Miguel Gonzalez (9-11, 4.85 ERA) and the Baltimore Orioles (76-80) meet Marcus Stroman (3-0, 1.89 ERA) and the Toronto Blue Jays (91-65) in the second of a four-game division series at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays won the last game 4-3, extending a five-game winning streak. The game starts at 4:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sep. 30 and will air on MAS2 and RSN.
In his most recent outing, Gonzalez pitched 5.1 innings, giving up four runs, striking out three and walking two in a 6-0 loss to the Rangers. The Blue Jays were victorious the last time Stroman pitched. He pitched well, going 7.0 innings, allowing zero runs, striking out five and walking one in a 4-0 victory over the Yankees. Jose Bautista (.252, 106 Rs, 39 HRs, 111 RBIs, 8 SBs) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 Monday with one RBI.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Orioles have a SU record of 34-36 against teams in their division. Baltimore has averaged 3.0 runs per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 4.3. The Orioles are a power hitting team with 205 home runs, one of the highest totals in the MLB. Whenever an AL East opponent shows up on the calendar, the Orioles seem to struggle with pitching. They allow an average of 4.3 runs per game, but allow 4.7 against teams from their own division.
Against divisional rivals, the Blue Jays are 40-30 SU. The Blue Jays are the number one overall scoring offense in the AL, averaging 5.5 runs per game so far. Toronto is one of the top road hitting teams in the AL with an average of 9.0 hits per contest. The Blue Jays average 3.5 walks per game, making them the most disciplined team in the AL. Switching gears to Toronto’s pitching staff, they average just 8.3 hits allowed per game, fourth-best in the AL.
The Blue Jays have gotten the better of the Orioles in head-to-head matchups this season, going 10-6. This game will feature Stroman (RHP) on the mound against the Orioles, who have a 54-58 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Gonzalez will take the mound against the Blue Jays, who have a 71-51 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tor
Notes
Baltimore is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games,.
Baltimore is 5-9-1 SU in its last 15 games, at home.
Baltimore is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games, when playing at home against Toronto.
In their last game, the Blue Jays won by a margin of one run. The Orioles are 24-26 in one-run games. The Blue Jays have a 15-27 record in close games.
The Orioles are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Blue Jays have a 26-28 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
It looks like the Blue Jays have a slight leg up on the Orioles, as the Blue Jays have won their last five games while the Orioles have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the Orioles are 56-13. The Blue Jays have a 74-7 record when outhitting opponents.
Toronto tops the league in runs with 857 this season. Baltimore ranks in the top half at 15th with 675.
Ranking 25th, Baltimore is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 394 this season. Toronto ranks in the top five at second with 546.
When the Orioles hit at least one home run, they are 65-42, well-matched with the Blue Jays who are 81-35 when hitting one or more homers.
