Detroit @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Oct 1, 2010 ) Detroit 1, Baltimore 2
Ever since Buck Showalter came on board as manager, Brian Matusz has started to look very much the part of a No. 1 starter.
Matusz will be looking to finish the season strong when the Baltimore Orioles face the Detroit Tigers again on Saturday.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 draft, Matusz shot all the way to the majors in his first professional season in 2009 and made the Opening Day roster in April with Rookie of the Year hopes. But the 23-year-old left-hander spent the first four months of the season going through some growing pains, posting a 3-11 record with a 5.46 ERA through the end of July.
Showalter was hired at the end of July and brought with him a new attitude and a new set of urgency, as all of a sudden everyone on the team was fighting for his job. Matusz responded to the challenge as the organization hoped he would, going 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a .223 batting average against in his last 10 outings.
The University of San Diego product is being counted on by Showalter and the rest of the organization to lead the staff as the Orioles attempt to compete in the AL East within the next few seasons. Armed with four solid pitches, Matusz has a strong fastball but can also command a slider, curveball and changeup and has the ability to pitch off any of the offerings.
He is coming off a start at the Tampa Bay Rays last weekend in which he allowed just three hits while striking out eight in seven scoreless innings to earn the win. Matusz faced the Tigers in his first major league start last season, allowing one run and six hits in five frames to earn a win.
Baltimore swept both ends of a doubleheader on Friday, grabbing a 10-6 victory in the opener and getting eight scoreless innings from Jeremy Guthrie in a 2-1 win in the nightcap.
Detroit will send Armando Galarraga to the mound on Saturday for his final start of the season. The right-hander is going out with a wimper this season, taking the loss in each of his last three starts while allowing a total of 18 runs - 17 earned - in 13 2/3 innings.
Galarraga’s last solid outing came against Baltimore on Sept. 10, when he allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings. He did not factor in the decision as the Tigers lost, 6-3. He has yet to earn a win in four career starts against the Orioles, going 0-2 with a 4.28 ERA.