The Orioles send Albert Suárez to the mound looking to secure a series win north of the border.
Canada may be known as the Great White North, but the way the Orioles are dominating in Toronto, we may have to start calling Rogers Centre the Great Orange North. After dominant pitching performances in Games 1 and 2—plus the latest Ryan Mountcastle domination of the Blue Jays—the Orioles come into Thursdays matchup looking to wrap up a series win vs. Toronto.
After the Blue Jays had the disadvantage Tuesday of pitching a bullpen game while the O’s started Corbin Burnes, the pitching matchup swings back in their favor tonight. Toronto sends ace José Berríos to the mound while the Birds counter with fifth starter Albert Suárez. Berríos got the better of Baltimore last time, throwing seven innings while allowing three hits and two runs—with both runs coming via Adley Rutschman solo HRs. The O’s lost that game in extra innings and will look to avenge that loss tonight.
This will be the first time Suárez faces the Blue Jays as a member of the Orioles, but he does with a spotless 0.00 ERA in two previous appearances against Toronto. Also working in the Orioles’ favor is their 4-1 record this season when Suárez starts, including a 2-0 record on the road. That lines up well with the Orioles’ dominance in Toronto over the last two seasons. Baltimore boasts an 8-1 record in Rogers Centre since the start of 2023 and has outscored the Blue Jays 61-23 in that stretch.
If the Orioles pull out the victory tonight, they’ll have a 40-20 record 60 games into the season. That’d be three games better than their 60-game mark from 2023, and four games ahead of the pace set by the 1983 World Series Champions. In fact, in the six seasons where the Orioles made it to the World Series, their average record after 60 games was 39-21.
Orioles Lineup
- Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
- Adley Rutschman (S) C
- Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B
- Ryan O’Hearn (L) RF
- Anthony Santander (S) DH
- Jordan Westburg (R) 2B
- Kyle Stowers (L) LF
- Cedric Mullins (L) CF
- Ramón Urías (R) 3B
Starting pitcher: RHP Albert Suárez (2-0, 1.57 ERA, 29 Ks)
Blue Jays Lineup
- Davis Schneider (R) 2B
- Dalton Varsho (L) LF
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
- Bo Bichette (R) SS
- George Springer (R) RF
- Justin Turner (R) DH
- Alejandro Kirk (R) C
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) 3B
- Kevin Keirmaier (L) CF
Starting pitcher: RHP José Berríos (5-4, 2.78 ERA, 58 Ks)