Cleveland @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2015 ) Cleveland 0, Baltimore 4

It took inclement weather to cool off the Baltimore Orioles, who will play a day-night doubleheader against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Sunday after Saturday's game was postponed due to rain. The Orioles opened the month with three straight losses but have been on a roll since, winning 16 of their last 21 contests to move a season-high five games over .500.

Baltimore's J.J. Hardy homered for the first time since May 15 in the series opener and is 7-for-21 with six RBIs over his last five games. Jimmy Paredes is 11-for-21 during his five-game hitting streak and has multiple hits in each of his last four contests while Chris Davis ran his hitting streak to six contests with a game-winning RBI single on Friday. Cleveland's Jason Kipnis is riding a 20-game hitting streak - the longest in the majors this season - and has hit safely in 39 of his last 43. The Indians are expected to call up Japanese right-hander Toru Murata to make his major-league debut in the nightcap.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Toru Murata (NR) vs. Orioles RH Chris Tillman (5-7, 6.22 ERA)

Murata, in his fifth season in the minors with the Cleveland organization, finally gets the call to the majors just over a month after turning 30 years old. He spent parts of the previous three seasons at Triple-A Columbus, never pitching to an ERA below 5.38, but has been markedly better this year. In 14 appearances (13 starts), the native of Osaka is 5-2 with a 2.79 ERA and has permitted only six earned runs in his last four turns.

Tillman appeared on the verge of reversing his early-season doldrums by winning three starts in a row, but the momentum came to a crashing halt in his last outing. Despite being staked to a 7-0 lead, Tillman lasted only 1 1/3 innings and was charged with six runs on six hits - including a pair of home runs. Tillman had one of his best starts versus Cleveland on June 5, earning the victory with 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles LHP Zach Britton has recorded nine saves during the team's 16-5 tear.

2. Kipnis' hitting streak is the longest for Cleveland since Michael Brantley's 22-game run in 2012.

3. Orioles 3B Manny Machado has hit safely in eight straight games.

PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Indians 4