Toronto @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2012 ) Baltimore 4, Toronto 6
The Baltimore Orioles start a four-game series against the struggling Toronto Blue Jays with a doubleheader Monday, holding their postseason hopes squarely in their own hands. The Orioles come home for the next seven after winning six on a nine-game road trip. Baltimore lost the first two in Oakland and the last on Sunday in Boston. The Orioles are one game behind the Yankees in the American League East and lead the wild-card chase by a game over the Athletics and 3 ½ games over the Los Angeles Angels.
The Blue Jays have dropped six consecutive games and 10 of their last 12, falling to last place in the AL East. Toronto has scored two runs or fewer in four of the last six. Edwin Encarnacion, one of the bright spots for the Blue Jays, has 40 homers and enters Monday with five hits in his last 14 at-bats.
TV: 7:05 p.m. (approximately), ET, MASN (Baltimore), RSN (Toronto)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Ricky Romero (8-14, 5.72) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (12-9, 3.98)
Romero, mired in a 13-game losing streak, produced one of his best starts in more than a month Wednesday against the Yankees. He allowed one run and seven hits in six innings without getting a decision. His last victory was June 22. Romero beat Baltimore May 29, giving up four runs in six innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. He is 7-3 lifetime against the Orioles. Adam Jones is 13-of-39 with a pair of homers against Romero.
Chen does not have a victory since Aug. 19, but he has absorbed some bad luck of late. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts, going into his first-ever meeting with the Jays. One bad sign is that he has given up eight homers in six games. Chen has allowed 171 hits in 181 innings with 147 strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore pitcher Tommy Hunter struggled as a starter, but has pitched eight scoreless innings in relief since being recalled in September.
2. Toronto’s rookie infielder Adeiny Hechavarria was off Sunday after hitting in six straight games (7-of-21, four RBIs).
3. Baltimore has won nine of 14 games against Toronto this season, including all five at home.