Baltimore @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 22, 2018 ) Baltimore 4, Toronto 5

The Toronto Blue Jays are losers of four contests in a row and are coming off a road trip that exposed their pitching staff. The Blue Jays will try to get things back on track at the expense of the only team behind them in the American League East when they host the Baltimore Orioles on Monday for the opener of their three-game series.

Toronto's pitchers were ripped for a total of 34 runs over the last four games and yielded at least five in each of its last six contests. The Blue Jays did not have a pitcher complete five innings in any of their last four games and leaned hard on the bullpen Sunday, when rookie starter Ryan Borucki failed to make it out of the opening frame in a 10-2 loss to the New York Yankees. The Orioles aren't enjoying much success on the mound, either, and own the worst record in the majors (37-87) after dropping an 8-0 decision at Cleveland on Sunday, which marked the sixth time in 10 games that the pitching staff allowed at least five runs. Toronto will turn to the starter on staff who last worked over five innings when Marco Estrada takes the mound on Monday against Baltimore's Andrew Cashner.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), Sportsnet, TVA (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (4-10, 4.71 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (6-9, 4.87)

Cashner was sharp in each of his last two starts and is coming off a win over the New York Mets in which he surrendered two runs and five hits over seven innings. The veteran Texan has allowed fewer than three earned runs in six of his last eight outings. One of those starts came at Toronto on July 22, when Cashner yielded one runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision.

Estrada was the last Blue Jays starter to complete five innings and the last to record a win when he allowed four runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings at Kansas City on Wednesday. The Long Beach State product has served up a pair of home runs in each of his last two turns, bringing his season total to 20 in 21 outings. Estrada registered a season-high nine strikeouts against Baltimore on June 10 while yielding two runs in six innings to pick up the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles OF-DH Mark Trumbo (knee) is not traveling with the team and will head back to Baltimore for an MRI.

2. The Blue Jays placed RHP Marcus Stroman (blister) on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday.

3. Toronto 2B Devon Travis has gone 2-for-23 over his last five games.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 6, Orioles 4