O's game blog: Wade Miley gets start in Game 2 at Toronto

TORONTO - Through Thursday's games, the Orioles held the best record in baseball, a .750 winning percentage at 6-2. A 4-0 record in one-run games was a huge help for a team that has outscored its opponents by just two runs while winning six of eight games.

The Orioles are still looking to get their offense going, pulling out a 2-1 victory last night on just five hits. Orioles batters walked just twice and struck out 15 times.

But they continue to get some clutch hits, even when they don't score many runs. The Orioles went 2-for-4 with runners in scoring position after going 5-for-9 in such situations on Wednesday in Boston.

The Orioles lead the American League in batting with runners in scoring position:
.380 - Baltimore
.329 - Boston
.300 - Detroit
.295 - Houston
.277 - Texas

The Orioles are certainly not piling up the runs yet, scoring three or fewer five times in eight games. But they've gone 3-2 in those games.

Toronto has been the worst-hitting team in the AL and ranks last with 24 runs scored. The Blue Jays rank last in the league in batting (.190), OBP (.271), slugging (.277) and are tied for last with four home runs.

In scoring four runs in three games versus the Orioles on the season (and going 0-3), Toronto is batting .224/.291/.271 with five extra-base hits, all doubles. The Orioles have a team ERA of 1.24 in the three games, allowing 24 hits and four runs in 29 innings.

On the mound tonight, left-hander Wade Miley (0-0, 0.00 ERA) pitches against right-hander Aaron Sanchez (0-0, 1.29 ERA).

Miley had a wild ride in his season debut Sunday. Facing the Yankees, he pitched five scoreless on one hit, but walked seven batters. But in that start, he held right-handed batters to 1-for-13 and the Yankees went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

In his first eight starts with the Orioles after they traded for him last year, Miley pitched to an ERA of 8.41. But in his last four - three last year and that start versus New York five days ago - his ERA is 1.52 with four runs over 23 2/3 innings.

Sanchez, the 34th overall pick in the 2010 draft, went 15-2 in 2016 and led the AL in ERA at 3.00. He threw 192 innings with a WHIP of 1.167 and Toronto went 18-12 in his 30 starts as he went on to finish seventh in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

His .882 winning percentage then was the best by a starter in club history. In addition to leading the league in ERA, he ranked first in OPS against (.625) and fourth in batting average (.224). In 14 starts versus the AL East last season, Sanchez was 8-0 with a 2.66 ERA.

In five starts last season versus the Orioles, Sanchez was 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA. In 13 career appearances (eight starts) against Baltimore, he has gone 5-2 with a 3.88 ERA.