The Orioles (71-76) open a 3-game road series at Rogers Centre on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays (73-74), who have won six of their last ten games and represent a genuine obstacle for a Baltimore club still trying to stay relevant in the AL wild-card race.
Baltimore carried some momentum into the trip after beating Cleveland 9-5 Thursday. Dylan Beavers was the offensive catalyst, going 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Leody Taveras added a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI. Coby Mayo slugged a solo home run. On the mound, Shane Baz labored through 5.2 innings, allowing five earned runs, but the bullpen steadied things — Rico Garcia struck out three over 1.2 scoreless innings, and Josh Walker threw 1.1 clean frames to close it out.
Toronto presents a tough test Friday without a firm division standing in the data, but their recent form tells the story — six wins in their last ten games against a Baltimore club that has managed just three in that span. Max Scherzer takes the ball for the Blue Jays at 2-7 with a 6.03 ERA, a familiar name pitching through a difficult season. Chris Bassitt counters for Baltimore. With the Orioles sitting 3.0 games back of the final AL wild-card spot, a series win here is essentially required — dropping games to a team they're chasing in the standings would make the remaining schedule nearly impossible to overcome.
Probable Starters
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Max Scherzer (2-7, 6.03 ERA)
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Chris Bassitt (6-5, 4.96 ERA)
Where to Watch/Listen
First pitch: 7:07 PM ET at Rogers Centre
Weather: 67°F, Clear
TV: MASN
Radio: 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio (AM 1090 / FM 101.5)