After concluding their two-stop road trip in Boston and Arlington, the Baltimore Orioles (8-3) are set to take on the Toronto Blue Jays (7-7) in a three-game series at Camden Yards on Tuesday night.
The AL-East leading Orioles have a 2.5-game lead on both Toronto and Boston heading into the three-game set against their division rival. and afterwards the O’s will head to Kansas City to take on the world champion Royals.
But first, let’s take a look at the O’s upcoming series against their AL-East rival from north of the border.
In Toronto’s last series in Baltimore in 2015, they clinched the AL Ea–you know what? We’re not going to talk about that…
On to tonight’s game!
Mike Wright (1-0, 7.20 ERA) will take the mound on Tuesday night against the Blue Jays’ Marcus Stroman (2-0, 4.22 ERA). In his last start against Toronto on September 5th, 2015, the 26-year-old Wright allowed three runs on seven hits over four innings in a 5-1 loss. Over his three games and two starts versus Toronto in 2015, Wright has posted an 0-2 record with a 9.45 ERA.
Stroman, 24, was lights out in his last start against the O’s on September 30th, 2015, allowing just one run on five hits over eight innings with eight k’s in the Blue Jays 15-2 win. The Bronx native is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three career starts versus the Orioles.
Veteran knuckleballer R.A Dickey (1-2, 6.75 ERA) will take on Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1, 3.75 ERA) on Wednesday. In his last start against Baltimore on September 28th, 2014, Dickey allowed just one run on two hits over six innings in a cruel 1-0 loss and is 2-6 with a 3.94 ERA in 14 games against the O’s in his career. Jimenez last faced the Blue Jays on September 4th, 2015 and only allowed one run on four hits over 5.2 innings in a 10-2 Orioles win. In 13 career games versus Toronto, the 32-year-old is 6-4 with a solid 3.89 ERA.
Chris Tillman (1-1, 5.11 ERA) will take on Marco Estrada (1-1, 2.77 ERA) in the series finale on Thursday. While Tillman was excellent in his last start versus the Blue Jays on September 28th, 2015, allowing just two runs on five hits over 7.2 innings in a no-decision 4-3 Orioles loss, the 28-year-old is just 4-10 with an ugly 5.79 ERA over 20 career starts against Toronto.
Estrada, 32, was also Tillman’s adversary in the same 4-3 O’s loss on September 28th last year and allowed three runs on four hits over 7.1 innings. Over six career games against Baltimore, the Mexican hurler is 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA.
As much publicity that the O’s sluggers have deservedly received this season, the O’s pitchers are going to have their hands full with the task of trying to contain Toronto’s “Big Three”, as the trio of Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Jose Bautista are all in excellent form as they head to Camden Yards.
Donaldson, the 2015 AL MVP, is picking up right where he left off to start the 2016 campaign. The 30-year-old is tied for first in the AL in home runs (5) and leads the AL in RBI (13) along with posting an impressive .309 average and .377 OBP. In 33 career games versus Baltimore, the two-time All-Star owns a .281 average with 5 homers, 28 RBI, and a .377 OBP.
Encarnacion is in fine form with a .309 average, two home runs, nine RBI and a .339 OBP. And what’s worse is the fact that the 33-year-old is a perennial O’s killer. In 108 career games versus Baltimore, the Dominican slugger is a .266 hitter and has hit the most 2B (28) and HRs (30) he’s racked up versus a single club against the O’s, along with the 2nd-most RBI (70).
Bautista, 35, is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The Dominican superstar is hitting .289 with three homers, ten RBI, and an AL-leading .458 OBP on the year. In 121 career matches against the O’s, the six-time All-Star and two-time home run champion is a .255 hitter with 23 2B, 25 HR, 82 RBI and a .371 OBP.
But if history proves anything, we should be in store for a highly potent slugfest over the next three games at Camden Yards. The O’s have a few sluggers of their own who have annihilated the Blue Jays pitching staff in the past.
In 51 contests versus Toronto, Manny Machado has posted a stellar .307 average and .357 OBP. He’s hit for power, too, recording 19 2B, 9 HR, and 29 RBI against the Blue Jays in his career. All are personal bests for Machado against a single opponent.
Adam Jones loves facing the Blue Jays, too. In 139 career outings versus Toronto, the five-time All-Star has recorded more HR’s (29) against the Jays than he has against any other single club in baseball, along with the 2nd highest RBI total (75) and 3rd highest amount of doubles (23) on top of posting a .281 average and a .332 OBP.
And then of course, there’s Chris Davis. His 24 doubles and 31 bombs against the Blue Jays are also the most that ‘’Crush’’ has racked up against a single club. Not far behind is his RBI total of 70, which is the second most he’s recorded against a single club. To go along with all that power and run production, Crush has hit for average (.301) well and has found himself on base with regularity (.388 OBP) in 91 career games against the Jays.
Last season, Toronto got the better of the O’s and took the season series 11-8. Here’s to the red-hot O’s turning the tables in that column in ’16!
