The Baltimore Orioles will go for their seventh straight win when they host the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday in a game that could feature a family reunion of sorts.
With Angels interim manager Phil Nevin set to return from a 10-game suspension, he will manage against his son, Orioles third baseman Tyler Nevin, for the first time in a major league game.
"I really have no idea what to expect," Phil Nevin said before Thursday's series opener. "Earlier I was meeting with the staff, going over some stuff that we would normally do for the game, and I got to his name, and I didn't even know what to call him. I finally said: 'Nevin,' and the whole room laughed."
Phil Nevin, suspended for his part in a June 26 brawl with the Seattle Mariners, served the final game of his punishment on Friday as Baltimore earned a 5-4 win.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Tyler Nevin would play in at least one of the two games over the weekend. Family members including Tyler's mother and younger brother will be in attendance.
"This moment for our families is pretty incredible, because it hasn't happened much throughout baseball history," Tyler Nevin said. "It's something that's going to be really special to be a part of. I think our family is just going to really take it all in, seeing how we've both gotten to this point."
The last time a father managed against his son in the majors was in 2017, when Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell opposed his son, Luke, who was pitching for the Cincinnati Reds. Before that, it last happened in 2004, when San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou faced off against Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou.
On Saturday, the Angels will send out left-hander Patrick Sandoval (3-3, 3.09 ERA) to oppose Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer (2-1, 2.48).
After pitching to a 2.49 ERA over four starts in June, Sandoval had a rough beginning of July, allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings of a July 2 loss to the Houston Astros.
Sandoval gave up two runs over five innings of a no-decision in his only career start against Baltimore. That came on July 4, 2021.
Kremer also sailed through June, only to find the going rougher when July arrived. He went 2-1 with a 1.29 ERA in five June starts. But on Monday, he allowed five runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the Rangers and saw his string of 22 2/3 scoreless innings snapped.
He has never faced the Angels.
Baltimore continued its recent stretch of late-inning heroics to win its sixth straight Friday night. The Orioles trailed 3-0 before scoring single runs in the seventh and eighth.
Shohei Otani's homer in the ninth extended Los Angeles' lead to 4-2, and Angels closer Raisel Iglesias retired the first two Orioles in the ninth, but he never got the third one.
Rougned Odor singled, stole two bases and scored on Adley Rutschman's double. Rutschman scored the tying run on Cedric Mullin's single to center. Mullins went to second on the throw home, to third on a wild pitch and scored the game-winner on Trey Mancini's line drive to left.
"Even though we were pretty empty going into that seventh inning, there was still a positive vibe that we could come back, and we came through," Hyde said.
Mike Trout had three hits, including a three-run homer, for the Angels, who have lost six of seven. It was his 24th long ball of the season.
"I felt like we were in a good spot and just didn't get it done," Angels acting manager Ray Montgomery said.
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