masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgTonight, the Orioles try to match something they accomplished last year: a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on their first visit of the season to Tropicana Field.
The O’s swept the Rays by scores of 5-4, 4-3 and 3-1 last May 6-8. Tonight, they look for a season-opening sweep. The Orioles are 2-0 for the first time since 2012.
The last time Baltimore led off the season with back-to-back road wins was 2011 when the Orioles began the year 4-0. With a 6-2 win on Monday and a 6-5 win on…

Tonight, the Orioles try to match something they accomplished last year: a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on their first visit of the season to Tropicana Field.

The O’s swept the Rays by scores of 5-4, 4-3 and 3-1 last May 6-8. Tonight, they look for a season-opening sweep. The Orioles are 2-0 for the first time since 2012.

The last time Baltimore led off the season with back-to-back road wins was 2011 when the Orioles began the year 4-0. With a 6-2 win on Monday and a 6-5 win on Tuesday, the Orioles have scored at least six runs in back-to-back games to start the season for the first time since 2008.

On the mound tonight right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (10-9, 3.23 ERA in 2014) faces Tampa Bay right-hander Jake Odorizzi (11-13, 4.13).

Gonzalez had a strong finish to his 2014 regular season. Over his last 13 starts, beginning July 1, he went 6-4 with a 2.09 ERA.

Gonzalez’s ERA by month:
July: 1.82
August: 2.96
September: 1.69

In 40 career games against the AL East, he is 16-9 with a 3.32 ERA. In 12 games last year within the division, Gonzalez went 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA.

He is 4-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 11 career starts versus the Rays, but is 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA in five career starts at Tropicana Field.

Odorizzi, 25, went 0-2 with a 6.52 ERA in four starts last season against the Orioles. He allowed five homers, a .305 average and a .889 OPS in 19 1/3 innings.

Last season, he averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings, along with 3.2 walks and 8.4 hits allowed.

In his last 11 games at Tropicana Field, Steve Pearce is batting .400/.533/.914 (14-for-35) with five home runs and nine RBIs. He now has eight career homers against the Rays, twice as many against any other opponent (four against Toronto). In his career, Pearce averages a home run every 11.5 at-bats against the Rays.

In the very, very early American League leaders, Travis Snider is second in batting average at .800 (4-for-5), trailing only Jose Iglesias of Detroit at .857 (6-for-7).

As for the alumni report, Nelson Cruz is 1-for-7 in his first two games with Seattle, and Nick Markakis is 3-for-8 with three RBIs for Atlanta. Andrew Miller did not pitch for the Yankees in their season opener.