Ascending contenders square off as the Cincinnati Reds take on the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a three-game series on Monday, June 26. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET from Camden Yards. Rookie Brandon Williamson (1-0, 5.40 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds while Cole Irvin (1-3, 7.71 ERA) goes for the Orioles.
The Orioles are -130 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the Reds coming in at +110. The total is set at 10.
Reds-Orioles picks: Monday, June 26
Injury report
Reds
Out: RP Casey Legumina (shoulder), SP Hunter Greene (hip), SP Graham Ashcraft (calf), RP Derek Law (elbow), SP Nick Lodolo (leg), RP Reiver Sanmartin (elbow), SP Connor Overton (elbow), SP Justin Dunn (shoulder), RP Tony Santillan (back), SP Vladimir Gutierrez (elbow), RP Tejay Antone (forearm)
Orioles
Out: RHP Mychal Givens (shoulder), 1B Ryan Mountcastle (vertigo), C James McCann (ankle), RHP Austin Voth (elbow)
Starting pitchers
Brandon Williamson vs. Cole Irvin
In each of his last two starts, Williamson conceded three earned runs in five innings. This is roughly on par with how he has been performing all season — the lefty has reached the sixth inning just once. In his last two starts, he recorded six strikeouts and zero walks.
Sent down to Triple-A after a rough first month, Irvin has made two starts since being recalled earlier this month, pitching a combined 9.1 innings while allowing four earned runs recording nine strikeouts.
Over/Under pick
The combination of the Reds’ hot offense and weak pitching has made them an over machine in the last few weeks. The Orioles also rank in the top 10 in runs per game, and against a weak pitching staff, I like them to put a few up on the board as well.
Pick: Over 10
Moneyline pick
The Orioles have won their last four series, and the Reds had won 12 in a row before dropping two close ones against the Atlanta Braves this weekend. The question looming over Cincinnati throughout this streak has been whether they really are this good, and whether their pitching can hold up over the long run. After two losses in a row for the Braves, the Reds may be losing some of that momentum. The Reds excel on offense and rank extremely low in just about every pitching category, and the Orioles have been more consistent winners this season. I’m going to go with Baltimore at home here, as the Reds have had troubles on the road at points in 2023.
Pick: Orioles