Boston @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2010 ) Boston 2, Baltimore 5
With major league rosters expanding Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles may be wise to take a strength-in-numbers approach against a pitcher they have never beaten.
Nothing else the Orioles have tried has worked against Boston Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester, who will pitch the middle game of the three-game series tonight.
Lester (14-8) has been unbeatable – and near-perfect – in his career against Baltimore, ringing up a 12-0 record with a 2.00 in 15 starts.
It’s the longest active winning streak for a pitcher against any opponent, and matches the best start in history against the Orioles’ organization. Red Faber first accomplished it from 1914-16.
Based on his first three outings against Baltimore this season, Lester looks like a good bet to take sole possession of the record. He is 2-0 with one no-decision, allowing the Orioles one run and 13 hits in 19 innings.
Lester bounced back from his worst start of the season with a stellar performance last time out, outdueling Tampa Bay ace David Price in Boston’s 3-1 win on Friday night. He gave up just one run and two hits while striking out 10.
Of course, whatever Lester does tonight may not matter after the Red Sox dropped a 5-2 decision to the Orioles in Tuesday’s series opener.
The loss dropped Boston eight games behind the division-leading New York Yankees in the American League East and kept the Red Sox seven back of Tampa Bay for the wild card with just 30 games to play.
It was the third consecutive loss for the Red Sox and the fourth straight victory for Baltimore, which improved to 17-10 since Buck Showalter took over as manager on Aug. 3.
The Orioles have received superb pitching during their winning streak, allowing a total of three runs in the four games.
Rookie Jake Arrieta (4-6) will look to duplicate the success when he takes the mound tonight.
The rookie right-hander has lost his last three starts, although he has not pitched that poorly. Baltimore was shut out twice and gave Arrieta a total of two runs in the three losses.
Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott set a career high with his 26th homer in Tuesday’s victory. He also added an RBI single, but he is 0-for-8 with three strikeouts lifetime against Lester.
First baseman Ty Wigginton and catcher Matt Wieters have enjoyed success against Lester, with each batting .389 (7-for-18) against Baltimore’s nemesis.
The only offensive bright spots for Boston on Tuesday were catcher Victor Martinez and second baseman Jed Lowrie. Martinez had a pair of hits, giving his 10 in his last 17 at-bats, and extended his hitting streak to six games.
Lowrie supplied the only scoring for the Red Sox with a two-run homer.