The visiting Baltimore Orioles will try to complete a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon, the final day before the All-Star break.
The Orioles — who have yet to sweep a series this season — made it two wins in a row over the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon with an 8-1 decision and have won four of the five games they have played this season in Toronto. They lead the season series overall 5-3.
“The last two days they have pitched well, (particularly) their starters,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters of Andrew Cashner and Dylan Bundy, who held the Blue Jays to a combined two runs on six hits in 13 2/3 combined innings the last two days.
The Blue Jays will be trying to break even for the 10-game homestand on Sunday. They are 4-5 for the stand and 17-30 at home for the season.
The Orioles will start right-hander Asher Wojciechowski (0-1, 6.75 ERA) against right-hander Trent Thornton (2-6, 5.18) in the finale.
Wojciechowski will be making his second start of the season for the Orioles. The former Blue Jays minor-leaguer — drafted in the first round in 2010 — had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday and made his first major league start of the season that day, a 6-3 loss at Tampa Bay in which he allowed four runs and five hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Wojciechowski never pitched for Toronto in the majors but did face them once, giving up four runs in four innings May 30, 2017, in a no-decision start for the Cincinnati Reds.
Gabriel Ynoa, who was originally scheduled to start Sunday for the Orioles, will be available out of the bullpen and will return to the rotation after the All-Star break.
The Orioles adjusted their bullpen before the game Saturday, recalling right-hander David Hess from Triple-A Norfolk. Right-hander Josh Lucas was designated for assignment Saturday after right-hander Aaron Brooks was claimed off waivers from the Oakland Athletics.
The Orioles hope Hess, who did not pitch Saturday, will benefit from being used from the bullpen instead of as a starter.
“A little bit of a clean slate, and obviously, command,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told the media. “Command of his pitches, sharpening up his slider a little bit. He was throwing a little bit harder earlier in the year. We’ll try to get some (velocity) back in short spurts instead of a long start.”
In five relief appearances over 13 innings with Norfolk, he had a 3.46 ERA.
Brooks has split time between the rotation and bullpen this season with a 5.01 ERA over 50 1/3 innings.
As for the Jays, Thornton allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings in his only start against the Orioles, a 4-2 loss June 11 at Baltimore.
Blue Jays rookie third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left the game Saturday after seven innings with what Montoyo said was a stomachache.
Toronto outfielder Randal Grichuk has yet to play in the series because of a sore back.
Marcus Stroman, who missed his scheduled start Friday with a pectoral cramp, was ruled out of possibly pitching Sunday or in the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Cleveland.
The Blue Jays are 24 games below .500 for the first time this season after raising their total of games with three or fewer hits to a major league-worst 13.
“There were some positives (over the past two days), only not as many,” Montoyo said. “I always find some positives.”