Orioles at Mets
Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado has been every bit as potent at the plate as his scuffling team has been dreadful in the standings. Machado, who is in the midst of a career season, has an eight-game hitting streak for the Orioles (18-41) as they bid for a sweep of an abbreviated two-game interleague series against the host New York Mets (27-31) on Wednesday afternoon.
Machado had an RBI single in the first inning of Tuesday's 2-1 victory for Baltimore, which ended its losing streak at seven games and pushed New York's skid to five overall and seven straight at Citi Field. The 25-year-old Machado is 13-for-41 with five extra-base hits and five RBIs in his last 10 games for the Orioles. The Mets' anemic offense certainly could use that type of production, as it was limited to just three hits in the opener and has mustered just seven runs during its last five games. "It's frustrating. It's so much more frustrating for every single person in this clubhouse. Individually (and) as a team, it's a frustrating situation," said Jay Bruce, who had two of his team's hits on Tuesday.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Baltimore), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (3-7, 4.46 ERA) vs. Mets RH Zack Wheeler (2-4, 5.14)
Bundy's difficult season has been plagued by the home run ball, and his last outing was no different as Bryce Harper and Mark Reynolds went deep as part of the career high-tying 11 hits he allowed over six innings in a 3-2 setback to Washington. The 25-year-old has permitted 15 homers in his last seven outings to overshadow his strikeouts total of 35 in his last four trips to the mound. Bundy has yet to face the Mets in his career, but he has flustered Jose Bautista (0-for-8, six strikeouts) and Todd Frazier (0-for-8).
Wheeler saw his winless stretch extend to six starts (0-3) on Friday despite yielding just two runs in six innings of a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs. The 28-year-old hasn't given the Citi Field faithful much to cheer as he sports an 0-4 mark with a 6.43 ERA in five home starts this season. Wheeler owns a 3-4 record with a 6.26 ERA in 11 interleague starts heading into first career start versus Baltimore.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York 2B Asdrubal Cabrera is 1-for-23 in his last six games.
2. Baltimore CF Adam Jones has 15 hits and six RBIs in his last nine contests.
3. Mets CF Brandon Nimmo is 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in his last three games.
PREDICTION: Mets 3, Orioles 1