MLB Game Preview - Baltimore at Toronto

Sun Aug 30, 2020 3:07 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles' road show had been a hit until it faltered in Florida and then bombed in Buffalo, temporary home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles will try to revive that road success Sunday afternoon in the third game of a four-game series.

Right-hander Tanner Roark (2-1, 4.91 ERA) will start for Toronto. Baltimore has decided on right-hander Jorge Lopez (0-0, 7.00) as its starter.

The Orioles had won eight of their first nine games away from Baltimore to become one of the top road teams in baseball before they arrived in Tampa Bay on Tuesday. They lost two straight there, 4-2 and 4-3.

The Blue Jays then defeated the Orioles 5-4 in 10 innings on Friday and 5-0 on Saturday to improve to 5-0 against Baltimore this season, including a three-game sweep in Baltimore Aug. 17-19.

The Orioles are two games into a stretch of playing 30 games in 31 days.

"It's definitely going to be a difficult task," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters. "Keeping guys healthy is going to be a big part. The 28-man roster does help with that."

The Orioles have a doubleheader Sept. 4 against the New York Yankees and another doubleheader Sept. 17 against the Rays.

"It's never easy playing 30 in 31," Hyde said. "I'm going to have to really make sure guys get rest days and be smart about playing time and still try to win."

Lopez will take injured Wade LeBlanc's rotation spot. He will be making his first start with Baltimore since he was claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 9. He has allowed seven earned runs over nine innings with Baltimore in long relief.

Lopez is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in three career games (one start) against Toronto.

Roark earned the win against the Orioles on Aug. 19 by allowing two runs (one earned) in five innings. He is 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA in five career games (four starts) against Baltimore.

Baltimore put right-hander Shawn Armstrong on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with lower-back inflammation and recalled right-hander Evan Phillips, who pitched one scoreless inning Saturday against Toronto.

The Blue Jays put right-handed reliever Jordan Romano (right middle finger strain) on the IL Saturday and recalled right-hander Sean Reid-Foley.

Romano left the game Friday with the finger injury one pitch after allowing the game-tying homer to Renato Nunez in the eighth.

"When I went to the mound, his finger felt numb," manager Charlie Montoyo said Saturday. "Of course, that's why he couldn't grip the ball to throw his pitches."

Romano has a 1.23 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 14 2/3 innings this season.

The return of closer Ken Giles (strained right forearm) could make up for that loss. Giles is scheduled to face live hitters for the first time on Tuesday.

"I know one thing," Montoyo said. "When he gets back, he wants to just be back. He doesn't want to throw one inning and take three days off. He just wants to be normal. We'll see how he feels after live BP and go from there."

Anthony Bass will be the first choice as closer.

Three Toronto players extended streaks on Saturday. Cavan Biggio was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and has reached base in 21 straight games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to extend his hit streak to a career-best 11 games. Teoscar Hernandez was 2-for-4 to match his career-best 10-game hit streak.

--Field Level Media