Texas @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2010 ) Texas 6, Baltimore 8
The Baltimore Orioles have shown improvement since Buck Showalter took over as manager. Now it's Kevin Millwood's turn.
Millwood looks for a rare victory today when the Orioles conclude their four-game series with the Texas Rangers at Camden Yards.
Baltimore raised its record under Showalter to 12-7 by pounding Texas ace Cliff Lee en route to an 8-6 triumph Saturday. Josh Bell led the charge with three hits, including his first two major league home runs, and five RBIs - one more than his career total prior to the game.
Lee served up four homers for the first time in his career, falling to 2-4 in nine starts since being acquired from Seattle on July 9. The former Cy Young Award winner is 0-2 with an 8.24 ERA over his last three outings.
The Orioles have won six of their last seven meetings with the Rangers and have clinched a season series between the clubs for the first time since 2004. They improved to 10-3 in their last 13 games against American League West opponents.
Millwood can improve that record as he makes his first start vs. Texas since Aug. 18, 2005. The right-hander spent the previous four seasons with the Rangers.
The 35-year-old Millwood has not posted a victory since defeating Florida on June 24. He has lost five straight decisions, including Tuesday's 4-0 setback to Seattle in which he allowed just one run and six hits in eight innings, and is 0-12 against AL teams this year.
In two career outings vs. Texas, Millwood is 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA. The Rangers are one of three clubs he has yet to beat, along with Minnesota and Atlanta.
Millwood has posted a 1-5 record and 5.03 ERA in 12 starts at home in 2010. He also has had his problems with Rangers slugger Vladimir Guerrero, who is batting .384 (33-for-86) with five home runs and 17 RBIs vs. the veteran.
Texas, which is 1-5 on its seven-game road trip, will counter with a struggling starter of its own in Tommy Hunter.
After winning his first eight decisions of the season, Hunter is 1-2 with a 9.39 ERA in his last four outings. On Tuesday, he surrendered four runs and six hits in a 10-1 loss at Tampa Bay in which he lasted just three innings for the third time in four starts.
Hunter made his only career start against Baltimore on July 8, when he yielded three runs and seven hits while striking out a season-high seven in six frames but settled for a no-decision in a 6-4 loss. The 24-year-old is 3-2 with a 4.76 ERA in six road outings this campaign.
The Rangers have lost nine of their last 13 games and 11 of 16 on the road, including seven of the last eight. They are just 13-23 against AL East clubs.