Detroit @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( May 12, 2014 ) Detroit 4, Baltimore 1
The Detroit Tigers look to improve upon the best record in baseball when they visit the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday in the second of three straight games in Baltimore. There might be an extra dose of intensity for this one after the teams engaged in a bases-clearing incident in the series opener, which resulted in a 4-1 Tigers win. Orioles starter Bud Norris hit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter with a pitch following an Ian Kinsler home run in the eighth, prompting the benches to empty.
Hunter is one of several Tigers with very good numbers against Baltimore starter Ubaldo Jimenez. The top five hitters in Detroit's lineup on Monday are a combined 39-for-115 versus Jimenez, with slugger Miguel Cabrera batting .341. Kinsler, who has three doubles and a single in 14 at-bats against Jimenez, has homered in consecutive games and owns a seven-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Drew Smyly (2-2, 2.96 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (2-4, 4.73)
Smyly is 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA in his four starts after tossing six scoreless frames out of the bullpen to begin the year. Three of those innings of relief made him a winner against Baltimore on April 4, which gave Smyly eight scoreless innings in his career versus the Orioles. The 24-year-old gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Houston his last time out.
Jimenez's turnaround from a difficult beginning to the year continued at Tampa Bay on Thursday, when he allowed a run in 5 1/3 innings of a 3-1 victory over the Rays. That came on the heels of 7 1/3 scoreless frames at Minnesota and stood as the third straight start in which he has not allowed a home run after giving up five in his first four outings. The one-time All-Star is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA at home this year and is 5-9 with a 5.32 mark in his career against the Tigers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Even after the loss Monday, the Orioles are 15-7 in night games.
2. Baltimore C Steve Clevenger is 7-for-12 with three doubles in his last three contests.
3. Cabrera is a .392 hitter in 49 career games vs. the Orioles.
PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Tigers 5