'It's an honor': Bradish, Rodriguez to kick off ALDS

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles will be deploying two of their young, breakout right-handers to open the American League Division Series vs. the Rangers.

On Friday, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde announced that Kyle Bradish will start Game 1 on Saturday at Camden Yards, followed by Grayson Rodriguez for Sunday’s Game 2. Both will be making their debut in the postseason, which the O’s had not reached since 2016 prior to this year.

Bradish emerged as the staff leader this season (his second in the big leagues), recording a 2.83 ERA over 30 starts. The 27-year-old was the first qualified Orioles starter to finish with a sub-3.00 ERA since 1992, when Mike Mussina posted a 2.54 mark.

“It's an honor to start this first playoff game,” Bradish said. “I want to say thanks to Hyde and everybody else. But this is what I expect out of myself, so I’m just really looking forward to it.”

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It wasn’t a hard decision for Hyde, who saw Bradish build upon his solid 2022 rookie campaign by reaching a new level in ‘23. One of four pitchers acquired from the Angels in the Dylan Bundy trade in December 2019, Bradish solidified his spot in Baltimore’s rotation by pitching to a 4.90 ERA in 23 starts last year (including a 3.28 ERA in 13 second-half outings).

Bradish was injured in his 2023 debut -- which came against the Rangers at Globe Life Field -- when he took a liner off his right foot after throwing only 1 2/3 innings. He went on the 15-day injured list, then returned and became a steady presence for the O’s the rest of the way.

Of Bradish’s 30 outings this year, 18 were quality starts. He completed at least six innings 20 times, and he allowed more than three earned runs in only four starts.

“He's just had so many good starts for us. We love his stuff. I like his makeup,” Hyde said. “He's pitched in some meaningful games down the stretch, and pitched extremely well. And we have a lot of confidence with him going into Game 1.”

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There’s also nobody better to help calm the nerves many of the young Orioles players will be feeling Saturday afternoon. Most of the team’s core has never been to the postseason, and Camden Yards will bring an electric atmosphere for the first playoff game to be held at the ballpark since the 2014 AL Championship Series.

Bradish will be the first pitcher to step on the mound, which is an advantage for Baltimore. He had a 0.90 ERA in the first inning during the regular season, allowing only three runs over 30 opening frames.

“I think it's important to go out in any game and set the tone as the starting pitcher,” said Bradish, who allowed one run in 8 1/3 innings vs. Texas in the regular season. “Especially at home, being the first guy. So just going out there to set the tone and just let our guys know that we're here.”

Rodriguez was the logical decision to follow Bradish as the Game 2 starter. The 23-year-old rookie right-hander -- who began the year as Baltimore’s top pitching prospect -- showcased his ace potential down the stretch, as he continued to get better while gaining experience.

In his first stint in the big leagues, Rodriguez had a 7.35 ERA in 10 starts. That included his MLB debut at Globe Life Field, where the Nacogdoches, Texas, native allowed two runs in five innings while going toe to toe with Rangers ace Jacob deGrom (now on the IL after undergoing Tommy John surgery).

It also included a tough outing against Texas at Camden Yards on May 26, when Rodriguez allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 3 1/3 innings, then got sent down to Triple-A Norfolk the following day.

After returning to Norfolk for nearly two months, Rodriguez rejoined the Orioles’ rotation on July 17 and recorded a 2.58 ERA over his final 13 starts. The 2018 first-round Draft pick was dominant over his last six outings, posting a 1.80 ERA and never allowing more than two earned runs.

“Our young pitchers have grown over the course of the year,” Hyde said. “Bradish has improved. Grayson has obviously improved a lot.”

After Games 1 and 2, Baltimore will likely turn to its veteran arms. The starter for Tuesday’s Game 3 at Texas is likely to be John Means, the 30-year-old left-hander who returned from Tommy John surgery to record a 2.66 ERA over four starts in September.

That would leave right-handers Kyle Gibson (an 11-year big league veteran) and Dean Kremer (four) as the options for a possible Game 4 on Wednesday. It wouldn’t be surprising if the O’s shift Kremer to the bullpen -- utilizing him as a weapon for the middle innings -- and keep the 35-year-old Gibson (who posted a 2.45 ERA in five September starts) as a starter.

If the ALDS goes the full distance, then Bradish would likely return to start Game 5 on Oct. 13 on five days' rest.

The Rangers’ lineup presents a myriad of challenges. Powered by AL MVP Award candidates Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, Texas led the Junior Circuit in numerous offensive categories in the regular season, including batting average (.263) and OPS (.789).

But Bradish and Rodriguez will be difficult matchups for Texas, too.

“Those guys have really good stuff,” Semien said. “Obviously, what they've been doing has been working, and we need to look at what they've been doing and see how we're going to attack.”