The Red Sox, winners of eight out of eleven in June, come into Camden Yards looking to avenge the series loss they took at home in early April.
Jun 12, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli (12), catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (39) and teammates high five after they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Sox and Orioles will open up a four-game set with Boston 3.0 games up on the second place Yankees, and 3.5 games up on the O’s. Though the Sox are 6-12 against their AL East foe since the start of 2012, Baltimore may be picking a bad time to face the Sox. The Red Sox are rolling and haven’t lost a series since May 20-22 when they lost two of three to the White Sox. The Sox seem to be clicking on both sides of the ball, while the pitching staff is doing an admirable job keeping Boston in games; the offense is making their lives easier by continually putting runs on the board.
The Orioles start this series on the right foot, having taking two out of three from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. However, it hasn’t all be smooth sailing for Buck Showalter’s club, as the pitching has often let the bats down. The Orioles staff ranks second to last in the Majors with a 4.55 ERA. On the other side of the coin though, the lineup has performed admirably, thanks in large part to guys like Adam Jones and Chris Davis. Baltimore’s offense is third in OPS and leads the league in homeruns with 88.
But it appears that Davis is cooling off, and without his potent bat consistently anchoring the lineup, the Orioles don’t look like they will be able to hack in the AL East.
Game One. Felix Doubront vs. Kevin Gausman (Thursday 7:05pm EDT)
June 1, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront (22) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox will send Felix Doubront to the hill in their first game at Camden Yards this season. The Sox will be hoping that Doubront can turn in his fifth straight quality start against a potent Orioles lineup. Though he hasn’t faced the Orioles yet this year, Doubront will be looking to improve upon his 0-2 record in three starts against the club last season. He hasn’t pitched poorly against the O’s though, a in his three starts he also recored a 2.70 ERA, striking out 30 Orioles and allowing only 6 runs in 20 innings pitched.
The Orioles meanwhile will send rookie Kevin Gausman to the bump to face the Sox. Gausman is still hunting for his first win in the Majors through four starts. Gausman brings with him an 8.84 ERA. While the righty sailed through the minors, he has gotten shelled in the Majors and hopefully the Red Sox will figure him out and keep that trend alive.
Game Two. Ryan Dempster vs. Chris Tillman(Friday7:05pm EDT)
June 9, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster (46) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Dempster comes into this game looking for his third straight win in the month of June. He boasts a 4.15 ERA so far in the month of June. Look for Dempster to continue to build off the success he has had against the Orioles in the past. Through 18.1 innings pitched Dempster owns a 1-0 record and a 1.47 ERA.
Chris Tillman looks to continue building on the success he has had this year, coming into the game with a 6-2 record. Tillman also has had success against the Sox in the past owning a 2.97 ERA and striking out 22 in 30.1 innings pitched against Boston.
Game Three. TBD vs. Freddy Garcia (Saturday 4:05pm EDT)
Game Four. TBD vs. Miguel Gonzalez (Sunday 1:35pm EDT)