Rookie lefty Ricky Romero can cap off a stellar first year
with a win today when his Toronto Blue Jays visit Camden Yards to wrap up a
three-game series and the 2009 schedule against the Baltimore Orioles.
The sixth overall pick in 2005 out of Cal State-Fullerton, Romero earned the
13th victory of his inaugural campaign on September 29 at Boston, scattering
seven hits and two runs in five innings of an 8-7 win.
He's winless in three starts thus far against the Orioles, dropping two
decisions while allowing 23 hits and 12 runs in 19 1/3 innings and allowing an
opposition batting average of .307.
A 24-year-old from Los Angeles, Romero is 5-5 in 14 road starts this season
with a 4.13 earned run average in 89 1/3 innings.
For Baltimore, fellow former first-round draft pick Jeremy Guthrie tries to
end a skid that's seen his drop four straight starts.
The 30-year-old, who was picked 22nd overall in the 2002 draft, last won on
September 6 against Texas when he gave up six hits in seven scoreless innings
of the Orioles' 7-0 victory.
He's allowed 36 hits and 18 runs in 25 1/3 innings since, losing to the New
York Yankees, Boston, the Blue Jays and Tampa Bay.
Against Toronto on September 23, he was touched for eight hits and seven runs
in seven innings of a 7-3 loss.
Lifetime against the Blue Jays, Guthrie is 2-4 in 10 starts.
On Saturday, Mark Hendrickson pitched into the seventh inning and Jeff
Fiorentino knocked in two runs, as the Orioles made sure of avoiding a dubious
mark with a 6-3 victory.
With just one game remaining in the regular season, the Orioles (63-98)
avoided their first 100-loss campaign since 1988.
Ty Wigginton added a pair of hits and an RBI for Baltimore, which has won
three in a row since snapping its 13-game skid.
Hendrickson (6-5), who was drafted by the Blue Jays in 1997 and started his
major league career with Toronto, made his 53rd appearance of the season but
just his 11th start.
The 6-foot-9 southpaw was charged with six hits and three runs over 6 1/3
innings and posted his first victory since July 11, also at Camden Yards and
against the Blue Jays.
Travis Snider had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Blue Jays, who announced
earlier in the day the firing of general manager J.P. Ricciardi. He was with
the organization since 2001 and had one year left on his contract.
Toronto has dropped two straight since a six-game winning streak.
Scott Richmond (8-11), who had won his previous two starts, yielded seven hits
and five runs over four innings.
Toronto is 9-8 against the O's this season.
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