Giants at Orioles
For a pair of last-place clubs, the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants put on a first-rate display of offense in the opener of a three-game series. The Orioles erased a five-run first-inning deficit en route to a 9-6 victory and have a chance to earn their first series win since April 22-24 when they host the Giants in the second of a three-game set on Saturday afternoon.
Dwight Smith Jr. ignited Friday's comeback win with a grand slam to cap a six-run first for Baltimore, which is seeking to win back-to-back games for the first time since May 4-6. Renato Núñez also went deep for the Orioles, giving him six homers and 14 RBIs in the past nine games, and Trey Mancini added a two-run blast. Mike Yastrzemski, acquired from Baltimore at the end of spring training, belted his first major league homer and added an RBI triple for San Francisco. Steven Duggar added two hits and two RBIs for the Giants, who tumbled to their eighth defeat in the past nine games.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Shaun Anderson (0-1, 4.80 ERA) vs. Orioles RH David Hess (1-6, 6.71)
Anderson, who will be making his fourth major league start, is coming off his worst outing in a losing effort versus Arizona, giving up six runs (four earned) and nine hits over five innings on Sunday. The 24-year-old also went five innings in each of his previous two turns, permitting two runs and eight hits versus Atlanta and three runs on only two hits against Toronto in his major league debut. The opposition is 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position off Anderson, who will be making his first road start.
Things have gone downhill for Hess since he tossed 6 1/3 hitless innings in his first start and the main issue is his inability to keep the ball in the park. He has surrendered a major league-worst 18 homers -- all coming in his last nine outings -- but allowed only one in a no-decision at Colorado on Sunday in which he was charged with five runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. Hess has been hit especially hard at Camden Yards, giving up nine homers in 19 innings while going 0-3 with a 9.47 ERA in four starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles 2B Jonathan Villar is 10-for-20 with two homers, five RBIs and and seven runs in the past six games.
2. San Francisco starters had a 6.79 ERA in May entering Friday's game, which saw LH Drew Pomeranz give up eight runs in 1 1/3 innings.
3. Mancini's 11th homer ended an 11-game drought.