Cleveland @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( May 22, 2014 ) Cleveland 8, Baltimore 7
After going to extra innings once in their first 44 contests, the Cleveland Indians have made a habit of outlasting their opponents of late. The Indians hope to avoid their fourth extra-inning affair in five days Friday when they continue a four-game road series with the Baltimore Orioles. Cleveland pulled out a 10-inning win versus the Detroit Tigers on Monday and finished off a sweep against its American League Central rival with a 13-inning victory Wednesday.
The Indians carried that same extra-inning magic into Thursday’s 13-inning, series-opening win against Baltimore, rallying twice before Carlos Santana – a .148 hitter entering his final at-bat of the game – halted his season-long slump long enough to send the Indians to their fourth straight victory. The Orioles are headed in the other direction with losses in four of their last five contests and eight of their last 11 overall. Baltimore has dropped five in a row at home and is 1-3 over its last four contests despite scoring 30 runs.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH T.J. House (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Bud Norris (2-4, 3.58)
After tossing a perfect inning in relief in his major-league debut against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, House was recalled Wednesday to replace an injured Zach McAllister and will make his first career start to help out a pitching staff that has taxed due to the Indians’ recent extra-inning run. The 24-year-old Louisiana native has been solid through seven minor-league starts at Triple-A Columbus, going 1-2 with a 2.40 ERA. House has been particularly tough on left-handed hitters with the Clippers, limiting them to a .188 average.
Norris was on the wrong end of a pitchers’ duel in Saturday’s 1-0 setback against the Kansas City Royals, taking the loss despite yielding one run on four hits and a walk over 7 1/3 innings. The outing marked the third time in his last four turns that the former Houston Astros ace held the opposition to two runs or fewer. Norris had his way with the Indians in his only other career start against them, allowing one run over seven frames to collect the victory Sept. 10.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland has won consecutive games that lasted at least 13 innings for the first time since opening the 1935 season with back-to-back 14-inning victories.
2. Orioles 3B Manny Machado left Thursday with right groin stiffness, but told reporters following the game he was hopeful that he would be ready for Friday.
3. Santana, who was recently dropped in the lineup after batting .156 in the cleanup spot, has driven in a run in only seven of the 47 games in which he has played.
PREDICTION: Orioles 7, Indians 4