Game Preview: Sox @ Orioles GM4

Wakefield (3-4, 4.70) vs. Guthrie (2-6, 3.64)
GM 4 of 4 7:05 @ Camden Yards

The fourth and final game of this wraparound weekend series gets underway shortly at Camden with the Sox looking to sweep and the O's hoping to salvage one game and a bit of dignity following three horribly played games.

Two notes here:

1.) I absolutely hate these 4 game series that continue into Monday. Why? Because the start of the work week should coincide with the start of a new series (if it's not an off day). Continuing something from the weekend when everyone else has switched gears from weekend to weekday mode just doesn't feel right.

2.) The Orioles have looked like a little League team this weekend. Six physical errors have been compounded by numerous mental miscues, base running blunders, hit batters and general shoddy baseball fundamentals to add up to three straight miserable losses.

Perhaps that's why the Globe's Nick Carfado reported that the team was taking extra infield practice, spring training-like, before the game this afternoon.

That being said the results have been extremely positive for Boston. Coming in to this series the team had been in an offensive slump and had fallen to an anemic 11-19 on the road.

Three games later almost everyone on the club is hitting the ball well (save for Coco Crisp who is in the midst of an 0-21 skid), and even the loss of Big Papi didn't slow the team down yesterday.

With the results of Ortiz' MRI not expected for a while it's safe to say they will have to make due without their top slugger for at least a few games, but with Manny back to being Manny and the rest of the offense clicking, the loss shouldn't affect the team tonight.

Now if they can just get another spectacular outing from Tim Wakefield, they will be in perfect position for a sweep.

Last time out Wake tossed an absolute gem, going eight innings while allowing just five hits and a run in that heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Seattle last Wednesday.

That outing came on the heels of three straight poor efforts in which Wake surrendered 21 hits and 17 earned runs over 13 innings. So even with the performance in Seattle the knuckleballer is just 1-4 in his last 6 starts and needs to get back on the winning track ASAP.

His mound opponent tonight will be the unlucky Jeremy Guthrie. I say unlucky because despite allowing three runs or less in 9 of his last 10 starts the righty is just 2-5 in those starts thanks to the horrid Oriole offense.

For example in his last 3 starts he has allowed just 15 hits and 5 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings, yet he's 0-3 in those games even though his ERA is just 2.17.

See, unlucky.

As long as he remains that way the Sox will be poised for the sweep before heading into the big home series with the Rays tomorrow.