Cleveland @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2009 ) Baltimore 0, Cleveland 9
After starting off the season with a dismal 1-11 record, the Baltimore Orioles are trying to turn things around.
The Orioles will look for their third straight win tonight when they open a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians at Camden Yards.
Baltimore (11-24) is hoping that Jeremy Guthrie (1-4, 4.67 ERA) can build on his last start. Guthrie finally broke into the win column, pitching 6 2/3 solid innings and allowing just three runs against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Guthrie, a former member of the Indians, pitched well in his only other performance against his former club. In 2008, Guthrie allowed only one run in seven innings in a 6-1 Baltimore victory.
The Orioles have won five of their last six games at Camden Yards and have been getting solid offensive support of late from Luke Scott and recently promoted Corey Patterson.
Scott won Thursday’s game with the Seattle Mariners with an eighth-inning grand slam. After struggling to a .214 batting average this season, Scott has six hits and seven RBIs in his last 15 at-bats.
Patterson, recalled from Class AAA Norfolk earlier in the week, hit a homer in Thursday’s 6-5 win over Seattle as well and he’s had three hits and three RBIs since his recall.
Ty Wigginton continues his torrid hitting. After coming out of spring training without a regular role, Wigginton is playing regularly now and hitting .291 with a team-high 10 homers and 21 RBIs.
The Indians (13-19) will give the ball to a struggling Justin Masterson (0-3, 5.23 ERA), who is still trying to find show the form that led Cleveland to acquire him in the Victor Martinez deal with the Boston Red Sox last season.
Masterson did show some positive signs in his last outing, allowing just three runs and striking out eight in a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers.
Masterson has a 1-1 record with a 4.09 ERA in his career against Baltimore. Most of his previous outings against the Orioles have come in relief.
Asdrubal Cabrera has been the Indians’ hottest hitter. Cabrera had three hits, including his sixth homer of the season against the 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke on Thursday, a 6-4 loss that snapped the Indians’ three-game winning streak.
Cabrera has had five hits in the last two games after going 0-for-13 in the prior three contests. He owns a lofty .421 batting average, with 14 RBIs in 15 games against the Orioles.
Shin-Soo Choo leads the Indians in all offensive categories and continues to establish himself as one of the most consistent hitters in the American League. Choo is batting .303 with four homers and 19 RBIs.
The Indians have been dreadful offensively, as Choo and Cabrera are the only regulars with batting averages better than .300.