Orioles Face Struggling Angels in Key Weekend Series

Baltimore, Maryland — The Baltimore Orioles will host the Los Angeles Angels for a weekend series starting Friday, May 9, 2025. Both teams have faced struggles this season, and fans hope for an entertaining matchup.

The Angels enter the series with two more wins than the Orioles, but neither team is contending for a playoff spot in the American League. The Angels recently won two of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays, while the Orioles are simply looking for consistency.

Offensively, the Angels have a .650 OPS, ranking 26th in Major League Baseball. They have scored only one more run than the Orioles this season. Despite their struggles at the plate, the team has hit 51 home runs—ranking fourth in the league. Logan O’Hoppe and the injured Mike Trout lead the Angels with nine homers each, while Taylor Ward follows closely with eight.

However, the Angels’ lineup has been weak in other areas, as they have drawn the fewest walks in the league and are among the worst for strikeouts. With Trout sidelined due to a bone bruise, the Angels are missing a key player as they face the Orioles.

The pitching staff for the Angels has posted a 5.33 ERA this season. Their bullpen has struggled significantly, holding a 7.15 ERA. Among the relievers, Ryan Johnson and Reid Detmers have had particularly tough outings, with ERAs of 7.36 and 10.05, respectively.

In the upcoming games, the pitching matchup looks favorable for the Orioles. Tomoyuki Sugano, with a season ERA of 3.00, is expected to start against Kyle Hendricks, who has a 5.28 ERA. Hendricks, a former Cy Young contender, has struggled to find rhythm in his first season outside of his previous organization.

Further, Kyle Gibson will pitch against Jack Kochanowicz, both struggling to keep opponents off the board. Gibson looked improved in his last start but still has an ERA of 14.09 this season. Kochanowicz, meanwhile, has lost five straight starts with a batting line against of .330/.400/.466.

Saturday’s game should see the return of Zach Eflin from injury, who could bolster the Orioles’ pitching rotation. However, he’ll face challenges against Tyler Anderson, who has a 2.68 ERA and hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start this season.

Despite the teams’ struggles, fans hope for an exciting series as the Orioles welcome the Angels to Camden Yards.