Orioles' Jackson Holliday bats third as Rangers face weak pitching

Jackson Holliday will bat third as the Orioles begin a weekend series against the Rangers in Arlington Friday night. It’s the first time Baltimore’s top prospect has started in the lineup since the All-Star break, marking a turning point for a young team chasing a playoff spot.

The Orioles are in Texas after a rough patch that saw them drop five of six games, including a sweep in Boston that exposed their offensive struggles. Holliday, 20, had been batting leadoff but was moved down as manager Brandon Hyde searched for consistency. His spot in the three-hole signals a belief that he can help stabilize the lineup against a Rangers pitching staff that ranks near the bottom in ERA but features two lefties who could test him.

Holliday is hitting .281 with 12 homers and 48 RBIs in 78 games this season, but his recent struggles included a 0-for-14 slump. Texas starter Martín Pérez, a lefty, is 6-7 with a 4.72 ERA but has held opponents to a .215 average in his last six starts. The Rangers, meanwhile, are clinging to a wild-card spot after fading from playoff contention last year.

The Orioles need this series to rebound. They sit two games behind the Mariners for the second AL wild-card spot and have six games left against Texas and Cleveland. If Holliday delivers in the lineup, it could give Baltimore the spark it’s been missing. A strong weekend could ease pressure on a pitching staff that’s leaned heavily on young arms all season. The game starts at 8:15 p.m. ET.