Orioles at Indians
The Baltimore Orioles look to build off a strong pitching performance when they send promising rookie John Means to the mound Saturday afternoon for the third of a four-game series against the host Cleveland Indians. Dylan Bundy and three relievers held the Indians to three hits in a 5-1 triumph Friday night, one day after Baltimore surrendered 14 runs in the series opener.
Jonathan Villar gave the Orioles all they needed with a three-run homer in the third inning Friday to snap an eight-game homer and RBI drought while teammate Stevie Wilkerson homered and knocked in his third and fourth runs of the series. Means, a left-hander who spent the last five seasons in the minors and began 2019 in the bullpen, goes after his third straight win, while Cleveland’s Adam Plutko will make his season debut in the majors Saturday. The Indians’ bats went cold Friday after posting 23 runs in the previous two games and lost for just the fourth time in 16 meetings with Baltimore since the beginning of the 2017 season. All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor had one of the three singles for Cleveland on Friday and has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 contests while going 9-for-24 in the past six.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH John Means (5-3, 2.33 ERA) vs. Indians RH Adam Plutko (2018: 4-5, 5.28)
Means has allowed just one earned run in five of his six starts, including Sunday when he limited the Los Angeles Angels to one tally on four hits and three walks across six innings for a win. The 26-year-old West Virginia product gave up four runs on six hits (two homers) in his last road start against the Chicago White Sox on April 29. Means, who faces Cleveland for the first time, has held left-handed batters to a .107 average with 12 strikeouts in 29 at-bats.
Plutko will be recalled to make the start after taking on that role 12 times in 17 appearances in 2018. The 27-year-old UCLA product struggled in two starts with Triple-A Columbus this year, giving up six runs on four hits and four walks across 5 1/3 combined innings. Villar launched a three-run homer to account for all the runs against Plutko, who yielded three hits over seven innings to take the loss in his only career start against Baltimore last August.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis followed up his career-high six RBIs in the series opener with a single and walk Friday.
2. Baltimore OF Trey Mancini is 3-for-8 in the series with three runs scored and leads the team with a .311 batting average.
3. Indians LHP Brad Hand is 11-for-11 in save opportunities with 25 strikeouts and five walks over 17 2/3 innings.