After seeing a nightmare of a series come to a close in Seattle, the Orioles will now look to rebound during the last leg of their West Coast trip against the talented Dodgers squad in Los Angeles before heading back to Baltimore.
The Orioles (47-34) are in the midst of a four-game losing streak after getting brushed aside in the Emerald City and head into the City of Angels currently owning a three game lead over the Boston Red Sox (44-37) for first place in the AL East.
The O’s have recorded a 3-1 record in inter-league play this season, but all four games to date have been against the Padres. They will also be looking to improve upon their sub-par 16-21 record on the road.
The Dodgers (47-37) have been in fine form lately and bring an ongoing four-game win streak with them as they prepare to host the Orioles for three games at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers have impressed while keeping within reach of the white-hot San Francisco Giants (52-32) and find themselves just five games behind the division leaders as we head towards the All-Star Break.
The Dodgers also own a sparkling 26-15 record at home, good for second-best in the National League.
The 2016 version of the Orioles-Dodgers showdown is just the third meeting between the clubs since the turn of the century. After dropping two games out of three against the Dodgers in 2002 followed by getting swept against them in 2004, the O’s finally ended up on the winning side of the interleague matchup almost nine years later by taking two out of three versus LA in 2013.
Let’s take a glance at the starters:
Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.77 ERA) will take the mound against nineteen-year-old phenom Julio Urias (1-2, 4.09 ERA) in the series opener on Independence Day.
Side note: Happy Birthday America! I wish everybody an epic (and safe) Fourth of July!
Gallardo has looked revitalized and steady since coming off the DL after nearly two months on the sidelines and has posted a perfect 2-0 record with a 4.41 ERA over his first three starts back with the club. Gallardo faces a familiar foe in the form of the Dodgers after spending an eight-year tenure in Milwaukee and owns a 3-4 record with a 4.60 ERA over nine career starts versus LA.
In his last start versus the Dodgers as a member of the Texas Rangers on June 15th, 2015, the 30-year-old turned the lights out on the Dodgers, scattering just four hits over seven shutout innings with three walks and four strikeouts in a 4-1 Rangers victory.
I’m pretty sure the whole world knows about Urias by now, and if getting the chance to watch him pitch doesn’t excite you…you may be following the wrong sport. This guy has all the makings of a bona fide superstar and could be one for the history books when it’s all said and done.
Urias earned his first MLB win after allowing just two runs on two hits over six innings with six walks and six K’s in a 6-5 victory versus the Brewers on June 28th and has posted a sparkling 2.25 ERA over his last three starts.
Since June 7th, Urias has posted an outstanding 2.48 ERA, allowing just seven runs over his last 25.1 innings while racking up 34 K’s and allowing just a single home run. On the year, the Dodgers wunderkind has posted an 11.2 K/9 after striking out 41 batters over his first 33 innings in the majors. Did I mention that he’s only 19 years old?
Orioles ace Chris Tillman (10-2, 3.71 ERA) will face another Dodgers rookie sensation in the form of Japanese import Kenta Maeda (7-5, 2.82 ERA) on Tuesday.
Tillman is set to face the Dodgers for the first time in his career in this match-up. The 28-year-old Californian owns a 4-1 record with a 4.88 ERA over 16 career inter-league starts to date.
Tillman, however, will be looking to regain the dominant form that he’s shown for the majority of 2016 after posting a 1-1 record with a dreadful 8.59 ERA over his last three outings.
Maeda, 28, has put together an excellent rookie campaign after signing an eight-year deal worth up to $90 million in LA last January and has provided the Dodgers with one of the best one-two punches in the game alongside Clayton Kershaw (11-2, 1.79 ERA).
After allowing just a single run on three hits over six innings with two walks and six K’s in an 8-1 win versus the Brewers on June 30th, Maeda will be looking to carry that momentum into his first career start against the Orioles.
Kevin Gausman (1-6, 3.97 ERA) is set to face off against the rejuvenated Bud Norris (4-7, 3.89 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday.
Gausman seems to be on the verge of hitting his stride, posting a 1-2 record along with a rock-solid 3.38 ERA over his last three outings, but the 25-year-old is still searching for his first road win on the campaign (0-5, 5.02 ERA). The LSU alum boasts a 1-4 record with a 4.93 ERA over seven games (six starts) versus NL opponents heading into his first career outing against the Dodgers.
And yes, THAT Bud Norris…Or formerly known as “Bud the Stud” will be returning to our television screens on MASN during Wednesday’s game….he’ll just be wearing Dodger blue, not Oriole orange.
After looking great and turning heads during his stint in Atlanta, Norris was shipped to the Dodgers on June 30th and turned in an excellent debut for his new club last Friday by allowing just two hits over six shutout innings with one walk and eight K’s versus the Rockies en route to a 5-0 victory.
Over his last three outings, the 31-year old has registered a perfect 2-0 record with a microscopic 0.98 ERA.
The Orioles super-charged offense comes into the upcoming three-game clash versus the Dodgers tied for third in the majors in batting average (.273), fifth in scoring (5.12 runs per game) and first in home runs (128), but the O’s sluggers will be facing their toughest challenge to date: making some noise against the Dodgers golden pitching staff.
The Dodgers staff owns the fourth-best ERA (3.37) in the majors while ranking second in K’s (785) and holding hitters to a dismal .219 average at the dish, also good for the second-lowest in the league. If that wasn’t enough, they also own the lowest WHIP (1.11) and OBP (.285) in the majors.
The Dodgers starting rotation and bullpen comes into the series ranked inside the top five in almost every major pitching category in the league.
Led by star closer Kenley Jansen (1.34 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 24 Saves) and set-up men Adam Liberatore (35 games, 1-0, 0.68 ERA) and Joe Blanton (3-2, 2.32 ERA) the Dodgers bullpen ranks second in the majors with a stellar 3.01 ERA while registering the lowest BAA (.198), WHIP (1.05) and OBP (.273) in the entire league.
On the other side of the spectrum, star rookie shortstop Corey Seager (.303, 17 HR, 40 RBI) paves the way for the Dodgers alongside five-time All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (.278, 6 HR, 39 RBI), 25-year old Cuban star Yasiel Puig (.259, 6 HR, 25 RBI), former Oriole and Met Justin Turner (.262, 11 HR, 40 RBI) and LA native Trayce Thompson (.242, 13 HR, 32 RBI).
Dodgers star centerfielder Joc Pederson (.236, 13 HR, 33 RBI) is on the DL with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder along with Kershaw, who landed on the 15-day DL with a mild herniated disc in his back last week.
While the Orioles couldn’t get out of the Emerald City fast enough after being dealt a humbling four-game sweep against the Mariners, the O’s face an even tougher opponent in Tinseltown in the form of the hosting Dodgers and their sparkling stable of arms. Owning a 2-4 record on the current road trip, the O’s will be desperate to snap their losing skid, take the series and head back home with some momentum and good vibes in their back pocket.
Here’s to ending the West Coast trip on a high note!
