Red Sox @ Orioles lineups and game preview for Monday night

Like a biblical plague, the horde will descend upon Baltimore, emerging from whatever twisted, sprawling warren they call home to talk about how great Pedroiah is and whatever they say about the vandal David Ortiz when everyone is busy vomiting over how disgusting they are. Yes, the Red Sox are here, and so, in turn, are their fans. So help us all.

They are a fourth place team right now, sorry, let me put that in terms they will understand, A FACKIN' WICKED PISSAH FOATH PLACE TEAM, but unfortunately for the Orioles, they are pitching like a last place team, so that will not avail them much as they face the unwashed legion of douchebags.

Pitchers

RHP Jake Peavy, Red Sox
2014: 12 GS, 74.1 IP, 4.72 ERA, 55 SO, 30 BB, .267 BAA, 1.45 WHIP
Last start (at Indians): 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO

This is the kind of pitcher who might warm your heart to see the Orioles face him, at least until you remember their fortune against the likes of Brett Oberholtzer, who was able to get some scouted tendencies on Orioles players and then exploit them. If Brett Oberholtzer can do this, then surely a canny veteran like Peavy can do so. It's a bad sign any night. What they are is well known and even pitchers who've not gotten great results can execute a plan to make them all look like fools.

Peavy has allowed five earned runs or more in four of his last five starts. He has given up a home run in ten of twelve starts this season. Hey, maybe the Orioles will even take a walk prior to a home run! I'm so funny I forgot to laugh!

RHP Bud Norris, Orioles
2014: 11 GS, 67.1 IP, 4.41 ERA, 45 SO, 22 BB, .240 BAA, 1.22 WHIP
Last start (at Rangers): 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 SO

For a fly ball pitcher like he is, the surprising thing about Norris is that his struggles this year have been on the road. It's probably a small sample size, but he's sporting a 5.23 ERA when on the road compared to a 3.12 ERA at home. He also had fairly pronounced home/road splits while pitching for the Astros before the O's traded for him, so maybe he just really likes to pitch in a place that is more familiar to him. So we can tell ourselves.

Though left-handed batters plagued Norris in the past, he isn't sporting pronounced platoon splits this season. Righties are hitting .239/.324/.398 off Norris, where lefties are batting .242/.321/.420, so the slugging percentage is a bit higher, but not much else. Stop walking people! This applies to all Orioles pitchers. Actually, Norris is walking a career low 7.9% of batters, but some thing less would be even better.

Lineups

The two teams against right-handed pitchers:

Boston: .247/.325/.375 with 31 home runs
Baltimore: .270/.323/.418 with 50 home runs

The two teams home/road split for this game:

Boston on the road: .237/.312/.357 with 28 home runs
Baltimore at home: .248/.303/.374 with 24 home runs

The Orioles have the third-worst home OPS, which is not what you would expect at all. They have the best road OPS in the AL. That doesn't help them any tonight. Lucky for the Orioles, Boston has done poorly on the road. Perhaps that will actually continue tonight.