MLB Game Preview - Baltimore at Toronto

Tue Sep 24, 2019 7:07 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays will try to continue their winning ways against the visiting Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a three-game series Tuesday night.

The Blue Jays swept the Orioles in a three-game series in Baltimore last week. They picked up where they left off Monday night in the series opener with an 11-10 victory in 15 innings, a contest that ended on the first career home run by September call-up Anthony Alford.

"It couldn't happen to a better kid, everyone was happy for him," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters after the game of Alford.

"I just really enjoyed the moment, you don't know when it might come again," Alford said. He added it was his first walk-off home run at any level.

It was the eighth walk-off win for the Blue Jays this season and the ninth such loss for the Orioles.

Alford, who entered the game Monday as a pinch runner in the ninth inning, should get more opportunity to play because fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is out for the remainder of the season because of appendix surgery. Gurriel became ill before the game Monday and was scratched from the lineup.

The Blue Jays (64-93) also were without infielders Bo Bichette (concussion protocol) and Richard Urena (elbow).

The Orioles (51-106) will start right-hander Dylan Bundy (6-14, 4.89 ERA) Tuesday against Blue Jays left-hander Anthony Kay (1-0, 5.79).

The Blue Jays are 10-7 against the Orioles this season.

Kay is scheduled to make his third career start and fourth career appearance on Tuesday. He earned his first major league win last Thursday at Baltimore when he allowed two runs, four hits and one walk in four innings of relief. He struck out three.

He was acquired in late July as part of the deal that sent right-hander Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets.

Bundy is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays this season and is 4-3 with a 3.13 ERA against them in 14 career games (10 starts).

Bundy and the Orioles will hope to get continued strong work from the newly selected American League Player of the Week, Trey Mancini.

Mancini hit .462/.484/.846 (12-for-26) with four doubles, two home runs, four runs and 10 RBIs in six games last week. He had four hits against Toronto to match his career best on Thursday.

As the new week started Monday, he went 2-for-6 with two walks to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. He is 19-for-46 (.413) and has four homers and 16 RBIs during the streak.

As the Orioles try to build toward the future, they will need players such as Mancini to continue to evolve into team leaders.

"From here on forward, I can take on more of a vocal role," Mancini said Monday afternoon. "I'm not afraid to be a little more vocal. That's going to be more the goal going into next year is to try to develop in that role."

"For me, it's time," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said previously. "It's time to not just let his actions show what kind of player he is, but he can lead guys, too, in different ways."

Orioles center fielder Austin Hays showed Monday the different ways he can contribute.

Hays was made two fine catches and threw out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the slugger was trying for a double in the third. Hays also had two home runs and a career-best five RBIs in the game.

He made one of the top defensive plays of last week, a spectacular catch Wednesday to rob Guerrero of a homer.

--Field Level Media