After losing 3-2 in Tampa today, the 43-44 Toronto Blue Jays will come to Baltimore for 3 games starting tomorrow.
Toronto is 18-26 on the road, and 2-8 in their last 10 games overall.
Baltimore is 38-47 overall, and 24-20 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The scheduled pitching match-ups are:
7/10: Brett Cecil vs Jason Berken
7/11: Ricky Romero vs Brad Bergesen
7/12: Marc Rzepczynski vs Jeremy Guthrie
Each of the Toronto starts are left-handed.
Cecil is a 2007 Supplemental 1st round pick. It will be a bit of a home-coming for Cecil, as he is from Dunkirk, MD and attended DeMatha High, and the University of Maryland.
Cecil was rather strong in AA in 2008, but had rough results in AAA to start 2009. In 9 starts, he was 1-5, with a 5.69 era. He pitched 49 innings, allowing 53 hits, 19 walks, with 32 k’s.
He has started 7 games for Toronto, and has a .344 batting average against, and a .977 OPS against.
The 23 year might have a promising future, but I am expecting some Oriole runs tomorrow night.
On Saturday, the Romero vs Bergesen match-up is a battle of AL Rookie of the Year contenders.
Romero has won his last 4 decisions, and will enter Saturday’s game with a 2.96 era.
On May 26th, Romero lost to the O’s, as the Orioles had 11 hits off him in 5.1 innings, scoring 5 runs. 3 of those 11 hits were home-runs, as Huff, Jones, and Reimold took him deep.
Rzepczynski will be making his 2nd big-league start, after a no decision Tuesday against Tampa.
Prior to getting the call-up to the Majors, the 23 year-old Rzepczynski was performing at AA.
In 76.2 innings, he had allowed 80 hits, 36 walks, with 88 k’s.
Baltimore enters the series at 11-18 vs the AL East. The O’s have split the previous 6 games vs the Jays, getting swept in Toronto, and returning the favor in Baltimore.
If the O’s can take 2 out of 3, it will be the 6th series win in the O’s last 9 series. A sweep of the Jays would pull the Orioles even with Toronto in the lost-column.
EDIT: Guthrie to miss his start due to a virus… Hill will get the start Saturday, with Bergesen moved to Sunday.
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Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.