(Best E Casino) - Right-hander Jesse Litsch will try to summon better luck for the second half tonight, when his
Toronto Blue Jays open a three-game series with the
Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
Litsch, a 23-year-old right-hander, was 7-1 with a 3.18 earned run average after a 12-0 defeat of Oakland on May 29, but stumbled to the first-half finish with five losses in six decisions as his ERA rose to 4.16.
He was ripped by the New York Yankees in his final pre-break start, allowing seven hits and eight runs - three earned - over 2 2/3 innings of Toronto's 9-4 loss.
Litsch is 1-2 lifetime against the Orioles with a 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings.
For Baltimore, right-hander Radhames Liz also comes into the game after stumbling down the first-half stretch.
He was 3-0 in his first six 2008 starts after a 7-5 defeat of Kansas City on July 1, but lost subsequent outings to Texas and Boston on July 6 and 12 while allowing 13 hits and 12 earned runs in six innings.
As a result, his ERA swelled from an already high 5.46 to a bloated 7.57 in 35 2/3 overall innings.
Liz, who got a no-decision after tossing five innings of two-run ball against the Blue Jays in Baltimore's 5-4 loss on June 8, has allowed six hits and two earned runs in 11 lifetime innings against Toronto.
The Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays with Sunday's 9-4 victory, with Alex Rios and Marco Scutaro each homering and driving in three runs for Toronto.
The Blue Jays bullpen combined to allow a mere two hits and two walks over six shutout innings in relief of John Parrish, who surrendered four runs on four hits while walking two in his three-inning start. Shawn Camp (3-1) earned the win after tossing 1 2/3 scoreless frames.
Adam Lind drove in a pair of runs, while Scott Rolen went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of walks for Toronto, which had lost three of its previous four coming in.
The Orioles are coming off a split of a four-game home set with Detroit. In Sunday's finale, Justin Verlander's three-hit, 8 2/3-inning gem led the Tigers to a 5-1 victory.
Brian Burres (7-6) allowed three runs on six hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings for Baltimore, which has dropped four of its last six.
Toronto is 5-3 against the Orioles so far this season and split a two-game series with Baltimore at Camden Yards from April 14-15.
