Padres at Orioles
Manny Machado has been given a mixed reception at most of the venues he has visited this season, but he's expecting the next one to be a bit friendlier. The four-time All-Star returns to Baltimore for the first time since he was traded last season on Tuesday when the San Diego Padres open a two-game set against the Orioles.
Machado, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 18 and played out the rest of the season with the World Series runners-up until signing a 10-year, $300 million with the Padres over the winter, finished his 6 1/2-year career with the Orioles with 162 homers and 471 RBIs while leading them to three postseason appearances. "I'm looking forward to seeing the home crowd that supported me for the last eight years. … I'm just excited to be back and be in the city of Baltimore," Machado told reporters last week. The 26-year-old has been on an offensive tear for nearly two weeks, batting .469 with six homers, 14 RBIs and 16 runs scored during an 11-game hitting streak, although Sunday's three-hit effort wasn't enough in a wild 11-10, 11-inning loss at Pittsburgh. While the Padres are in the middle of a three-game skid, the Orioles (22-56) have dropped 11 of 12 and are well on pace to finish with the worst record in baseball for the second straight year.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Logan Allen (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jimmy Yacabonis (1-1, 4.70)
Allen was brilliant in his big-league debut last Tuesday, earning the victory after holding Milwaukee to three hits over seven scoreless innings, becoming only the third Padre ever to accomplish both feats in his first career start. The 22-year-old, who was acquired with three other players in the Craig Kimbrel trade in 2015, was promoted in spite of an uneven season at Triple-A El Paso during which he went 4-3 with a 5.15 ERA in 13 starts. Allen allowed only one hit against a right-handed batter in 13 at-bats in his debut.
Yacabonis is set to start before giving way to left-hander Josh Rogers for the second time in his last three appearances after throwing two scoreless innings in Oakland in his only other time as the opener. Rogers has been scored upon in each of his four appearances this season, most recently permitting a run in an inning of relief Saturday after getting tagged for three runs over as many frames following Yacabonis on Wednesday. Rogers has surrendered five homers in 34 at-bats against right-handed batters in 2019.
WALK-OFFS
1. Machado has at least one RBI in seven straight games and nine of his last 10.
2. The Padres are 20-13 against opponents with a winning record and 18-27 against sub-.500 foes.
3. Baltimore announced the signing of No. 1 overall draft pick - Oregon State C Adley Rutschman - to a contract Monday which included a record-breaking $8.1 million signing bonus.