masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgIs this going to be a special night, one that ends with the fans on their feet and the Orioles beginning to celebrate the division title?

On paper, the Orioles may be the underdogs. They are sending out Ubaldo Jimenez (4-9, 4.96 ERA) to face a pitcher in right-hander Drew Hutchison (10-11, 4.36 ERA) who has pitched very well lately and also very well against the Orioles this season.

On Aug. 6, Hutchison pitched one-hit ball over 8 2/3 innings as Toronto beat the Orioles 5-1. He retired 22…Is this going to be a special night, one that ends with the fans on their feet and the Orioles beginning to celebrate the division title?

On paper, the Orioles may be the underdogs. They are sending out Ubaldo Jimenez (4-9, 4.96 ERA) to face a pitcher in right-hander Drew Hutchison (10-11, 4.36 ERA) who has pitched very well lately and also very well against the Orioles this season.

On Aug. 6, Hutchison pitched one-hit ball over 8 2/3 innings as Toronto beat the Orioles 5-1. He retired 22 consecutive batters after he gave up a Chris Davis homer in the second inning.

In four 2014 starts against the Orioles, Hutchison is 2-0 with 0.98 ERA. He has given up just 17 hits in 27 2/3 innings and has a .173 average against and WHIP of 0.76.

In six career starts, he is 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA versus Baltimore.

In his most recent four starts this season, Hutchison is 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings.

So yeah, tall order tonight.

Jimenez is making his first start in a month, since he gave up six runs in 4 1/3 innings on Aug. 16 at Cleveland. He has made just two relief appearances since then. Can he knock off the rust and pitch a big game tonight?

With last night’s win, the Orioles improved to 15-3 in their last 18 series openers, 8-6 versus Toronto and 28-8 at home since June 30. That is the best home record in MLB since that time.

The Orioles are playing exactly .600 baseball at 90-60. They are 35-15 in their last 50 games and 8-1 in their past nine.

A few O’s hitting notes:

* Ryan Flaherty is batting .350 (14-for-40) his last 15 games with two homers and nine RBIs.

* Nelson Cruz is hitting .344 (22-for-64) over his past 16 games with five doubles, a triple, five homers and 15 RBIs.

* Adam Jones is batting .370 (10-for-27) in his past six games with four doubles, a homer and five RBIs.

* Steve Pearce is 7-for-13 during a four-game batting streak. Over his last 22 games, he is hitting .338 with nine doubles, six homers and 10 RBIs.

A win tonight would give the Orioles their ninth American League East title. They also won in 1969, 1970, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983 and 1997.

This would be the second earliest clincher if the O’s get it tonight, by date. The earliest was when the 1969 team clinched on Sept. 13.

The 2014 Orioles are the 20th in team history to win at least 90 games.