Toronto @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jul 16, 2010 ) Toronto 4, Baltimore 2
At this rate, Jeremy Guthrie might start asking to skip his starts against divisional opponents.
Guthrie looks to avoid his 11th loss of the season Saturday as he and the Baltimore Orioles resume their three-game weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Toronto won Friday's series opener, 4-2, to improve to 7-0 against the Orioles this season - including a 4-0 mark in Baltimore.
The Orioles have been outclassed by Toronto all season, and Guthrie (3-10) doesn't offer much hope for a reversal of fortune. The 31-year-old right-hander is just 2-5 all-time against the Blue Jays, a record that includes a 6-1 defeat at the Rogers Centre earlier this season.
Guthrie's career struggles aren't limited to games against the Blue Jays. The former first-round pick is an abysmal 9-27 all-time against teams from the AL East. Guthrie is a combined 21-17 against all other teams for his career.
Guthrie has surrendered four or more runs in five of his last six outings, a rough stretch that has caused his ERA to jump more than a full run to 4.77. He was tagged for four runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings last time out, but escaped with a no-decision as the Orioles rallied to a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers. The subpar outing extended Guthrie's winless streak to eight starts.
The Orioles need a better effort from Guthrie if they hope to avoid their sixth consecutive 90-loss season. Baltimore entered the break on a high after sweeping the Rangers in a four-game series in Texas, but showed little spark in Friday's series opener against Toronto. The Orioles managed just seven hits against victorious starter Ricky Romero and three relievers.
Baltimore will look to fare better against Saturday starter Brandon Morrow (5-6). The 25-year-old righty has scuffled of late, surrendering 15 runs over his last 16 innings spanning three starts. Morrow has just one victory since May 31.
He struggled in his last outing against the Boston Red Sox, allowing five runs on eight hits over four innings of a 9-5 loss. It was his shortest appearance since going four innings in an 8-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 21.
Morrow has made eight career appearances against the Orioles, and has no won-lost record with a 3.65 ERA over 12 1/3 innings. His only start against Baltimore came on April 9, when he allowed five runs on four hits while walking five batters over an eventful five innings. The Jays went on to win, 7-6.