The Cleveland Guardians are in a groove again, and that’s what might be needed this weekend to keep the momentum.
The Guardians will try to reach at least a six-game winning streak for the third time this season when they take on the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night.
Cleveland has won the first two contests of this four-game series.
Baltimore’s pitching hasn’t been up to the task in the series. The Guardians won 10-3 on Thursday and 8-4 on Friday.
“We kept the line moving,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Guys weren’t trying to do too much. Ran the bases really well. It seems like we’re running with our heads up, and guys are doing a great job.”
The Orioles were held to four singles in the second game of the series, with the Guardians using six pitchers.
“That’s a great lineup over there,” Vogt said.
Yet Baltimore has lost eight of its last 13 games. The Guardians are 4-1 against the Orioles this season.
Third baseman Coby Mayo made his major league debut for the Orioles on Friday night, going 0-for-2 with two walks and scoring a run.
Making it to the big leagues is rewarding.
“It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Mayo said. “Really a special moment for my family.”
Now it looks as if the Orioles will rely on young players such as Mayo and infielder Jackson Holliday, who has been baseball’s top prospect, to make a difference.
“We’re hoping the talent can rise up,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “This is a really, really tough game, especially at this level, especially at this time of the year with pressure and everything that goes along with it. Hopefully, these guys can just relax and let their talent take over.”
Mayo will fill in for injured third baseman Jordan Westburg, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a broken right hand.
“I’m not looking for him to replace Jordan Westburg,” Hyde said. “Jordan Westburg was an All-Star. I really just want Coby to be himself.”
Right-hander Zach Eflin (6-7, 4.11 ERA) on Saturday will make his second start for the Orioles since he was acquired in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays.
In a span of nearly a month, he has faced only two teams — the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees each twice.
Eflin was the winner Monday vs. Toronto, logging six innings and surviving 10 hits while allowing three runs and striking out seven in an 11-5 victory. He has faced Cleveland only once in his career, suffering a loss last season while allowing six runs on nine hits in three innings.
Cleveland has rookie lefty Joey Cantillo (0-0, 8.10 ERA) slated to start in what will be just his second game in the big leagues. The 24-year-old gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings Sunday in his team’s 4-3 win at Philadelphia.
First baseman Josh Naylor of the Guardians has had multiple hits in three of his last four games. He produced three hits Friday night, marking his fourth three-hit outing of the season.
In Baltimore’s last four losses, the Orioles have surrendered at least eight runs in all of those games.
