Orioles at Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays hope to have shortstop Jose Reyes back in action when they open up a three-game series at home against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. Reyes
missed all three games against Atlanta over the weekend after suffering a
rib injury against Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Devon Travis stepped into Reyes' leadoff role before he also had a rib issue, which has the team's leading hitter considered day-to-day entering this one. With their middle infield battered and bruised, the Blue Jays dropped two of three to the Braves and have lost five of seven overall. The Orioles are coming off a 7-1 loss in a Patriots' Day matinee at Boston that was cut short by rain after 6 1/2 innings. After committing four errors through its first 12 games, Baltimore had three miscues leading to five unearned runs on a wet, cold day at Fenway Park, and finished with a split in the four-game set.
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), SNET-1 (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Bud Norris (0-1, 12.38 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Mark Buehrle (2-0, 3.75)
Norris was roughed up by the Blue Jays in his season debut at home on April 10, giving up eight runs on seven hits in three innings. He bounced back to hold the New York Yankees to three runs while striking out seven in five frames of a 7-5 win on Wednesday. The loss to Toronto earlier this month was Norris' first in seven career encounters and he is 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two starts north of the border.
After starting last season with four straight wins en route to a 10-1 mark by early June, Buehrle has opened 2015 with a pair of victories, including the 200th of his career opposite Norris on April 10. He followed that up with six solid frames in a win over Tampa Bay at home on Wednesday, when the Blue Jays scored 12 runs for the second time in as many starts for Buehrle. The 36-year-old is 9-10 with a 3.54 ERA in 25 career games (23 starts) versus Baltimore.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles 2B Ryan Flaherty has produced three straight two-hit efforts.
2. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista's has three hits - all homers - over his last nine games.
3. Baltimore DH Jimmy Paredes is 6-for-13 with two doubles and four runs scored in three games since being activated from the disabled list.