Orioles at Red Sox
The Baltimore Orioles finally figured out how to get their bats going in a win on Wednesday, just in time to visit the Boston Red Sox for the opener of a four-game series on Friday. Sluggers Chris Davis and Jonathan Schoop each broke out of lengthy slumps in a 5-3 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays after the Orioles managed two runs in the first two games of the series.
Davis went 3-for-37 in his first 11 games but managed two hits and an RBI on Wednesday while Schoop, who went 1-for-23 over the previous five contests, doubled among two hits and drove in a pair of runs. "You love to see good things happen to people who work hard at it," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter told reporters. "It's just a reminder, (Davis), the number of runs he scored last year, the number of runs he drove in, what he hit, what he did for us. And Jon, he wants to do it every night. He worked hard. He works hard and he never assumes everything. It's like he's playing to establish himself every night, so I'm glad to see him get something back for it." The Red Sox took two of three from the rival New York Yankees this week and are rolling behind Mookie Betts, who drove in seven runs in the series. Boston will try to keep rolling behind left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez while the Orioles counter with struggling righty Chris Tillman.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (0-2, 8.68 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (0-0, 7.36)
Tillman suffered through his worst season in 2017 and is off to another slow start after surrendering a total of nine runs on 15 hits and eight walks over 9 1/3 innings in his first two outings. The California native did not record a strikeout in his first outing at Houston on April 2 but notched three in 5 1/3 frames at the New York Yankees on Saturday. Tillman lost his only start against Boston last season but is 10-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 21 career outings versus the Red Sox.
Rodriguez got a late start to spring training following offseason knee surgery and made his season debut on Sunday against Tampa Bay. The Venezuela native showed sharp stuff with seven strikeouts but struggled with his command and needed 92 pitches to get through 3 2/3 innings. Rodriguez stuck out 20 in 18 1/3 innings against Baltimore last season but was reached for 12 runs in that span and went 1-2 in the three starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox 1B Hanley Ramirez left Thursday's game after being hit by a pitch and was diagnosed with a wrist contusion.
2. Orioles RHP Alex Cobb, who was signed during spring training, is scheduled to make his team debut on Saturday.
3. Boston RHP Joe Kelly was suspended six games by Major League Baseball on Thursday for his role in a benches-clearing brawl, but has appealed the ruling.