Boston @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( May 2, 2010 ) Boston 2, Baltimore 3
With rampant rumors surrounding the fate of manager Dave Trembley, the Baltimore Orioles begin a three-game homestand tonight against the Boston Red Sox.
The Orioles are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, one that may cost Trembley his job. Several news outlets have reported that his firing is imminent, but as of late Thursday the Orioles had made no announcement on the matter.
Baltimore has the worst record in baseball and just completed an 0-6 road trip in which it was outscored 34-8.
The Orioles lost the finale of a three-game series to the New York Yankees 6-3 on Thursday and watched Kevin Millwood fall to 0-6 on the season. Millwood was supposed to be the veteran stopper of the club.
Trembley’s Orioles were swept for the second time in the Bronx this season and have lost 17 of their last 19 games there. But, then again, all the numbers for the Orioles are awful. Baltimore is last in the American League in runs scored and 11th in pitching.
Chris Tillman makes his second start of the season tonight for the Orioles. In his season debut, Tillman allowed two runs in five innings in a 5-2 loss to Toronto. He didn’t figure in the decision.
Tillman appeared in 12 games for the Orioles last season, his first in the majors, and went 2-5.
Clay Buchholz starts for Boston. Buchholz has earned co-ace status with the Red Sox along with Jon Lester. Buchholz has won eight straight starts on the road spanning the past two seasons. Overall he’s won four straight starts and six of his last seven outings.
Buchholz has allowed just four earned runs in his last 27 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.73.
Boston saw its three-game winning streak come to an end Thursday. The Red Sox pounded out 18 hits but lost to Oakland 9-8 as Tim Wakefield once again failed to fill the void left by Josh Beckett, who remains on the disabled list.
Wakefield has allowed 20 hits and 15 runs in his last 9 2/3 innings, and the Red Sox may have to make a decision soon on the veteran knuckleballer.
Beckett is expected to remain sidelined for at least 10 more days as he recovers from a back injury. The Red Sox signed former Minnesota Twins right-hander Boof Bonser in the offseason.
Sent to Triple-A Pawtucket on a rehab assignment, Bonser is now healthy and Boston will have to decide whether to promote him or release him by Sunday.
Bonser is 0-2 with a 6.54 ERA at Pawtucket.