Chicago @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2013 ) Chi. White Sox 1, Baltimore 3
The Baltimore Orioles recorded a few milestones and, more importantly, earned a much-needed win in the opener of a four-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox. With Tampa Bay losing, the Orioles head into Friday's matchup with the White Sox trailing the Rays by three games for the second wild card in the American League. Baltimore hit three homers Thursday, continuing an all-or-nothing attack that has seen each of its last 14 runs come via the long ball.
Adam Jones hit his 30th homer and reached 100 RBIs for the first time in his career while teammate J.J. Hardy became the fourth active player with at least three 25-homer seasons as a shortstop. The White Sox, meanwhile, dropped to 0-7 on their 10-game road trip, marking the third time this season they have lost at least seven in a row. Manager Robin Ventura said there would be changes in the lineup as Chicago looks to avoid becoming the first team in baseball to 50 road losses.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox LH John Danks (4-11, 4.35 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Scott Feldman (11-10, 3.75)
Danks' two-start winning streak came crashing to a halt when he was roughed up for six runs on 11 hits in five innings at Boston last time out. He had allowed two runs in winning his previous two outings, but the loss to the Red Sox dropped him to 1-7 with a 4.77 ERA in 10 road starts. Danks beat the Orioles in Chicago on July 2, giving up two runs in seven innings to improve to 5-4 lifetime against them.
Feldman is coming off his best performance since being acquired from the Chicago Cubs, as he limited the New York Yankees to one run in seven innings of a 2-0 defeat. He has been solid in his last four outings, permitting only six runs and 18 hits in that span. Feldman faced the White Sox in his debut with Baltimore, giving up a pair of runs on six hits in six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Jones became the third player in franchise history with multiple seasons of 30 homers and 30 doubles, joining Eddie Murray and Rafael Palmeiro.
2. White Sox DH Adam Dunn is 2-for-25 with 12 strikeouts in his last seven games.
3. Feldman is 4-2 with a 4.09 ERA in 15 career appearances (nine starts) versus the White Sox.
PREDICTION: Orioles 5, White Sox 3