After taking both games of a rain-shortened series from the Tampa Bay Rays (2-4) over the weekend, the Baltimore Orioles (5-0) will visit the Boston Red Sox (3-2) for a three-game set at Fenway Park before heading to The Lone Star State for a four-game swing against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.
Let’s highlight a few key players wearing the gray road jerseys for the first time this season in Boston, along with a few trends that have propelled the O’s to their best start in 46 years.
First, let’s take a look at how the O’s probable starters have stacked up against the Red Sox in the past:
– Game #1: Yovani Gallardo– Gallardo’s last outing versus Boston came on May 29th, 2015, as a member of the Rangers. He allowed just one earned run on four hits over six innings with five Ks in a 7-4 victory. The 30-year-old has a 2-2 career record with a 4.35 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox.
– Game #2: Mike Wright– The 26-year-old will surely be hoping for a better outcome in his second career start against the Sox when he takes the mound on Tuesday night. In his only career game against Boston on September 16th, 2015, Wright allowed six earned runs on six hits over just three innings in a lopsided 10-1 loss.
– Game #3: Ubaldo Jimenez– Although the 32-year-old had a great outing the last time he faced off against David Ortiz & Co on September 27th, 2015, he was ultimately on the wrong side of a pitchers’ duel. He allowed just two earned runs on seven hits over seven innings of work with six Ks in a 2-0 loss. However, Jimenez has not fared well over his eleven career starts against Boston and sports a 2-4 record with a 7.26 ERA going into his slated start on Wednesday night.
Now, let’s take a look at a couple of key players who have had a fair amount of success against the Sox in previous meetings:
– Adam Jones: Assuming he returns to the lineup this series after missing the past four games with a rib issue, you can expect the O’s star centerfielder to make an impact in this match-up. Jones has posted an impressive .292 average with 26 doubles, 21 homers and 76 RBI in 135 career games against the Red Sox.
– Manny Machado: Currently in the middle of an excellent run of form in which he has homered in three straight games in the midst of a five game hitting streak, don’t expect much of a drop off at Fenway. In 49 career games against the Sox, Machado has posted a .282 average with six homers and 24 RBI.
– Ryan Flaherty: This is assuming he at least gets one start, but yes, THAT Ryan Flaherty is a career .292 hitter and has recorded three homers and 20 RBI in 43 games against Boston. I bet he wishes he could play the Sox every day…
Lastly, let’s take a look at a few positive trends that the Orioles will look to build upon in the upcoming series against their AL East rival and beyond:
– Starting pitching: The skeptics of the O’s 2016 pitching rotation are being deathly quiet early on, and let’s hope that it stays that way. The starting rotation carries a perfect 3-0 record and a superb 2.28 ERA into Boston, and they’ll need to be just as sharp against a team that features a red-hot Hanley Ramirez (.455, 1 HR, 4 RBI), Brock Holt (.412, 2 HR, 8 RBI) and of course, David Ortiz ( .294, 2 HR, 5 RBI).
– Bullpen: These guys are in mid-season form already. Led by Zach Britton (3 games, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 4 K), Darren O’Day (4 games, 0.00 ERA, 1 save, 8 K) and Brad Brach (4 games, 0.00 ERA, 7 K), the O’s bullpen has allowed just three runs on thirteen hits over 21.1 innings while posting 26 K, a remarkable 1.28 ERA, and a 0.99 WHIP.
– Pitching, again: As Derek Arnold pointed out on Sunday, the O’s pitching staff has posted an-MLB best 1.80 ERA during the first week of the season. Oh, and they’ve posted a 10.8 K/9 and a 1.04 WHIP. Absolutely phenomenal! From Chris Tillman to TJ McFarland, these guys are pitching lights out to begin the campaign, and if this trend continues, the good times will certainly keep rolling.
