Orioles at Indians
Jordan Luplow has prospered from consistent playing time this month and the outfielder looks to continue a power surge when his Cleveland Indians host the Baltimore Orioles for the finale of a four-game series Sunday afternoon. Luplow launched his fifth home run in the last nine games Saturday to put the Indians ahead for good en route to a 4-1 victory, and the 25-year-old is 9-for-32 during that stretch.
Carlos Santana also went deep in the latest victory to push his team-leading total to 25 RBIs while Francisco Lindor has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 contests for Cleveland, which has won three of its last four games and is 13-4 versus Baltimore since 2017. Shane Bieber looks to post his first win since April 16 when he takes the mound for the Indians in the series finale and Baltimore counters with fellow right-hander Yefry Ramirez, who makes his first start of the season. The struggling Orioles managed one hit Saturday to lose for the eighth time in 10 games and struck out nine times against starter Adam Plutko and three relievers. Trey Mancini gave Baltimore its only run with a solo blast in the fourth inning that earned a brief lead and the versatile 27-year-old has recorded four of his team-best 10 homers in the last eight contests.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Baltimore), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Yefry Ramirez (0-1, 5.14 ERA) vs. Indians RH Shane Bieber (2-2, 3.81)
Ramirez moves into the rotation after pitching in relief three times this year while allowing four runs on five hits and five walks over seven innings combined. The 25-year-old Dominican made 12 starts in his 17 appearances for the Orioles last season, finishing with a 1-8 record overall and a 5.92 ERA with 62 strikeouts and 36 walks across 65 1/3 innings overall. Ramirez gave up seven runs over three innings to take the loss in a start against Cleveland last year.
Bieber is winless in his last five starts (0-2) and allowed five runs on seven hits (four homers) with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of a loss against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The 23-year-old California native permitted a total of seven runs across 20 innings in his previous three starts without factoring into a decision. Bieber, who faces Baltimore for the first time in his young career, has 54 strikeouts over 49 2/3 innings and is limiting opponents to a .218 average.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Orioles have allowed 12 stolen bases in their first 45 games, the least in the American League.
2. Cleveland OF Orlando Mercado registered his first major league hit Saturday - a double - and has scored in each of his three games.
3. Baltimore 1B-DH Chris Davis, who has struck out 14 times in his last seven games, is four homers from 250 with the Orioles.