Subscribe to our newsletter
Search
Close this search box.

Series Preview: Orioles (27-24) vs. Red Sox (29-23)

Manny Machado slides into Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedrioa at second base.
Share
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Reading Time: 5 minutes

After picking up two huge wins against the first-place Yankees, the Orioles will be looking to do more of the same against the second-place Red Sox.

I know it’s only June 1st, but since the Orioles came into the series against the Yankees on a seven-game skid and mired in a 3-13 slump, the two wins notched against a surging Yankees squad was surely the shot in the arm that the Orioles needed. Their season was starting to sing a somber tune in a hurry.

There’s still 111 games left on the schedule if you were wondering, folks. This probably won’t be the last time that we hit some turbulence.

The Orioles (29-23) come into the four-game set against the Red Sox just 1.5-games off the pace of the visitors for second place in the division. A few satisfactory results will put the Orioles right back on the Yankees heels’ in the chase for first. The top of the table is just 3.5-games out of reach, and with the Yankees going to visit the red-hot Blue Jays this weekend, the Orioles have a golden chance to move back up the early-season standings.

The Red Sox (29-23) will also be looking to make a challenge for first place this weekend as they trail the Yanks by just two games. A late-May surge resulted in the ‘Sox ending the month with a 16-12 mark, while they’ve also really hit top gear as of late with eight wins in their last ten ballgames.

The Orioles have posted a stellar 59-44 record versus Boston since the start of the 2012 season, but they saw their run of five straight season-series wins against the ‘Sox snapped last season. The O’s are up 5-4 in this year’s edition so far.

Will the Orioles keep the good vibes flowing this weekend, or will their long-time rivals spoil the party?

It should be fun to watch. Let’s go to the starters:

 

Game One

Wade Miley (1-3, 3.02 ERA) will take the mound in the series opener tonight versus Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 2.77 ERA).

Miley was tagged for four runs on eight hits over five innings in his last start versus Houston, but still ended the month of May with a solid 3.97 ERA over five starts despite going winless. Miley has been sensational at Camden Yards this season and owns a sparkling 0.92 ERA over four starts in front of the home crowd.

Rodriguez has been stellar for the Red Sox this season, and will be confident going forward after shutting down the dangerous Seattle Mariners lineup over six scoreless innings during his last outing. The southpaw concluded the month of May with a perfect 3-0 record and a superb 2.81 ERA over five starts. The former Orioles prospect also owns an impressive 3-1 record and 3.32 ERA in six starts on the road in 2017.

 

Game Two

Alec Asher (1-3, 3.77 ERA) will take on reigning Cy Young winner Rick Porcello (3-6, 4.21 ERA) in Friday’s matchup.

Asher will be making his fourth start of the season, but will be hoping for a better outcome after getting drilled for six runs on six hits over just two innings in his last outing versus Houston. However, Asher will finally be making his first start of the year at Camden Yards where he owns a miniscule 0.87 ERA over 10 1/3 innings to date.

Porcello hasn’t hit his CY Young-form just yet this season, but let’s hope he waits at least one more start to flip the switch. He ended the month of May with a rock-solid 2-3 record and 3.79 ERA over six starts. Like Rodriguez, Porcello has also impressed away from Fenway this season and has notched a 2.77 ERA over four starts.

 

Game Three

Orioles ace Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.89 ERA) will get the ball against David Price (0-1, 5.40 ERA) on Saturday.

After shutting down the Yankees to the tune of just two runs on seven hits over seven innings, Bundy has now allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his eleven starts on the year. His joint MLB-best ten quality starts on the year are only matched by Michael Fulmer of the Tigers. Bundy has also been sensational at Camden Yards this season and owns a 4-1 record and a 2.23 ERA over six starts.

Price was forced to miss the first two months of the season after suffering an elbow injury in Spring Training, but the former Cy Young winner looked pretty sharp in his season debut against the White Sox on May 29th. A three-run home run to Melky Cabrera was his only mistake as he allowed just two hits over five innings in a losing effort. The O’s will be hoping that all of the rust didn’t come off as Price owns a stellar 11-5 record and 2.88 ERA over 24 career starts versus Baltimore.

 

Game Four

Chris Tillman (1-2, 5.87 ERA) will take on Chris Sale (6-2, 2.77 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday.

Making his sixth start of the 2017 campaign, Tillman will be looking to erase the memory of his last time out. He allowed five runs on seven hits over 2 2/3 innings versus the Yankees and now owns a dismal 5.79 ERA over four starts at home. The good news is that Tillman has shredded the Red Sox over twenty career starts and owns a 10-3 record and a stellar 2.95 ERA versus Boston.

After recording a phenomenal 1.19 ERA over five starts in April, Sale posted a mortal 4.24 ERA over six starts in May and still finished the month with a 4-0 record. Over six career starts against the Orioles, Sale has gone 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA. Over four career starts at Camden Yards however, Sale has been more Cy Young-caliber with a 2.49 ERA.

 

Notes

– The balanced Red Sox make up yet another tough task for the Orioles. They rank fourth in the AL with a 3.84 team ERA while also boasting the fifth-best offense in the AL (4.8 runs per game).

– Rodriguez has posted an impressive 3.46 ERA over eight career starts versus his former parent club, but he’s been absolutely lights out at Camden Yards with a 1.34 ERA over six starts. What might have been…

– As if it wasn’t hard enough to beat him, David Price has recorded an immaculate 6-0 record and a 3.14 ERA over ten career starts at Camden Yards.

– The Orioles sluggers haven’t fared well versus Rodriguez. Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis have all gone 4-for-19 (.211) against him, Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-13 (.154) and Mark Trumbo has gone 0-for-14. That’s a combined 14-84 (.166) among the big guns.

– The Orioles have mixed results versus Porcello. Seth Smith (9-for-22), J.J. Hardy (11-for-30), Trumbo (.310, 3 HR, 7 RBI) and Machado (9-for-30) have all drilled him in the past. Jones (.229, 3 HR, 9 RBI) and Davis (.205, 3 HR, 7 RBI) have done decent against him as well despite the low batting averages.

-Despite Price’s excellence against the Orioles, there are a few on the team that have seen him well over the years. Hardy (14-for-51), Davis (10-for-35), Machado (10-for-34) and Trumbo (9-for-34) are all .265+ hitters against the ‘Sox superstar. Jones (16-for-66) has seen him the most out of anyone on the team.

– Trumbo (5-for-17), Machado (4-for-12) and Hardy (4-for-15) have held their own against superstar Sale. Jones (4-for-17), Schoop (2-for-10) and Davis (1-for-12) cannot say the same.

 

That’s it for now, Orioles nation! Enjoy the series!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get notified of the Latest Sport News Update from Our Blog
Join our newsletter and get 20% discount
Promotion nulla vitae elit libero a pharetra augue