O's game blog: Going for a sweep at Rogers Centre

TORONTO - After going winless here last season in 10 games, the Orioles can today sweep a three-game series at Rogers Centre. They won 6-5 Monday night and 2-1 behind Andrew Cashner last night.

At 4-1, the Orioles are in second place in the American League East, a half-game behind the 5-1 Tampa Bay Rays. New York is third at 2-3 followed by Toronto at 2-4 and Boston at 1-5.

Last year, the Orioles went 3-21-2 in 26 road series and now they are 2-0 to begin this season.

For the second time this season, the Orioles will use right-hander Nate Karns as an opener this afternoon. On Saturday at New York, Karns went two scoreless innings on 33 pitches in a 5-3 win over the Yankees. Right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis followed him to the mound that day and is expected to do the same today.

The Orioles signed the 31-year-old Karns to a major league deal on Feb. 7. Karns missed all last season and had not pitched in a major league game since May 19, 2017 for Kansas City before his outing in the Bronx. Later that season, he had thoracic outlet surgery and last season was out with a right elbow injury.

Drafted in round 12 by Washington in 2009, Karns was the Nats' minor league Pitcher of the Year in 2012 and was the Tampa Bay Rays outstanding rookie in 2015, when he went 7-5 with an ERA of 3.67.

Right-hander Matt Shoemaker (1-0, 0.00 ERA), coming off a strong start in the second game of the year, gets the ball today for the Blue Jays. Shoemaker was non-tendered by the Angels, who elected not to retain him at a projected $4.3 million salary through arbitration. On Dec. 28, Toronto added him on a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.

Shoemaker went 40-32 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.204 WHIP in six seasons with the Angels. He was limited by right forearm issues to 108 2/3 combined innings the past two years. He went 2-2 with a 4.94 ERA in seven starts last season.

On Friday, in Toronto's 6-0 win over Detroit, he threw seven scoreless innings on two hits. He walked two and fanned seven, throwing 44 two- and four-seam fastballs that averaged 90 mph. The splitter was a big pitch for him in that game, getting eight swings and misses on 21 pitches.

The Orioles' four-game winning streak marks the first for the team since May 9-12, 2018. The Orioles have won four straight road games for the first time since July 5-16, 2016.

Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. returned to Rogers Centre to play against his former team on Monday. He is 2-for-9 in this series and has a career batting average of .311 (14-for-45) in 19 games at Rogers Centre. Smith was acquired from Toronto on March 8 in exchange for international bonus slots. He played in 12 games for the Orioles in spring after being acquired, hitting .429 (12-for-28) and tying a team high with five home runs.