Blue Jays at Orioles
The city of Baltimore is unlikely to get back to business as usual anytime soon, but the Orioles will try to aid that process as they play in front of their fans for the first time in over two weeks on Monday when they open a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles wrapped up the first third of what was supposed to be a nine-game homestand on April 26, but rioting in Baltimore caused two postponements and another home game to be played in front of an empty stadium.
The Orioles played out the final leg of their homestand in Tampa Bay due to the civil unrest –
winning two of three versus the Rays – but will return to Camden Yards
hoping to turn things around after going 1-5 in New York against the
Mets and Yankees. The Orioles haven’t had much luck this season versus
Toronto, giving up 47 runs while losing five of six. The Blue Jays are
coming off a 4-2 homestand, allowing one run or less in each of their
wins while taking two of three from the Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Toronto outscored its opponents 19-2 during a three-game winning streak,
but saw its bid for a season-high fourth straight victory snapped
Sunday in a 6-3 setback versus Boston.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNET (Toronto) MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (1-1, 2.93 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2, 2.36)
Making
his first start of the season in place of recently-demoted rookie
left-hander Daniel Norris, Estrada was tagged for five runs (four
earned) over 4 2/3 innings in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Yankees. The
Long Beach State product, who served up a league-worst 29 homers last
season, had permitted only one run in 10 2/3 relief innings after
joining the Blue Jays following a November trade with the Milwaukee
Brewers. Estrada’s only two career appearances versus Baltimore came
last month, when he yielded a run over two one-inning outings.
Jimenez
continued his road struggles, falling to 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA in three
turns away from home following Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Mets. The
31-year-old Dominican, who has yet to yield an earned run in 14 frames at home,
gave up three runs on six hits and a pair of walks over four innings in his last outing.
Jimenez has already faced Toronto twice this season, allowing one hit
and fanning eight over seven scoreless innings during a win in his
season debut on April 11 before allowing four runs over five frames in a
loss 11 days later.
WALK-OFFS
1. Toronto has scored at least 10 runs in six games this season, half of which have come against Baltimore.
2.
The Orioles, who struck out 18 times in Sunday’s loss to the Yankees,
have fanned 87 times in nine games in May – the second-highest total in
the American League over that span.
3. The Blue Jays placed OF
Michael Saunders on the disabled list Sunday with left knee
inflammation and recalled INF/OF Steve Tolleson from Triple-A Buffalo.