masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAs the Orioles try to get some wins after a stretch where they have gone just 7-15 over their past 22 games, tonight they begin a four-game series with the team with the worst record in the American League.

The Twins are 36-52 and have lost five in a row. They are just 5-12 this year against the AL East, 17-28 at home and 4-7 in July.

Over the weekend, they were swept by Oakland in a three-game series and allowed nine homers to the A’s, including eight in the past two games.

The Orioles…As the Orioles try to get some wins after a stretch where they have gone just 7-15 over their past 22 games, tonight they begin a four-game series with the team with the worst record in the American League.

The Twins are 36-52 and have lost five in a row. They are just 5-12 this year against the AL East, 17-28 at home and 4-7 in July.

Over the weekend, they were swept by Oakland in a three-game series and allowed nine homers to the A’s, including eight in the past two games.

The Orioles have won seven games in a row against Minnesota, allowing just nine runs in those games. They swept four at Minnesota last Aug. 22-25 by a 24-4 score and swept the Twins 15-5 in April in the first series of the 2012 season.

The last time the Orioles won eight in a row against the Twins was from July 30, 1996 to May 1, 1997.

In that series this April in Baltimore, the Orioles starters pitched to an ERA of 0.41 in the three games, allowing just 10 hits and one earned run over 22 innings. But none of the starters in that series – Jake Arrieta, Tommy Hunter and Jason Hammel – are currently in the O’s rotation.

Nick Markakis had a big opening series against the Twins, going 5-for-9 with a triple, two homers and four RBIs.

The Orioles are starting an eight-game road trip tonight and looking for their first winning road trip since they went 4-1 at Kansas City and Washington from May 16-20. They have gone 3-6, 2-4 and 3-4 in their last three trips.

Update: Well, they may not extend the win streak tonight, trailing 10-2 after the first three innings. The less said about this game the better, but I am not expecting their win streak against the Twins to be alive after tonight.