Orioles strive to salvage series vs. Red Sox
Chris Tillman’s back from a short stint on the disabled list. But will his presence on the mound tonight be enough to lift the Orioles out of their recent malaise?
Baltimore’s ace squares off against the mighty Red Sox at 7:05 p.m. ET, with oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv remaining faithful to AL East leaders. Buck Showalter’s group, on the other hand, enters the series finale as a +125 underdog. The over/under run total rests at 8.5.
Despite not having the services of Hanley Ramirez (sore shoulder), John Farrell’s club secured its seventh straight victory yesterday. The O’s, in turn, fell a game behind Toronto in the race for the top wild-card position. They’re still ahead of the Tigers and Astros by the slimmest of margins.
Losers of four of five, however, Showalter’s troops need a big-time effort from Tillman this evening. The Anaheim native’s 16 triumphs already match a career high that he reached three years ago. Most recently, Tillman gave up three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings vs. Tampa Bay.
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Visiting Boston answers with David Price, who hopes to move beyond last week’s hiccup against the Yankees. The lefty surrendered nine base knocks and five runs to New York, taking a no-decision. It halted Price’s seven-start winning streak.
We’re hesitant to predict a 17th win overall for the perennial All-Star, simply because of the must-win nature of this contest for Baltimore. Look for the Orioles to eke out a win, thanks in large part to Tillman’s dependability at Camden Yards.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: ORIOLES +1.5