The Cleveland Guardians will turn to their ace as they look for a bounce-back win against the host Baltimore Orioles in the rubber game of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
The Guardians fell behind 7-0 after two innings Tuesday en route to an 8-5 loss after holding the Orioles to just five hits while recording a dozen strikeouts in a 5-0 win on Monday.
Baltimore has been dominant at home, dropping just two of its eight previous home series so far this season, while Cleveland has dropped its last five series away from Progressive Field.
The Guardians will give the ball to Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.04 ERA) in the series finale. The right-hander held the St. Louis Cardinals to two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and four walks over 6 2/3 innings during a 4-3 win in his last start on Friday.
He has gone at least six innings and allowed three earned runs or fewer in nine of his 11 starts this season.
“I can’t think of it ever not being a good day (to have Bieber on the mound),” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said.
Bieber has been quite successful against the Orioles throughout his career. He’s 3-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 48 strikeouts against just three walks in 31 innings over four career starts. He has recorded 11 strikeouts in each of his last three starts against the Orioles, including when he allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings his previous start against Baltimore last September.
While the Orioles haven’t officially named a starting pitcher, manager Brandon Hyde indicated he’ll likely go with Austin Voth (0-1, 4.10). The right-hander would be making his first start of the season after coming out of the bullpen in each of his previous 18 appearances this year.
Voth started 17 games last season for the Orioles but couldn’t win a spot in the starting rotation in spring training. Voth last pitched on Friday, when he surrendered a run on two hits with a strikeout and two walks over 3 2/3 innings in a 12-2 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers.
“I’m just happy to have an opportunity to maybe get back in the rotation,” Voth said.
It has been more than three years since Voth made his only appearance against the Guardians. Pitching for the Washington Nationals, Voth picked up the win in an 8-2 victory by surrendering just two runs on two hits with five strikeouts and no walks in September 2019.
On Tuesday, the Orioles took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Gunnar Henderson’s two-run double before Anthony Santander added a three-run triple to highlight a five-run second inning.
Santander produced his second straight three-hit game — and the third in his past five games — by going 3-for-4 with two doubles, the three-run triple and two runs.
“He’s been on time with the fastball a little bit more,” Hyde said. “He had a couple of beautiful swings tonight.”
Henderson had just his third multi-hit game in May by going 2-for-4 and finishing with three RBIs.
–Field Level Media
