Baltimore @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2015 ) Baltimore 10, Toronto 2

The Baltimore Orioles played their way out of wild-card contention over the last few weeks but are still in a position to effect the race in the American League East. The Orioles will continue to make it tough on their rivals when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for the second of a three-game series on Saturday.

Baltimore dropped 12 of 13 games before recovering to win its last two, including a 10-2 triumph in the first game of the series on Friday. Chris Davis powered the Orioles offense with a pair of home runs and has five blasts in his last three games to pull out of a lengthy slump. No team can match the power of the Blue Jays’ offense, but Toronto failed to homer in the opener and fell for just the third time in the last 13 games, trimming their lead over the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East to a half-game. The Blue Jays should not need more than a few runs on Saturday, when ace David Price faces off against Baltimore right-hander Mike Wright.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Mike Wright (2-3, 4.99 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH David Price (13-5, 2.47)

Wright (calf strain) was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Friday and will be kept on a strict pitch count after making his final rehab start on Tuesday. The 25-year-old struggled in his last three major-league starts, going 0-3 while allowing a total of 14 runs in 10 1/3 innings. The final start in that stretch came at Toronto on June 19, when Wright was ripped for four runs on three hits and four walks in 1 1/3 innings.

Price has been everything the Blue Jays expected since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers, with six quality starts in as many outings. The former Cy Young Award winner suffered his first loss with Toronto by yielding three runs on six hits in seven innings on Monday. Price struck out 12 against Baltimore on July 18 and allowed one run in seven innings but suffered the loss as the Orioles beat the Tigers 3-0.

WALK-OFFS

1. Davis is the first Orioles player to reach 40 home runs in multiple seasons.

2. Toronto RHP Marcus Stroman (left knee surgery) will make his final rehab start on Monday before joining the bullpen.

3. Baltimore placed RHP Miguel Gonzalez (shoulder) on the 15-day DL.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 9, Orioles 1