The Baltimore Orioles welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Camden Yards on Saturday, August 1, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM ET. Shane Baz gets the ball for Baltimore against left-hander Cristopher Sánchez, who takes the mound for Philadelphia. This is a mid-summer regular season contest between two clubs with legitimate postseason aspirations, and the Birds will be looking to take care of business in front of their home crowd in what figures to be a compelling interleague matchup.

Pitching Matchup: Shane Baz vs. Cristopher Sánchez

Baz draws the Saturday night assignment for Baltimore, a spot that carries real weight in any rotation. The right-hander will need to establish himself early against a Phillies lineup that has consistently been one of the more dangerous offensive groups in the National League. Sánchez, a left-handed soft-tosser, presents a genuine challenge for the Orioles — he works with deception and contact-inducing stuff rather than pure velocity, which can give aggressive lineups fits if they get impatient.

Baltimore Orioles Starting Lineup

• 1. Coby Mayo — DH
• 2. Taylor Ward — LF
• 3. Gunnar Henderson — SS
• 4. Pete Alonso — 1B
• 5. Tyler O'Neill — RF
• 6. Christian Encarnacion-Strand — 3B
• 7. Leody Taveras — CF
• 8. Jackson Holliday — 2B
• 9. Jake Rogers — C

Keys to Watch

Gunnar Henderson in the Middle of Everything

Slotted third in the order, Henderson remains the engine of this Baltimore offense. How he handles Sánchez's left-handed offerings will go a long way toward determining whether the Orioles can string together crooked numbers early.

Pete Alonso Hitting Cleanup

The presence of Alonso batting fourth gives this lineup a legitimate power threat in the heart of the order. Alonso hitting behind Henderson and in front of Tyler O'Neill creates a run of bats that no pitching staff can afford to overlook. If Sánchez works around Henderson, Alonso becomes the primary threat to make him pay.

Coby Mayo Leading Off

Mayo drawing the leadoff spot is worth monitoring. Getting on base and setting the table against a crafty lefty like Sánchez will require discipline at the plate, something Mayo will need to bring from the first pitch of the game.

Jackson Holliday at the Bottom

Holliday batting eighth keeps him in a position to turn the lineup over and put the table-setters back up in big spots. His at-bats against Sánchez late in games could prove pivotal if this one stays close.

Prediction

Camden Yards on a Saturday night in August is one of the better settings in baseball, and the Orioles have the lineup depth to put pressure on Sánchez throughout. The key is Baz matching that energy and keeping the Phillies' offense in check long enough for Baltimore's lineup to break through. This figures to be a tight, well-played game — but the home crowd and the strength of the Baltimore batting order give the Orioles the edge. Orioles win, 4-2.