Listen Live: Toronto at Baltimore [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
The Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays own two of the most powerful lineups in baseball, but Wednesday's meeting was decided by a ball that didn't even travel 50 feet. The Blue Jays will try to get over the sting of losing on a walk-off passed ball when they visit the Orioles for the rubber match of the three-game series on Thursday.
Baltimore put up three runs in the first inning on Wednesday and went the next eight without scoring before Caleb Joseph crossed on the bases-loaded passed ball in the 10th. The Orioles picked up their second win in the last six games with the victory and managed to get into the win column without the benefit of a home run, marking the first time since Opening Day the lineup failed to leave the yard. Baltimore did get another extra-base hit from Manny Machado, who doubled in a run and has hit safely in each of the first 13 games. Toronto will try to slow Machado with right-hander Marco Estrada, who has held the young star to 1-for-9 with a solo home run in his career.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marco Estrada (1-1, 2.77 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (1-1, 5.11)
Estrada dominated Boston at home over seven scoreless innings in his first start on April 10 but could not muster the same effort at the Red Sox on Saturday. The California native was reached for four runs on eight hits over six frames to suffer the loss. Estrada is getting his first look at a different lineup and was strong in six games – four starts – against Baltimore last season, going 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA and a .152 batting average against.
Tillman was limited to seven innings in his first two starts and allowed a total of one run and four hits in that span while striking out 10. The 28-year-old surrendered one run in the first five innings at Texas last week before managing one out in the sixth and yielding five runs in the frame. Tillman is 4-10 with a 5.79 ERA in 20 career starts against Toronto after getting hammered for 33 runs in 25 1/3 innings over six starts against the Blue Jays last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles LHP Brian Matusz (ribs) could be activated off the DL on Saturday while RHP Kevin Gausman (shoulder) is expected to follow next week.
2. Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista reached base safely in each of the first 15 games.
3. Baltimore CF Adam Jones (stomach virus) started Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's opener and went 0-for-3.
PREDICTION: Blue Jays 7, Orioles 3