The last two nights the Orioles have a total of two runs on 11 hits and have gone 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. With their team average down to .239, its lowest mark since Opening Day, all the Orioles have to do tonight is beat Tampa Bay's David Price, who is first in the American League in wins and fourth in ERA.
Matt Wieters has had some some success against the lefty, going 7-for-21 for a .333 average.
"He's got a good arm and is a good pitcher," Wieters said. "The key for him is you better be ready for his fastball and try and adjust off of that. Just get a good pitch to hit. With a guy with his kind of stuff, you can't be swinging at his pitches. Try to get something in the middle of the plate and don't miss it."
Price is 13-4 with a 2.64 ERA and, according to Fangraphs, has the second best fastball velocity in the majors at 95.5 mph, behind only Washington's Stephen Strasburg at 95.9.
Over his last six starts, the 26-year-old lefty is 5-0 with an ERA of 1.91. Price is tied for the major league wins lead with R.A. Dickey of the Mets and Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals.
Omar Quintanilla, who makes his third start with the Orioles tonight, saw Price on June 13 when he actually had his worst start of the year, giving up seven runs in five innings.
"I did face him earlier in the year with the Mets. He throws hard. Just have to go out there and try to grind some at-bats and get on base," Quintanilla, who went 0-for-2 in that game, said.
Price is 5-2 with an ERA of 2.58 in 10 career starts against the Orioles. In his first five against the Orioles, he was 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA and is 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA over the last five.
He is 2-0 with an ERA of 2.81 in five career Camden Yards starts and the Rays are 4-1 in those games.
Through three: The Orioles will need to buy or produce more than one tonight as they trail Price and Tampa 7-1 after three innings. Miguel Gonzalez allowed seven runs over 2 2/3 as the O's quality starts streak ended at seven.
J.J. Hardy came up with a RBI single in the first for the Orioles. Price has fanned five so far over three innings. The Orioles have had 34 double-digit strikeout games this year to lead the AL and Tampa is next with 30.
Matt Wieters fanned to end the third, leaving two runners on base. Wieters is now in a 1-for-25 slump.
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