Toronto @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2014 ) Baltimore 11, Toronto 4
The Baltimore Orioles’ pitching staff is in top form and could be catching the Toronto Blue Jays’ offense at just the right time. The Orioles attempt to post their third shutout in four games when they host the Blue Jays in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday. Toronto bridged May and June with a six-game winning streak but has since dropped four of five while being shut out three times.
Baltimore yielded a total of one run in taking two of three from the Boston Red Sox while getting solid work from both the starters and the bullpen. The offense was not quite as impressive but did get the hits it needed in the two wins as Adam Jones stayed hot and Chris Davis found his power stroke. The Blue Jays still lead the American League East, but their offense was dominated by the likes of Kevin Correia and Phil Hughes this week after being shut out twice by the St. Louis Cardinals last weekend.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (10-2, 2.04 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (1-1, 4.91)
Buehrle suffered a tough-luck loss against the Cardinals on Saturday, when he allowed one run on five hits over seven innings and got no run support. The veteran has recorded eight consecutive quality starts and sits second in the AL in ERA. Buehrle cruised in Baltimore on April 13, surrendering one run on five hits without walking a batter in seven frames to earn the win.
Gausman is making his third start of the season and looking for back-to-back wins after holding the Oakland Athletics to one run in seven innings on Saturday. The 23-year-old struck out six in that outing to earn his first career win as a starter. Gausman faced Toronto four times in 2013 - one start - and went 0-1 while yielding a total of five runs in 7 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore 3B Manny Machado is 0-for-17 in his last five games and was dropped to seventh in the batting order on Wednesday.
2. Blue Jays 1B-DH Edwin Encarnacion went hitless in four of his last five games.
3. Toronto recalled OF Darin Mastroianni from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned RHP Bobby Korecky.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays 6, Orioles 2