Listen Live: Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore)
The Toronto Blue Jays managed a 3-3 road trip with a win at Detroit on Wednesday and are hoping to keep the momentum going when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday. The Orioles are winners of four straight and seven of eight to reach the top spot in the American League East.
The Blue Jays totaled two runs in losing the first two games at Detroit to start the week but finally broke out on Wednesday afternoon as Josh Donaldson found his form at the plate. The reigning American League MVP has dealt with a series of nagging injuries over the first two months of the season and was 0-for-10 over a four-game span while dealing with a jammed thumb before breaking out with a home run and a triple among three hits in Wednesday's 7-2 triumph. Baltimore has plenty of players capable of putting up power numbers similar to Donaldson and are pairing that with strong pitching of late. The Orioles allowed a total of three runs in the four-game sweep of the defending champion Kansas City Royals.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Tyler Wilson (2-5, 4.39 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (5-2, 4.82)
Wilson is struggling through a four-start losing streak and had his worst outing of the bunch last time out against the New York Yankees. The 26-year-old allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings to mark just the second time in eight starts that he yielded more than three runs. Wilson has made three appearances against Toronto, surrendering a total of two runs in 8 2/3 innings.
Stroman was ripped for at least six runs in three of his last four outings and struggled to keep the ball in the strike zone at Boston on Saturday. The Duke product allowed six runs on nine hits and a career-high five walks in the loss. Stroman was sharper at Baltimore on April 19, surrendering three runs on six hits – two home runs – to earn a win and improve his career record against the division rivals to 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays SS Troy Tulowitzki (quad) will continue his rehab at extended spring training over the weekend and is expected to be ready to come off the disabled list on Monday.
2. Baltimore SS-3B Manny Machado is still awaiting word from MLB about a possible suspension after being ejected from Tuesday's game for charging the mound.
3. Toronto CF Kevin Pillar is 4-for-6 with a home run and three RBIs in the last two games after totaling four hits in the previous eight contests.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays 7, Orioles 6
