed.
WASHINGTON — The Orioles’ scheduled series opener against the Washington Nationals on Monday was postponed because of inclement weather and will be made up Thursday at 4:05 p.m. at Nationals Park.
This is the final series the regional rivals will play this season; they met at Camden Yards on July 10-12. Since the Orioles and Nationals shared a common day off Thursday, the game was rescheduled for then instead of a doubleheader either today or Wednesday.
The postponement erases the Orioles’ only remaining day off this season. They will conclude the regular season by playing games on 13 consecutive days.
The Orioles have had their share of impromptu scheduling adjustments this season. They had just one rainout — their home game against the Cleveland Indians on June 27 was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader one day later. But the Baltimore riots affected the Orioles schedule early in the season. Games against the Chicago White Sox on April 27 and 28 were postponed and played as a doubleheader on May 28, and a three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 1-3 was moved to St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Orioles and Nationals held out hope of playing Monday, waiting nearly 70 minutes before calling the game, but the forecast provided no window to play. The Orioles will keep their starters on the same schedule. Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, Monday’s scheduled starter, will start today. Right-hander Chris Tillman will now start Wednesday’s game and rookie right-hander Tyler Wilson, who was given the nod for Wednesday’s game, will pitch Thursday.
Monday’s scheduled Nationals starter, left-hander Gio Gonzalez, will pitch today. But the Nationals have not released their starters for the final two games of the series. Right-hander Tanner Roark and right-hander Max Scherzer were scheduled to pitch today and Wednesday, respectively.
For fans who have tickets for Monday’s postponed game, those tickets are good for Thursday’s makeup game. They can also be exchanged for another 2015 home game at the Nationals Park box office.
Gonzalez nearing a return
Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez, who is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game before Wednesday’s game against the Nationals, could make two starts during the final homestand of the year.
There was an initial hope that he could pitch this weekend at Boston’s Fenway Park, where he is 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in seven career games (five starts). But manager Buck Showalter said he thought that would “probably be too quick.”
“I really felt good about him feeling good [Monday] after [Sunday’s bullpen session] because he stretched it out pretty good on the side,” Showalter said. “And I know [pitching coach Dave Wallace] and him are upbeat about it, so if things go well Wednesday, we’ll consider where we go from there.”
Gonzalez has not pitched since Aug. 30 because of elbow and shoulder tendinitis. He said after having no discomfort following Sunday’s 30-pitch bullpen session that he is ready to get back in the rotation. He has a 6.04 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break, so he wanted to pitch again before the season ends.
“It is [important], especially the way the second half went for me. If I finish strong, that obviously is going to be a good sign. And they want to see it as well,” Gonzalez said. “It really all depends how everything keeps going, and right now, it’s good.”
Wilson to start, Wright to relieve
With Wilson starting Thursday’s series finale against the Nationals, Showalter said fellow rookie right-hander Mike Wright, who had been in the rotation, will work out of the bullpen for now.
Wilson allowed six runs on eight hits over 41⁄ innings Friday in
3 an 8-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Showalter said after that outing that he would like Wilson to get back on the major league mound as soon as possible.
“We’ve already seen Tyler pitch some out of that bullpen,” Showalter said. “We’ll probably, at some point, like to see Mike, how he looks out of there.”
The Pope Francis baseball era
From today through Thursday, Washington will play host to Pope Francis, who became head of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013. Since his papacy began, there have been 7,097 major league games played heading into Monday, according to baseball historian Bill Arnold of Sports Features Group.
During Francis’ papacy, the Orioles’ Chris Davis is the majors’ home run leader with 122 and former Oriole Nelson Cruz is second with 109. Davis and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers are tied for the most RBIs with 319. Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Scherzer are tied for the most wins, at 51. The Orioles are 254-219 during Francis’ time as pope. Which team has the most major league wins? Well, the St. Louis Cardinals, of course, according to Arnold. St. Louis has won 280 games since March 2013.
Around the horn
Catcher Matt Wieters was not in Monday’s lineup but was scheduled to start back-to-back days behind the plate today and Wednesday. That would be the fourth time this season he has done that, but the third time this month. Monday’s postponement could affect that schedule because Wieters still isn’t expected to start against Gonzalez today.