Toronto @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2011 ) Toronto 13, Baltimore 0
THE STORY: Luis Perez has a tough act to follow Thursday as he leads the Toronto Blue Jays into the rubber match of their three-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles. Perez makes his third career start on the heels of an outstanding performance from fellow rookie Henderson Alvarez, who was outstanding in Toronto's lopsided win Wednesday. Baltimore counters with Tommy Hunter.
TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet (Toronto), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Luis Perez (3-2, 3.29 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Tommy Hunter (3-2, 4.98).
Perez has looked strong in his brief audition in the Toronto rotation. The 26-year-old has allowed only two runs in 11 innings as a starter, though he had to settle for a no-decision last time out after going five innings in a 6-5 loss to Tampa. He has been especially solid on the road in his rookie campaign, going 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA and a .211 opponents' batting average. Hunter has already seen plenty of Toronto this summer. The strapping 25-year-old has faced the Jays three times in the past six weeks - twice in a relief role and once as a starter, when he absorbed the loss after allowing four runs in four innings Aug. 5. Hunter was victorious last time out when he surrendered four runs over seven innings in a 12-5 rout of the New York Yankees.
ABOUT THE BLUE JAYS (68-68): Toronto enters the final month of the season exactly where it started the campaign - even in wins and losses. For a club that had high hopes entering the year, sitting in fourth place at this point has to be considered a disappointment. The Jays were able to vent some of their lingering frustrations in Wednesday's 13-0 rout, a game that saw them pound out 20 hits against five Baltimore hurlers. Yet, for all the attention paid to the offense, it was Alvarez who shone the brightest. The hard-throwing righty tossed eight innings of three-hit ball for his first major-league victory. Toronto's current roster is hitting .243 against Hunter.
ABOUT THE ORIOLES (54-80): Nothing went right for Baltimore on Wednesday as the club became the third in the majors to reach 80 losses for the season. And while the offense deserves its share of blame, the pitching staff was as abysmal as it has been all year. Wednesday's performance serves as an apt snapshot for the majority of the season, with Baltimore having allowed a whopping 172 home runs - far and away the most in the major leagues. Once loaded with a stable of potentially dominant pitchers in Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Zach Britton, the Orioles have been left to patch together a rotation with retreads such as Hunter, Brad Bergesen, Alfredo Simon and Jo-Jo Reyes.
FINAL PITCH: Toronto manager John Farrell, who has missed the last six games because of pneumonia, won't join the team for its upcoming weekend series against the New York Yankees.