Orioles Preview: Toronto at Baltimore
When: 12:05 PM ET, Thursday, October 1, 2015
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
By SportsDirect Inc.
With their first American League East title in 22 years under wraps, the Toronto Blue Jays will continue their quest for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs when they conclude their four-game series versus the host Baltimore Orioles on Thursday afternoon. Toronto (92-66), which split a doubleheader on Wednesday, has won two of three from Baltimore and holds a one-game edge over AL Central champion Kansas City (91-67) with four games remaining on the schedule.
Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Justin Smoak each homered in the Blue Jays' 15-2 win in the opener of the doubleheader before the trio was promptly sent to the bench for the nightcap. Manager John Gibbons likely will rest several of his other charges as the club prepares for its first postseason action since Joe Carter ended the 1993 World Series. Toronto saw its six-game winning streak end with an 8-1 setback as the Orioles ending a five-game losing skid in the process. Slugger Chris Davis belted a pair of solo homers in the nightcap after a 1-for-23 stretch in his previous six games, but is 6-for-20 (.300) in his career versus Thursday starter David Price.
TV: 12:05 p.m. ET, RSN (Toronto), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH David Price (18-5, 2.45 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.60)
Price is vying for his 19th win, which would match his 2010 total with Tampa Bay and fall one short of the career high he set during the 2012 season with the Rays. The 30-year-old Price recorded his fifth consecutive victory on Monday despite allowing five runs in as many innings of a 10-8 triumph over Tampa Bay. Price split a pair of decisions versus Baltimore this season, matching a season-high 12 strikeouts in a 3-0 setback on July 18 before yielding one run in seven framesof a 5-1 victory on Sept. 5.
Wilson rebounded from a disastrous outing with a solid one on Saturday, allowing two runs in six innings to walk away with a no-decision versus Washington. The 26-year-old enjoyed a similarly strong performance against Toronto earlier this season, yielding just one run on five hits in 5 2/3 frames in a no-decision. Wilson has kept the ball in the park in all but one trip to the mound this season, but he has allowed two walks in each of his last four outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The starting time of the contest was moved up seven hours in anticipation of inclement weather across the Mid-Atlantic region.
2. Toronto 2B Ryan Goins is 6-for-9 with four runs scored in the series.
3. Baltimore C Matt Wieters is 9-for-21 with two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.
PREDICTION: Orioles 4, Blue Jays 3
