The Baltimore Orioles open a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday and are counting on the final homestand of the season to revive their fading division-title hopes.
The Orioles (84-66) are three games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East entering Monday’s play. Idle on Monday, Baltimore has won only two of its last eight games, falling 4-2 on Sunday at Detroit in the deciding game of a three-game series.
“That’s the thing about our clubhouse — we’ve got a great group of guys,” Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman said. “I think our guys, they come ready to play every single day, regardless of what they did the day before or what the team did. I think everyone here has got faith that we have the ability to do great things.”
The Orioles will play their final six home games through Sunday and then end the regular season with six road games, including a three-game series in New York with the Yankees from Sept. 24-26.
The Giants (72-78) are embarking on a nine-game road trip, their second-longest stretch away from home. They’ve lost four straight and five of their last six, including Sunday’s 4-3, 10-inning setback to the visiting San Diego Padres when they were swept in a three-game series.
About the only recent highlight for the Giants came when Heliot Ramos became the first right-handed batter to hit a home run into McCovey Cove on Sunday.
“It tied the game, so it was even better at the time,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “To hit one in the bay, nice little feather for him.”
That’s how Ramos felt as well.
“I always knew I had the oppo juice, but it looks impossible just by looking at the wall and the weather here,” Ramos said.
The Giants snapped a 32-inning scoreless streak in Sunday’s loss and now hit the road after playing just three games away from home this month.
The seed of Baltimore’s recent struggles are also at the plate.
“We’ve just got to get going offensively,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “When we’re having opportunities, we’re not cashing them in. So (it’s) tough to be perfect on the mound right now. We’ve got to start scoring more runs.”
Right-hander Albert Suarez (8-5, 3.39 ERA) is slated to start for Baltimore. He is 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA across his last five starts, holding the Boston Red Sox to one run in six innings last Tuesday.
Suarez went 3-8 with a 4.51 ERA in 40 games (12 starts) for the Giants in 2016-17 but had not returned to the majors until this season.
Suarez is 3-2 with a 4.32 ERA in 11 appearances (five starts) this season against National League opponents.
Left-hander Blake Snell (3-3, 3.52) gets the call for the Giants. He hasn’t been tagged with a loss since April, though he had quite a bit of down time until July due to injuries. His five-inning, one-run outing last Wednesday against Milwaukee resulted in his first victory since Aug. 7, which was one start after his no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
Snell has often matched up against Baltimore, mostly with the Tampa Bay Rays. He’s 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA in eight starts with 48 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings.
The Giants have won eight of Snell’s last nine starts.
