Baltimore @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2015 ) Baltimore 13, Toronto 9

The Baltimore Orioles snapped a six-game slide with a walk-off home run on Wednesday and will need all the positive momentum they can muster heading into the weekend when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the opener of a three-game series on Friday. The Blue Jays lead the American League East and continue to pound opposing pitching staffs.

The Orioles have played themselves out of the AL wild-card race with losses in 12 of their last 14 games but still have a chance to impact the playoff race with the next six games and the final seven of the season coming against Toronto and the second-place New York Yankees. The Blue Jays lead the majors in runs scored but Baltimore got some positive signs from its offense when Chris Davis busted out of a slump with a pair of home runs on Wednesday to boost his total to 38. Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson is right behind Davis with 36 blasts and leads the majors with 111 RBIs after adding three more to his total in a series-clinching win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. The Blue Jays head into the weekend 1 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees and will turn to Drew Hutchison on Friday while the Orioles counter with Ubaldo Jimenez.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), RSN (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (9-9, 4.34 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (13-2, 4.87)

Jimenez has absorbed the loss in each of his last two starts while allowing a total of 11 runs and 18 hits in 11 1/3 innings. The Venezuela native failed to finish six innings in any of his last four outings and is 0-2 in that span. Jimenez beat Toronto at home on May 11 but fell at the Blue Jays on Apr. 22, yielding four runs on six hits – two home runs – and three walks in five frames.

Hutchison returned to the rotation on Saturday after a brief trip to the minors and held Detroit to one run and six hits while striking out seven in as many innings to earn the win. The 25-year-old has won his last five decisions and allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of those victories. Hutchison was ripped for seven runs in 4 1/3 innings at Baltimore on Apr. 12 but got some revenge by holding the Orioles to two runs in eight frames at home on Apr. 23.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays 1B Edwin Encarnacion is 0-for-5 in the last two games following a 26-game hitting streak.

2. Cuban OF Dariel Alvarez of Baltimore will not make the trip with the team due to visa issues.

3. Toronto 2B Ryan Goins has hit safely in a career-high 12 straight games.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 9, Orioles 7