Baltimore Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde announced today that Corbin Burnes would get the start against Boston on Saturday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. Burnes has started the exhibition opener in the past with Milwaukee, and he’ll get the ball again on Saturday in the Orioles’ Grapefruit League opener. Brandon Hyde was non-comital when asked if this means Burnes starts game one at Camden Yards, but he did so with a wink and a nod.
It’s unclear how long Burnes will pitch. I can’t imagine it would be more than two innings – at the most. But you never know. It’s really about forming a bond with his new teammates, specifically catcher Adley Rutschman – who presumably will be behind home plate on Saturday.
The Orioles will be without Gunnar Henderson at least for the first few Grapefruit League games. Henderson of course strained his oblique working out last month. Better to miss these games than the ones that count.
Just your annual reminder here, folks…these Grapefruit League games are almost scripted. It’s similar to the NFL, where the first 10-12 plays of any game are scripted. They aren’t going to change, regardless of the flow of the game.
By this, I mean that pitchers are given a specific number of innings or pitch count they’re going to throw. And they may well leave the game and finish their work in the ‘pen. So keep that in mind as the game unfolds on Saturday and onward. The results are ill-important. The work is what matters.
Birdland Crush 