After posting 3-2 and 4-2 wins over Minnesota the last two nights, the Orioles seek a three-game sweep of the Twins tonight at Camden Yards. Their last three-game home sweep of Minnesota came April 6-8, 2012.
After going 0-7 versus Minnesota in 2015 and being outscored 43-18, the O's could have a 3-0 start this season with a victory tonight.
O's pitching has allowed just 12 hits on four runs so far with six walks to 23 strikeouts. The two starters - Chris Tillman and Yovani Gallardo - combined to give up just one run over seven innings. On offense, the O's are batting .284 with 19 hits and 11 walks. Joey Rickard is batting .571 (4-for-7) and Mark Trumbo is batting .500 (4-for-8).
On the mound tonight, Ubaldo Jimenez (12-10 with a 4.11 ERA in 2015) starts against Twins right-hander Phil Hughes (11-9 with 4.40 ERA in 2015).
While Jimenez had an ERA of 5.88 last July and 6.35 in August, he finished strong in the last months of 2015. He went 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six starts in September and October.
Jimenez recorded his 100th career win in a 4-1 victory over the Nationals on Sept. 22, 2015. Of his 100 career wins, 56 came as a member of the Colorado Rockies. He is 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA and with six quality starts over eight career appearances (seven starts) versus the Twins.
Hughes went just 2-6 with an ERA of 5.10 last season in 12 road starts. He gave up a batting average against of .319 in those games and allowed 14 homers over 67 innings.
Left-handed batters hit .282 with an OPS of .761 against Hughes in 2015 and right-handed batters did even better, hitting .304 with an OPS of .869.
Championship rings: Before the Double-A Bowie Baysox begin a new season at home tonight, they will hand out championship rings to returning players from the 2015 Eastern League champions. Bowie hosts Akron and Erie as part of a season-opening seven-game homestand at Prince George's Stadium.
Starting lineups tonight in the minors:
Norfolk
CF - Xavier Avery
LF - Christian Walker
1B - Joey Terdoslavich
RF - Dariel Alvarez
DH - Henry Urrutia
C - Francisco Pena
2B - Steve Tolleson
3B - Michael Almanzar
SS - Paul Janish
P - Odrisamer Despaigne
Bowie
CF - Julio Borbon
2B - Garabez Rosa
1B - Trey Mancini
LF - Quincy Latimore
C - Chance Sisco
RF - Mike Yastrzemski
DH - Corban Joseph
3B - Drew Dosch
SS - Adrian Marin
P - Joe Gunkel
Frederick
LF - Jay Gonzalez
2B - Steve Wilkerson
CF - Josh Hart
1B - Aderlin Rodriguez
3B - Jomar Reyes
DH - Cam Kneeland
C - Jonah Heim
RF - Tad Gold
SS - Erick Salcedo
P - Mitch Horacek
Delmarva
CF - Cedric Mullins
RF - Ademar Rifaela
LF - D.J. Stewart
DH - Alex Murphy
SS - Ryan Mountcastle
3B - Alejandro Juvier
1B - Steve Laurino
2B - Drew Turbin
C - Stuart Levy
P - Lucas Long