Giants @ Orioles, 5/31

Hi, I know you never read these and you just want to go down to the comments, but before you do, let me tell you about ESPN+, the new streaming service from ESPN*.

Today’s Giants--Orioles game will be streamed on this new platform and you can sign up for a 7-day free trial right here. After that, it’s just $4.99/month for all ESPN original programming and select sports. Specifically, MLB, MLS, and NHL, some PGA Tour events, Top Rank Boxing, Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon to the US and Australian Opens, and instant access to college sports like basketball, football, softball, lacrosse, and more.

Yes, the streaming wars are here, demanding you either add service after service or JUST READ BOOKS. If you’re a cord cutter who loves live sports and ESPN, $4.99 is a remarkable deal, but I’m not going to tell you how to spend your money. I still have cable.

Anyway, end of ad. Check out ESPN+ if you’re interested.

Now check out this glimpse of the Giants’ immediate future. Here’s a promotion the Orioles are running:

Steeply discounted merch for fans who would dare brave coming out to watch a game or simply visit the yard. The Giants normally run some sort of “Orange & Black Friday” campaign in the offseason, but given how bad the team has been —

— something drastic might need to happen from a marketing and merchandise standpoint. Or not. Finally, here is the Orioles’ All-Star campaign for their first baseman, Trey Mancini:

He’s actually an outfielder, too, who’s 30th in fWAR (1.1). If you just sort it for the American League, Mancini is the 17th-best player. That’s right — even when a team is historically awful, they can still have good players. Something to keep in mind for the next couple of years. Here’s the rest of the Orioles’ lineup:

3B — Hanser Alberto
2B — Jonathan Villar
1B — Trey Mancini
DH — Renato Nunez
C — Pedro Severino
RF — DJ Stewart
CF — Keon Broxton
LF — Dwight Smith Jr.
SS — Richie Martin
SP — Andrew Cashner

Richie Martin was a Rule 5 draft pick from the A’s. He was one of their top prospects but has struggled mightily with the Orioles (-0.9 fWAR and a 31 wRC+). They’re in a tough spot: keep him on the roster all year long and risk permanently damaging his development or just offer him back to Oakland, who would sure accept him.

Anyway, this game preview has gone on long enough. Here are the Giants:

2B — Joe Panik
LF — Mike Yastrzemski
C — Buster Posey
1B — Brandon Belt
DH — Pablo Sandoval
3B — Evan Longoria
SS — Brandon Crawford
RF — Kevin Pillar
CF — Steven Duggar
SP — Drew Pomeranz

The Longoria career line against Baltimore is interesting. He’s played in 161 games against them (160 starts; 700 PA). He’s faced the Yankees and Red Sox more (171 games each; 716 and 700 PA, respectively), but he’s done just a bit more damage overall against the Orioles:

BAL - 168 H | 38 2B | 2 3B | 40 HR | 108 RBI | 60 BB | 141 K | .269/.334/.528 (.862 OPS)
NYY - 170 H | 30 2B | 1 3B | 35 HR | 104 RBI | 69 BB | 153 K | .270/.344/.487 (.831 OPS)
BOS - 184 H | 47 2B | 1 3B | 31 HR | 106 RBI | 74 BB | 156 K | .281/.356/.498 (.854 OPS)

* - McCovey Chronicles has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though McCovey Chronicles and SB Nation may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links. For more information, see our guiding principles.