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Guthrie to return when Orioles face Blue Jays

Sep 27, 2007 - 12:58 PM Toronto (81-77) at Baltimore (67-91) 7:05 pm EDT

BALTIMORE (Ticker) - The Baltimore Orioles have been shedding pitchers all season. On Thursday, they will finally get one back.

Jeremy Guthrie will take the mound for the first time in three weeks when the Orioles try to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The rookie righthander had been one of the lone bright spots on a Baltimore pitching staff that ranks 13th in the American League with a 5.08 team ERA before injuring his left oblique muscle on September 9 and sitting out three weeks.

On Wednesday, reliever Danys Baez joined fellow Orioles hurlers Adam Loewen, Erik Bedard, Jaret Wright, Kris Benson and Chris Ray as out for the season.

Guthrie (7-5, 3.65 ERA) began as a full-time member of the Baltimore rotation on May 8 and went 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA over his first 16 starts. He seemed to hit a wall after that, however, going 0-2 with a 5.72 ERA in eight starts prior to his injury.

The Blue Jays will counter with rookie Josh Banks (0-0, 4.50). The 25-year-old righthander will be making his first career start after coming out of the bullpen for a pair of one-inning stints against the New York Yankees; tossing a scoreless frame at home on September 11 and allowing a run on the road last Sunday.

Toronto has outscored the Orioles, 19-9, in the first two games of the series, including opening up an eight-run lead in the first inning on Wednesday en route to an 8-5 victory.