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Miami left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will face his former team for the first time when the Marlins take on the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Saturday. Miami is in position to win a three-game series for the first time this season after beating Baltimore 2-0 in the opener Friday.
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The Orioles, who have lost eight consecutive games, lag near the bottom of nearly every offensive category. First baseman Chris Davis underscores most of those troubles, and he was held out of the lineup for the third straight game Friday.
Davis is batting .150 with four homers.
"He's tried a lot of things, but I think doing it this way, you're trying not to say, 'OK, if it doesn't click right away then let's go to something else.' He's got a lot of people talking to him and rightfully so -- teammates and I'm sure college coaches," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said about Davis.
"Everybody's trying to help him because they like him and they hate seeing anybody struggle. This is kind of blinders with, 'Here's what we're going to do and let's throw out everything else and here's where we've got to get to. Here's where we are, here's why this problem is happening, because X is happening and let's eliminate X.'
"Will it look completely different? I'm not sure. What I hope looks completely different are the results. Unfortunately, the games don't stop. We need a good Chris Davis. We do. He knows that. And that's what's frustrating for him."
Chen (1-3, 6.13 ERA) has lost his past three decisions and struggled to get deep into games. In his last start, he allowed four runs and six hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 4 1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants.
"I didn't really do my job well," Chen said after the game.
Alex Cobb (2-8, 7.23) will take the mound for Baltimore. He is still looking to get on track.
Cobb's last outing was his worst of the season. He allowed a career-high-tying nine runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, he is 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA in four career starts against the Marlins, who have batted .139 during that stretch.
The Orioles are just 2-9 in Cobb's 11 starts.
"I know you look at teams and how they react in tough situations," Cobbsaid, and I don't know what's better, if everyone's just miserable because you're losing or people are able to come to work every day and be a good teammate and try to get out of that funk each and every day and help each other to get out of that funk."
Baltimore is also dealing with several key injuries. Richard Bleier, who has been one of the team's most consistent pitchers out of the bullpen, is on the disabled list with a lat injury that he sustained against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. He could be out for the season.
However, starter Andrew Cashner could be back in action Tuesday or Wednesday if he does not have any setbacks with his injured back while throwing a bullpen session Sunday.
