Encarnacion-Strand starting again at 3B

The homer came off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, but the Orioles, unfortunately, were down by three at the time and lost by one. Still, it was another impressive showing from Encarnacion-Strand, who could be playing his way into the Orioles’ 2027 plans. He’s hit .269/.314/.508 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 141 plate appearances. That’s as many RBI as Taylor Ward had in 506 plate appearances before being traded, two more than Jackson Holliday has in 316 plate appearances and seven more than Tyler O’Neill has in 260 plate appearances.

Basallo’s return comes at a fortuitous time for fantasy managers with Baltimore kicking off a three-game series at high-octane Coors Field. He’s back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s game with a hand contusion. The 22-year-old backstop’s presence at DH pushes Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the bench with Blaze Alexander getting the nod at third base. Things are only going to get more crowded with Luis Robert Jr. coming over from the Mets off waivers in the next few days.

This is a bit of a surprise. Robert is hitting well in August, slashing .267/.321/.520 with six home runs, 10 runs scored, and 11 RBI; however, the Orioles have been getting solid production from Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser, and Leody Taveras in the outfield. Their DH spot has also been filled by Coby Mayo since Christian Encarnacion-Strand has emerged as the regular third baseman. Somebody who is playing well is going to be bumped from the starting lineup now, and you have to wonder if this is a sign that the Orioles plan to pick up Robert’s $20 million team option for 2027.

Mayo got the Orioles back into the game with a three-run homer off Jeffrey Springs that made it 5-4 A’s in the fourth inning. It gives Mayo his 19th homer in his first full season, and he’s driven in 55 runs. The .218 average leaves a lot to be desired, but Mayo’s power is readily apparent.

The homer was Mayo’s 14th off a left-hander, which ties him with Matt Olson for first in the majors. He’s also first with an 1.109 OPS against southpaws (min. 100 PA), with Andrew Vaughn second at 1.041. And the homer today was projected at 446 feet, making him one of just eight players this year to exceed 440 feet four or more times (Junior Caminero and Kyle Schwarber are tops at six times apiece). Unfortunately, Mayo is still at a pretty horrible .199/.227/.272 in 225 plate appearances against righties this year, leaving his future as a regular rather murky. The power spike would be more promising if it wasn’t coming with a 32.5 percent strikeout rate. He finished at 28.6 percent as a rookie last year.

Four at-bats and four line drives from Encarnacion-Strand, with three of them leaving his bat at 103-106 mph. He also homered and knocked in three on Tuesday, and he’s now up to 27 RBI in 26 starts and five pinch-hit appearances for the Orioles. That he’s been in and out of the lineup makes him a tough play in mixed leagues, but his play this series figures to ensure that he stays in the lineup this weekend for a series against the A’s in Sacramento that offers big-time scoring potential.

Thanks to Tyler O’Neill’s absence, Encarnacion-Strand and Coby Mayo have both gotten to start the last three games. Things are about to get crowded, though, with Blaze Alexander returning from the IL this weekend. CES has done solid work in hitting .238/.278/.485, particularly with his 25 RBI in 101 plate appearances. Still, he’s likely looking at a reduced role or maybe even a trip back to the minors soon.

Encarnacion-Strand was a one-man wrecking crew in this one, connecting for a two-run homer against Rays reliever Tyler Wells in the fifth inning. It was his sixth round-tripper in 24 games since returning to the big leagues last month. The 26-year-old former top prospect has seemingly carved out a semi-regular role against left-handed starters and should continue playing regularly over the final six weeks.

Mayo crushed a gargantuan 468-foot moonshot off Rays lefty starter Shane McClanahan to kick off the scoring in the second inning. It was his 16th big fly of the season. The 24-year-old former top prospect continues to do serious damage against left-handed pitching. He’s been finding ways to get into the lineup between the infield corners and DH over the last couple weeks.

The 26-year-old slugger capped off the Orioles’ scoring in the ballgame with a bases-clearing three-run double in the sixth inning that made it a 10-1 ballgame. He has impressed since joining the O’s, slashing .250/.293/.500 with five homers and 18 RBI in his first 83 plate appearances.