Sunday afternoon Orioles game thread: at Guardians, 1:40

TL;DR

The Orioles face the Guardians in a Sunday afternoon game, struggling offensively against Cleveland's strong pitching. Trevor Rogers will start for Baltimore, hoping to turn around the team's fortunes after a tough series.

Key points

Orioles struggling offensively against Guardians' pitchers
Trevor Rogers starting for the Orioles
Joey Cantillo has a 2.61 ERA this season
Orioles lineup features unusual player placements

Baltimore OriolesCleveland Guardians

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 14: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 14, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Orioles’ first four-game series of the season has not quite gone according to plan. An impressive eighth-inning comeback on Friday aside, the Birds’ bats have mostly been missing in action during their trip to Cleveland. The O’s have had no answer for Guardians starting pitchers. Rookie Parker Messick carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning in the opener, the previously struggling Tanner Bibee had no problem shutting down the Orioles in Game 2, and Gavin Williams pumped strikeout after strikeout in his dominant outing last night. That trio combined for a 1.29 ERA in this series. I assume the Orioles do actually game-plan for opposing starters, but you’d never know it based on their performance so far. The offense has seemed woefully unprepared. Will they have any more luck against Cleveland’s final starter in this series, lefty Joey Cantillo? The 26-year-old Hawaiian is having a nice year so far, with a 2.61 ERA in four starts, and the last time he faced the Orioles, he pitched five solid innings against them last July. I’m not particularly optimistic, especially considering the lineup the Orioles are using this afternoon. If you thought the days of the O’s using bizarre platoon lineups against southpaws would go out the door with the arrival of Craig Albernaz, you were…mistaken. The Orioles once again have Johnathan Rodríguez in the cleanup spot and right field, and playing center. , who had a big two-run double in Friday’s comeback, gets his first start at third base. But is still in the lineup anyway as the DH. Sam Huff spells behind the plate. It’s an abnormal lineup, for sure, but it’s not as if the *normal* lineup has been doing anything great. I don’t love that outfield defense, though, and I would’ve liked to see get the start. At least the Orioles have Trevor Rogers going for them. The O’s ace suffered his ugliest outing of the season last time out against Arizona, but in general, the Orioles have the pitching advantage every time Rogers is on the hill. The last time he faced Cleveland was in his Orioles debut back on Aug. 1, 2024, when the Guardians torched him for five runs in 4.1 innings. This is, of course, a very different version of Rogers. Still, no matter how well Trevor pitches, it won’t matter if the Orioles don’t start hitting. Now’s as good a time as any, guys. **Orioles lineup:** LF SS 1B RF Johnathan Rodríguez 2B 3B Weston Wilson DH Coby Mayo C Sam Huff CF Blaze Alexander LHP Trevor Rogers **Guardians lineup:** CF LF Angel Martínez 3B 1B RF 3B 2B Juan Brito C SS LHP Joey Cantillo

Q&A

What is the Orioles' current performance against the Guardians?

The Orioles have struggled against the Guardians, with their offense largely ineffective against Cleveland's starting pitchers.

Who is starting for the Orioles in today's game against the Guardians?

Trevor Rogers is starting for the Orioles, looking to improve after a challenging outing in his last game.

What is Joey Cantillo's ERA this season for the Guardians?

Joey Cantillo has a 2.61 ERA in four starts this season for the Guardians.

What unusual lineup is the Orioles using against the Guardians?

The Orioles are using a non-traditional lineup that includes Johnathan Rodríguez in cleanup and Blaze Alexander in center field.