Orioles aim for second straight win over Indians (Apr 20, 2018)
The Baltimore Orioles felt better after beating the Cleveland Indians on Friday night, and manager Buck Showalter is hoping that positive vibe can carry over to the second game of the series on Saturday at Camden Yards
Baltimore (6-14) ended a six-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Indians (9-8) in the series opener after a disastrous 0-6 road trip.
Showalter is hoping that beating a good team like the Indians can give his injury-riddled team a bit of a boost.
"I hope it's something we can take some confidence (from)," Showalter said. "We've had some tough times recently ... (and) that's a tough lineup. That's a really well put-together club."
Struggling right-hander Chris Tillman (0-3, 11.91 ERA) could use some confidence going against that team. The former Baltimore ace simply has not been the same since late in the 2016 season and has been hit hard in his first three starts -- after going just 1-7 last season.
Tillman is 5-2 with a 4.71 career ERA versus the Indians, who came into the series with a .208 batting average this season. However, the right-hander might be running out of time if he doesn't find his way soon.
He will go against Mike Clevinger (1-0, 2.70), who is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA against the Orioles in his brief career. Clevinger is part of a solid Cleveland pitching staff that has kept the Indians in the fight early this season despite the team's offensive woes.
The right-hander has fanned 14 in 16 2/3 innings this season, which will be his second full year in the major leagues.
The Indians, though, really need to get their offense going. Cleveland.com reported that the Indians are just 1-for-22 with runners in scoring position in their last two games.
Plus, they've stranded 21.
Baltimore also is struggling on offense. The Orioles are missing some key players who are on the disabled list, like Jonathan Schoop and Mark Trumbo.
Now, outfielder Trey Mancini, who has settled in at the leadoff spot, hurt a knee while going after a ball Friday night and may need a few stitches. His situation remains uncertain for Saturday.
The Orioles did receive some good injury news when closer Zach Britton threw off a half-mound for the first time Friday and felt fine. They will be more interested in how he is doing Saturday.
Britton underwent surgery on his right Achilles tendon after tearing it in the offseason. The club is hoping to have him back by early June at the latest.
The Indians were not as fortunate with injury news. They said Friday that Mike Napoli tore an ACL and meniscus (knee injuries) this past Tuesday while playing with Triple-A Columbus.
That means he will need surgery, which would end his season. The 36-year-old's career also could be over, but it would not be surprising to see Napoli turn up as a coach in a place like Cleveland, a subject manager Terry Francona touched on Friday.
"You don't wish that on anybody," Francona said, according to Cleveland.com. "I do think he's smart enough that once he gets through this disappointment, he's going to impact somebody, somewhere. I hope it's here."
