Talk about two contrasting lineups. The Orioles have scored the fifth-most runs and hit the most home runs in baseball. The Athletics have scored the second-fewest runs and struck out the second-most times. As if that wasn’t going to make things difficult enough for the Athletics, the Orioles will start their ace Corbin Burnes. This has the makings of a decisive win for the Orioles.

This sweet-swinging lefty bat is getting to play everyday for the first time and looking like the AL ROY favorite. I like him to mash Ross Stripling tonight. Cowser at Camden Yards this season (39 ABs) - 2 HR 5 RBI .379/.419/.690 - 1109 OPS Cowser vs RHP (45 AB)- 4 HR 15 RBI .356/.423/.756 - 1179 OPS Cowser at home vs RHP has a wRC+ of 210 (Gunnar Henderson is actually ahead of him on the team at 254) Get ready to moo with delight when he milks a ball to right field and cashes for us tonight. I'll stop short of saying that will be udderly delicious. Or maybe I won't.

The A's are a scrappy bunch, we will give them that. Cost us on this play last night at Yankee Stadium but man tough spot here with Ross Stripling (0-5, 5.34) opposed by Corbin Burnes (3-0, 2.76). The O's also were off on Thursday.

No lead is safe for the O's with the state of their middle relief. Lately leads of 8, 7 and 6 runs have still required the use of all their best high leverage relievers. Can't keep doing that. They are renting Burnes for 1 year and need him to provide length and quality - he's been good not great but this park plays well for him and it's a lineup he should shred. Skipper needs him to get into the 7th; with a great D behind him Burnes smart enough to lean into ground balls and let the gloves do the work.

The MVP candidate is leading MLB in triples, SLG, OPS+ (+199) and total bases and also has 8 HRs. He's scalding right now and eats suspect righties like Ross Stripling for lunch and the forecast looks good and he had a day off yesterday and that flag court in right field isn't any deeper today than it was last homestand when the O's were wearing it out.

The price on Ross Stripling to get a 4th strikeout is a bit light in my opinion at -125 (Draftkings). Over this line in 4/5 starts and while Baltimore hasn't been an easy strikeout matchup, that's partially why this is at 3.5... Baltimore can go with a lefty heavy lineup and Stripling was better at striking out lefties last year with a 12.5% swinging strike rate, but now that number is only half what it was, with little difference in pitch mix. One difference is a higher usage of his sinker, but this lineup has solid numbers against that pitch. If he limits using the sinker and leans on his heavier whiff % pitches, I'd feel much better about this one. Play to -150.

The A's earned a 4 game split with the Yankees and now continue their road trip by heading to Baltimore. This will be Oakland's 8th road game in 8 days and they are outmatched in every spot. The Orioles will lean on Corbin Burnes who has been a bit erratic, but enjoys a nice bounce back spot against an A's team that is terrible against righties. Ross Stripling is on the mound for Oakland and the Orioles have been feasting on righties. We forego the 3 outs in the bottom of the 9th and look to get up early in this one.

The O's lineup has few holes 1-8 these days, they have been an excellent team at home for 2 years now and they are refreshed after a day off at home Thurs following a road trip, while the A's battled in the Bronx. Corbin Burnes is overdue for a true ace outing and should provide length here with BAL middle-innings guys a problem. Ross Stripling has been pretty bad (5.34 ERA) and Orioles have all top arms in pen available. Could get ugly