Orioles Look To Split The Series Against The White Sox This Afternoon
The Baltimore Orioles must have grown tired of having the scoreboard operator kept busy by the opposition, so much so that they decided to cross the plate a few times themselves. After being outscored 60-17 during their six-game losing streak, the Orioles look to build off an offensive explosion in their last contest as they vie for a split of their four-game series versus the host Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon.
Trey Mancini recorded three hits and scored as many runs in Wednesday's 10-6 victory to improve to 8-for-18 during his five-game hitting streak. The 25-year-old has clobbered Chicago this season to the tune of 11-for-19 with two homers and eight RBIs, a positive statistic for a Baltimore club that is just 10-22 in its last 32 games overall and 11-22 on the road. Matt Davidson has homered in all three contests of this series for the White Sox, giving him seven RBIs and three runs scored in that stretch. The 26-year-old is 2-for-3 in a small sample size versus Thursday starter Chris Tillman, who may have his confidence shaken after seeing his skid extend to four straight starts after a dismal outing at Yankee Stadium.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Chris Tillman (1-4, 8.01 ERA) vs. White Sox LH David Holmberg (1-0, 2.74)
Tillman was shellacked in his last outing as he surrendered nine runs in 1 1/3 innings against the New York Yankees on Saturday. The 29-year-old surrendered three homers for the second time in three turns and saw his ERA skyrocket from 5.59 to 8.01 after the disastrous outing in the Bronx. Tillman pitched significantly better in his last start against Chicago, scattering three hits over five frames to pick up the win in Baltimore's 4-0 victory on May 7.
Holmberg recorded his first win in nearly two years on Saturday, allowing two runs and three hits in five innings of a 5-3 triumph at Cleveland. "We need to win some ballgames, so I'm happy. You want to get in, use all your pitches, and get out," the 25-year-old told reporters. Holmberg has been taken deep in back-to-back outings and has permitted six earned runs in 12 2/3 frames as a starter.
WALK-OFFS
1. Chicago RF Avisail Garcia is 12-for-28 with one homer, eight RBIs and seven runs scored during his seven-game hitting streak.
2. Baltimore 2B Jonathan Schoop is 17-for-49 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored this month.
3. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu is 7-for-13 with five runs scored in the series.
PREDICTION: Orioles 7, White Sox 3