5 Can't-Miss Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Contests
It's hard to believe that we're this far into March already. Baseball is back and the real season is just over two weeks away for some teams.
It's already far enough that the Orioles announced their first cuts. 49 players remain in camp and 24 will have their hearts broken over the course of the next three weeks of action.
This should be an interesting spring because offenses have been rather cold in Florida so far. Chris Davis is the only Oriole with a home run in the first seven official games. We'll see how things heat up in the coming games.
Here are some of the games to look out for in the near future.
March 15: @ Detroit Tigers
1 of 5The Orioles will have a tough game this Thursday as they take on the top team in the Grapefruit League, the Detroit Tigers.
This will be the first time that the Orioles see the new-look Tigers lineup that features Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and the current home run and RBI leader Ryan Raburn. This should be a tough matchup for whichever starter draws this slot, but it could also be a good chance for whoever it is to lock down a job.
March 18: Vs. New York Yankees
2 of 5The Orioles and Yankees are always fun to watch because of the AL East "rivalry" (which is actually just the Orioles losing all the time).
This game will be extra awesome because it's being broadcast on MASN, so fans can actually tune in to see the game.
March 23: Vs. Boston Red Sox
3 of 5The O's have already played against Boston twice this spring but lost both matchups. This one will be the last chance for redemption before the games actually count for something.
Once again, it is made better by the fact that it is also going to be on MASN.
March 24: Vs. Washington Nationals
4 of 5The Battle of the Beltway moves south as the Orioles will take on their hometown rivals, the Washington Nationals.
You can probably guess by now that this game will also be on MASN, as it features both of MASN's teams.
These teams are always fun to watch play each other, and an added bonus could be seeing former Orioles player and manager Davey Johnson managing on the opposite side for the first time since joining Washington.
April 1: Vs. Tampa Bay Rays
5 of 5This time, I'm starting by saying that this game is on MASN. I'm not even being paid to say this.
The Orioles will play their final spring game against a major league team as they face the Rays to start April. They'll play three more against colleges and the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, but this one is the last big one.
The Orioles won and tied their first two spring games against the Rays, so they'll have a chance to go undefeated against their division foe in the finale.
