Craig Albernaz Praises New Addition Before Key Red Sox Series

The Baltimore Orioles open a four-game series with Boston at Camden Yards on Thursday night, the Guardians follow the Red Sox into town on Monday, and every game in that stretch comes against a club sitting ahead of Baltimore in the American League wild card race.

Weeks like this decide whether a September team is chasing something or just playing out the season, and the Orioles walk into it with a new cleanup hitter who drove in runs on his first night.

Luis Robert Jr. wore an Orioles uniform for the first time on Wednesday in Denver, batting cleanup and playing left field, and he went 1-for-5 with a double, two runs driven in and a run scored.

His third-inning double brought home Jackson Holliday and Pete Alonso, and in the eleventh he came around on Samuel Basallo's single to put Baltimore in front.

Then the Rockies scored three in the bottom of the inning and won 6-5.

It stung more because Baltimore had won four straight before dropping the last two in Denver, including a Tuesday game where a bullpen choice backfired late.

Robert still gave the lineup something it did not have a week ago.

He is hitting .222 with 10 home runs this season, and he said on arrival that health has been the thing keeping him off the field at different points, so the job in Baltimore comes down to staying in the lineup.

Baltimore claimed Robert off waivers from the New York Mets on August 31 and activated him a day later, a move ownership signed off on with the playoff push in mind.

Manager Craig Albernaz sounded like a man who got the player he wanted.

"His track record, his pedigree, the tools are real. We're excited to have him," Albernaz said, per MLB.com.

He also noted that carrying several players who can handle center field helps in a spacious left field at Camden Yards, and that is where Robert comes in.

Robert has spent almost his entire big league career in center, but Colton Cowser holds that spot and closed out Monday's 2-1 win in Denver with a catch in center field on the final play, so nobody is moving Cowser.

Robert slides to left, and both of them hit in a lineup that also has Samuel Basallo and his 17 home runs behind the plate.

The roster expanded on Tuesday as well, with Heston Kjerstad recalled and pitchers Albert Suárez and Luis De León added, while outfielder Christian Franklin went on the injured list with left hand inflammation.

Baltimore sits at 69-71, tied with Toronto and Texas and a game and a half behind Cleveland for the third wild card, while Boston holds the second spot.

Every win over the Red Sox this weekend closes a gap by itself, and the three Guardians games next week work the same way, which is why a waiver claim this late made sense.

A few more nights like Wednesday against Boston would have the Orioles breathing on Cleveland before the Guardians get to town.