After being dealt a tough 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday night, the Orioles are set to fly back home to take on the San Diego Padres for a two-game mini-series at Camden Yards in what will be the O’s first taste of inter-league play this season.
The Orioles (40-29) remain atop the standings in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox (39-30) right on their heels and just one game off the pace. The Orioles lead the majors in home wins (26), own a stellar 26-12 mark at Camden Yards on the campaign, and will be looking to add a few more to the win column against a Padres squad that has recorded a lowly 11-20 record on the road.
The Padres (29-42) have endured another frustrating season to date and are currently in the cellar of the NL West while trailing the red-hot San Francisco Giants (44-27) by a staggering 15 games at the top of the division. However, they did just beat the Nationals twice in a row, so maybe that’s a sign of an upswing? Optimistically speaking, it is. Realistically speaking? Don’t bet on it.
Now, let’s take a look at the starters for this two-game mid-week clash at Camden Yards:
Tyler Wilson (3-5, 4.16 ERA) will take on Luis Perdomo (2-2, 8.79 ERA) in the series opener on Tuesday.
Wilson will be looking to pick up where he left off last Thursday, when he absolutely dominated the Boston Red Sox, scattering three hits over eight lights-out innings with one walk and six Ks in a 6-1 victory. The 26-year-old rookie is facing the Padres for the first time in his young career.
Perdomo, 23, has had a rough rookie season as MLB hitters have been “showing him the ropes” all season long, and his move to the rotation hasn’t been much smoother. Over his first three career starts, the DR native has posted a 1-1 record with a 6.75 ERA. However, Perdomo turned in his best game to date on June 15th, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings with two walks and four strikeouts in a 6-3 win over the Miami Marlins.
A TBD starter will take the mound for the O’s against the newly-acquired Erik Johnson (0-4, 7.66 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday.
There’s a good chance that Ubaldo Jimenez (3-7, 7.34 ERA) will get the nod by default, but it may not be such a bad thing. Back in his All-Star days with the Colorado Rockies, the 32-year-old Jimenez registered a 7-4 record with a rock-solid 3.94 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while limiting Padres hitters to a dreadful .193 batting average over 13 career starts.
Johnson, 26, was sent packing to San Diego along with prospect Fernando Tatis Jr by the White Sox for James Shields and cash on June 4th. The change of scenery hasn’t done much, as the California native has gotten off to a rocky start. In his first two starts in a Padres uniform, the University of Cal alum has posted an 0-2 record with a woeful 8.44 ERA after allowing 10 earned runs on five homers over 10.2 innings.
With Perdomo and Johnson having never faced the Orioles potent line-up, the Orioles might have a chance to do some major damage.
Even without the currently suspended Manny Machado (.317, 17 HR, 42 RBI), the Orioles explosive offense will be led by the red-hot Jonathan Schoop (.281, 12 HR, 41 RBI) and the in-form Adam Jones (.244, 13 HR, 42 RBI) while featuring two of the best ‘’ bash brothers’’ around, Mark Trumbo (.281, 20 HR, 51 RBI) and Chris Davis (.234, 16 HR, 41 RBI).
The O’s are set to host the Padres while ranked tied for fourth in the AL in batting average (.265) third in the AL in runs per game (4.81), and tied for third in OBP (.328) while leading the majors in homers (107).
Despite the impact of two-time All-Star Matt Kemp (.256, 15 HR, 47 RBI), former Cardinal Jon Jay (.296, 24 2B, 2 HR, 23 RBI) and 25-year-old star Wil Myers (.292, 16 HR, 44 RBI), the Padres rank just 10th in the NL in runs per game (4.09), home runs (73), and batting average (.241).
This will mark the first meeting between the Orioles and Padres since they split a four-game season series in 2013. The Padres won both games of a two-game series at Camden Yards in May before the O’s got even by sweeping a two-game set at PetCo Park when the two clubs met again in August.
Here’s to another two-game sweep of the last-place Padres!
And, you know…not getting swept by them in our own house again!
