Orioles, Blue Jays to close regular season with doubleheader after rainout

BALTIMORE — The Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays will play their final two games of the regular season Wednesday after a rainy Tuesday in Baltimore postponed the year’s penultimate contest.

The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 12:35 p.m., with the second beginning 30 minutes after its conclusion. The Orioles will start right-hander Mike Baumann, who was scheduled to pitch Tuesday, in the opener and right-hander Spenser Watkins in the season finale. Baltimore had been considering giving veteran Jordan Lyles another start, but the 31-year-old right-hander will seemingly finish an inning and two strikeouts shy of his career highs. Top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez also will not make a major league start to close his season, pushing his debut to 2023.

The games are not relevant to the standings. The Orioles (82-78) are eliminated from the postseason but have secured their first winning season since 2016, while the Blue Jays (91-69) have locked up the American League’s top wild-card spot, assuring them home-field advantage in their opening playoff series.

Tickets for Wednesday’s game will be valid for both games, while tickets for Tuesday can be exchanged toward the doubleheader or any 2023 April home game, except for the Orioles’ home opener April 6 against the New York Yankees.