O's game blog: Orioles have 9.26 ERA against Jays (plus a scout's take on Adam Jones)

Beyond the emotion we saw on the field last night emerges this reality for the Orioles: They need to start pitching better against Toronto.

The Blue Jays are 3-1 against the Orioles this year, and they've scored 36 runs. They have a team batting average of .313, and are slugging .556 with an OPS of .927, against the Orioles.

Toronto has scored 10 or more runs four times this year, three times against the Orioles. The Birds have allowed 10 or more runs three times, all against the Blue Jays. The O's staff has a 9.26 ERA, and has allowed six homers in 35 innings with a 1.69 WHIP in the four games.

So, the time has come to turn that around against a team that has designs on taking a division title away from the Orioles.

Here is how O's starters have fared against Toronto:
* Bud Norris: 3 IP, 7 hits, 8 runs
* Ubaldo Jimenez: 7 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs
* Chris Tillman: 2 2/3 IP, 7 hits, 7 runs
* Norris: 2 1/3 IP, 6 hits, 9 runs

So O's starters not named Jimenez have pitched eight innings, allowing 20 hits and 24 runs. Call me crazy, but I see room for improvement.

Jimenez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the start tonight against 22-year-old right-hander Aaron Sanchez (0-2, 6.23 ERA), the Blue Jays No. 2 prospect behind Daniel Norris.

Jimenez has given up just one hit in 10 2/3 innings this year, so opponent batters are hitting just .031 (1-for-32) against him. In 10 career games (nine starts) versus Toronto, he is 4-3 with a 4.01 ERA. In three starts at Rogers Centre, he is 0-1 with an 8.68 ERA, allowing three homers in 9 1/3 innings.

Orioles starting pitchers have gone 5 1/3 or fewer innings for five straight games, and have gone six in a row without a quality start. The rotation's ERA is up to 5.16.

Sanchez gave up three runs and seven hits (two homers) in 3 1/3 innings against the Orioles on April 11 at Camden Yards.

Adam Jones is now batting .442 with four doubles, five homers, 16 RBIs and an OPS of 1.290. He is 9-for-14 against Toronto pitching this year, with two homers and five RBIs.

In this article today by ESPN's Jayson Stark, he quotes a scout saying this about the Orioles outfielder and his great start:

"He's gone to another level," said that scout. "And I think he may sustain it. Offensively and defensively, what I've seen so far, you could argue he's practically in the same league as Mike Trout. It's always going to be a worry that Jones chases too many balls out of the strike zone.

"But you know what? He swings at everything, but he hits everything. He hits bad pitches. He hits good pitches. He hits mistakes. He's about as hot, in every aspect, as I've ever seen anybody."

The Orioles (7-7) need a win tonight to avoid their first three-game losing streak. The Orioles are 16-31 at Rogers Centre since the 2010 season.

The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds beat Hagerstown 5-4 this afternoon by scoring two runs to get the lead in the top of the ninth on Jamill Moquete's solo homer and Guillermo Salas' RBI groundout , which scored Jonah Heim who had doubled.

Wednesday's win was a special one for Shorebirds manager Ryan Minor, who now has 300 victories in his managerial career. Of those wins, 239 have come as skipper of the Shorebirds.