Detroit @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2013 ) Detroit 10, Baltimore 3
As the Detroit Tigers head into Sunday's finale of their three-game road series with the Baltimore Orioles, it comes as no surprise the first two games have been decided by offenses that are tied for second-most runs in the majors. Detroit ended a three-game scoring drought in the series opener, but could not hold a late lead thanks to two ninth-inning homers in a 7-5 loss. The Tigers countered with five home runs in Saturday's 10-3 win, including four in an eight-run fourth inning.
Baltimore and Detroit have both scored 283 runs to trail only Boston and the Orioles lost for just the fourth time in its last 12 games Saturday. Although J.J. Hardy recorded his 10th career two-homer effort to give the Orioles a major league-high 23 games with at least two homers, the four they allowed in one inning by Baltimore were the most such homers surrendered in team history. Another round of offensive fireworks could occur Sunday as starter Kevin Gausman has yielded four home runs over his first nine major-league innings.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Detroit, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network 2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Rick Porcello (2-2, 5.29 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (0-2, 11.00)
After waiting out an hour-plus rain delay, Porcello was masterful in a 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, striking out a career-high 11 batters while yielding only three hits over eight scoreless innings. The right-hander has given up 21 hits in 11 1/3 innings over two starts at Camden Yards, but hasn't pitched in Baltimore since April 2011. In five all-time outings against the Orioles, Porcello is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA.
Gausman, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2012 draft, has been pummeled in both of his outings – each of which has come on the road. The 22-year-old gave up three home runs and allowed seven runs on eight hits over four innings in a 9-3 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. Gausman, who made only 13 minor-league starts before his promotion, went 2-5 with a 3.23 ERA over 61 1/3 minor-league innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. With 65 RBIs through 54 games, Detroit 3B Miguel Cabrera is on pace for 195 RBIs, which would break Hack Wilson's major-league record of 191 set in 1930. Hank Greenberg holds Detroit's mark of 183 RBIs in 1937.
2. Orioles 3B Manny Machado is 0-for-7 through two games in this series – the first time he has been held without a hit in consecutive contests this season.
3. Baltimore, which leads the majors with 80 home runs, has gone deep 27 times over its last 12 games.
PREDICTION: Tigers 8, Orioles 4