Toronto @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2013 ) Toronto 3, Baltimore 2
As weeks go, the Baltimore Orioles have had better. One day after being eliminated from playoff contention and two days after losing third baseman Manny Machado to a scary knee injury, the Orioles begin playing out the string Wednesday as they resume their three-game series with the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. A 5-4 10-inning loss to the Blue Jays in the series opener, combined with Cleveland's victory over the Chicago White Sox, ended Baltimore's wild-card hopes.
Even more of a concern - certainly in the long-term - was the injury to Machado, which is not as bad as originally feared. The 21-year-old phenom tore a minor ligament but could begin running within eight weeks and is expected to make a full recovery in time for next season. Toronto has been playing meaningless games for weeks now as it sends right-hander Esmil Rogers to the hill against Baltimore counterpart Bud Norris.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Esmil Rogers (5-8, 4.52 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Bud Norris (10-12, 4.12)
Rogers enjoyed a run as the Blue Jays' most productive starter when he was first inserted into the rotation, but he has struggled with inconsistency of late. The 28-year-old Dominican has allowed five runs over 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts after tossing 14 scoreless innings in consecutive wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Minnesota Twins. Rogers is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in one start and seven relief appearances against the Orioles.
Norris' recent history mirrors that of Rogers, with back-to-back solid starts followed by less-than-impressive outings the next two times out. The 28-year-old California native is coming off a gut-wrenching loss to Tampa Bay in which he allowed the go-ahead single to David DeJesus in a 5-4, 18-inning defeat Friday night. That loss proved costly for the Orioles, who went on to get swept by the Rays and fall out of the wild-card race.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes has five hits in 13 career at-bats against Norris.
2. Baltimore is 17-31 in one-run games in 2013 after going 29-9 in the same situations a season ago.
3. Toronto leads the season series 9-8.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays 5, Orioles 3