After getting swept in Toronto to begin the second half of the season, the Orioles will now host the Red Sox over the next three nights at Camden Yards.
The Orioles (28-72) will be going up against the best team in baseball to kick off their upcoming seven-game home stand, so that’s really not an ideal scenario. After their rough stay across the Northern border, the Orioles are now 5-13 in the month of July and another twenty-loss month could be in the cards.
The Red Sox (70-31) are beginning to pull away in the race for the top seed in the majors and in the race for the division title thanks to an impressive 14-3 run this month and a 21-5 record over their last 26 contests. They now own a five-game lead over the second-place Yankees as a result.
Kevin Gausman (4-7, 4.33 ERA) will take on Rick Porcello (11-4, 4.13 ERA) in tonight’s series opener.
Gausman will be looking to begin the second half on a high note after ending the first half by allowing five runs on twelve hits over five innings against the Phillies. Despite owning a 5.00 ERA through his first three starts in July, he still boasts a solid 3.83 ERA over his last seven outings.
Porcello will be looking to bounce back into form after allowing eight earned runs over just two innings in his last start against Toronto. In the four starts prior to his last, Porcello had gone 3-0 with a stout 3.19 ERA over 25 2/3 innings.
Yefry Ramirez (0-3, 3.09 ERA) will go up against Drew Pomeranz (1-3, 6.81 ERA) on Tuesday.
Ramirez is still searching for his first career win despite throwing five shutout innings during his last start against the Rangers, and will be hoping for a better result this time around. Ramirez has been impressive since being called up to the show and has recorded three appearances in which he’s allowed one run or less through five innings of work.
Pomeranz will be making his return to the Red Sox after being on the shelf since May 31st, and will be hoping to find his vintage form going forward. He had notched just two quality starts in eight attempts before landing on the DL.
Dylan Bundy (6-9, 4.57 ERA) will match-up against David Price (11-6, 4.17 ERA) in Wednesday’s series finale.
Bundy avoided taking the loss in Toronto despite allowing five runs over five innings, and will be hoping to notch a solid outing against the Red Sox. He’s posted a 10.95 ERA over his last three starts and a 7.77 ERA over his last five.
Price notched his eleventh win of the season after throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings against the Tigers, and will be looking for a repeat performance against the Orioles. After going 4-1 with a stellar 2.90 ERA over five starts in June, Price has not been able to find the same form this month and owns a 6.43 ERA through four starts in July.
That’s all for now, folks!
Here’s to ending the losing streak.
