Baltimore @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( May 24, 2013 ) Baltimore 10, Toronto 6

The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays have both had pitchers make their major-league debuts the past two nights - and the results have been predictably bad. First-timers give way to old-timers as the Orioles and Blue Jays resume their divisional tilt Saturday afternoon at the Rogers Centre. Freddy Garcia looks for his first win of the season against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who has been solid of late and would love to atone for a loss to the Orioles earlier this season.

Each team has victimized a rookie en route to victory. The Blue Jays opened the set Thursday night with a 12-6 victory over former No. 4 pick Kevin Gausman, while Baltimore returned the favor against 2010 draftee Sean Nolin en route to a 10-6 triumph Friday. Toronto has put its cold start behind it, but hasn't gained much ground in the competitive AL East. Baltimore is scuffling of late, having lost seven of its last 10 games to fall 3 1/2 games back of the division-leading New York Yankees.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Freddy Garcia (0-2, 4.84 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (4-5, 4.50)

Garcia isn't the same pitcher who won 44 games over his first three seasons with the Seattle Mariners a decade ago, but he has relied on effective offspeed pitches to remain a viable major-league starter. The 36-year-old is coming off his second quality start of the season, limiting the Yankees to two runs over six innings but settling for a no-decision. Garcia is 8-8 with a 5.85 ERA in 104 2/3 career innings against Toronto. He won his only start against the Jays in 2012.

Dickey got off to a terrible start in his first season with the Blue Jays, leaving some to wonder if the National League Cy Young Award winner was finally running out of gas. The 38-year-old has responded with back-to-back victories, striking out 10 in a win over the San Francisco Giants before limiting the Tampa Bay Rays to three runs over eight strong innings. Dickey is 2-3 with a respectable 3.43 ERA in 39 1/3 innings against Baltimore, including a loss April 23.

WALK-OFFS

1. Members of the Baltimore roster are hitting a collective .187 with zero home runs in 75 at-bats against Dickey.

2. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista is 5-for-11 with a pair of homers lifetime against Garcia.

3. Nolin was returned to Double-A New Hampshire after his start, in which he surrendered six runs over 1 1/3 innings.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 8, Orioles 4