Baltimore @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( May 20, 2010 ) Baltimore 7, Texas 13

The offense-starved Baltimore Orioles finally scored some runs this week, but still found themselves on the wrong end of a sweep.

They might find runs hard to come by once again as they face one of the hottest pitchers in the majors.

Tommy Hunter looks to continue his unbeaten run Thursday as he and the Texas Rangers open a four-game home series against the scuffling Orioles. Baltimore comes in on a three-game losing streak, solidifying their spot in the major-league basement, while the Rangers have won two straight.

The Orioles' meek bats have been at the root of their struggles for most of the season, but it was the pitching that let them down earlier this week as they were swept by the Tigers in Detroit. Baltimore came into the series having scored the second-fewest runs in the American League, but managed to cross the plate 16 times in the three-game set at Comerica Park.

Problem was, they coughed up 23 runs to the Tigers, meaning they will need to sweep the Rangers in Arlington to avoid reaching the All-Star Break with 60 losses. That comes in stark contrast to last season, when they were 40-48 at the midseason break but collapsed in the second half and wound up with a 64-98 mark.

Baltimore is an abysmal 52-110 over its last 162 games, and things don't get any easier Thursday as the Rangers send Hunter (5-0) to the hill. The 24-year-old right-hander has been sizzling since returning from Triple-A, posting a minuscule 1.98 ERA with just nine walks over 36 1/3 innings. The Rangers are a perfect 6-0 in his starts, including a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox in his previous outing.

Hunter has never faced the Orioles in his career.

The Rangers took two of three from the Cleveland Indians earlier in the week to open up a 5 1/2-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West. The Angels, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners have each lost three consecutive games, allowing Texas to extend its advantage in the West.

As expected, the Texas lineup has been one of the strongest in all of baseball over the first half of the season. The Rangers sit second in the majors in team batting average (.280) and third in runs scored (441), while ranking in the top-10 in homers (87) and on-base percentage (.345).

Yet, it has been the Rangers' pitching staff that has vaulted them to the third-best record in the AL. They're third in the American League in ERA (3.90) and fourth in strikeouts (609), encouraging numbers for a team that plays half its games in one of the friendliest hitters' parks in baseball.

That last tidbit doesn't bode well for Thursday's Orioles starter, veteran righty Jeremy Guthrie (3-10). The 30-year-old is 0-6 over his last seven starts, and is coming off a rough outing that saw him allow six runs in just four innings of a 9-3 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Red Sox.

Guthrie's saving grace may be his excellent track record against Texas. He's 3-0 versus the Rangers in his career, with a 3.18 ERA over eight appearances (six starts.) Guthrie last faced Texas on May 19, when he allowed a run on seven hits over six innings but didn't earn a decision in Baltimore's 4-3 loss.