Tigers at Orioles
Another day in a Baltimore Orioles uniform, another home run for Tim Beckham. The red-hot former No. 1 overall pick will try to continue his hot streak and lead the Orioles to a series split when they host the Detroit Tigers in the finale of a four-game series on Sunday.
Beckham homered in each of the last three games and is 13-for-20 with seven extra-base hits in five games since being acquired from Tampa Bay at the July 31 trade deadline. The 27-year-old shortstop belted one of three Baltimore home runs in Saturday's 5-2 win, which lifted the Orioles (54-56) back within two games of .500 and three games behind Kansas City for the second American League wild-card spot. The Tigers are further back at 51-58 and had a four-game winning streak come to an end in Saturday's setback. Beckham is 0-for-2 with a strikeout in his career against Anibal Sanchez, who starts for Detroit on Sunday opposite Baltimore right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, WJZ (Baltimore), MASN 2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (3-1, 5.83 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7, 6.56)
Sanchez hs earned the win in three of his last five outings and is coming off a strong performance at the New York Yankees on Tuesday, when he allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. The Venezuela native has worked at least six innings in five of his last seven turns. Sanchez is making his first start at Baltimore since May 14, 2016, when he allowed four runs in six innings and took the loss.
Jimenez is winless in his last four outings but was sharp in the most recent two, yielding a total of three runs while striking out 15 over 13 innings. The 33-year-old did not surrender a home run among five hits against Kansas City on Monday but has given up 23 in 105 2/3 total frames this season. Jimenez started at Detroit on May 17 and took the loss while allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Beckham's homer on Saturday was the 10,000th blast in Orioles' franchise history.
2. Detroit OF Justin Upton has homered in each of the last three games and five of the last seven.
3. Baltimore RHP Chris Tillman will move to the bullpen and work in relief for the first time in his career.