Sparked O’s
A few changes in their lineup helped sparked the Baltimore Orioles to a big win in the opener of their 10-game road trip.
After recording just their sixth win in the last 20 games in Anaheim, the Orioles continue their three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Los Angeles -125 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 76% of bets for this game have been placed on Los Angeles -125 (View MLB Bet Percentages). Bet this game.
Baltimore (16-13) opened its trip on Friday with a 4-3 win over the Angels (18-13), who are tied with Oakland and Boston for the best record in the American League. The Orioles, who begin a three-game series against the A’s in Oakland on Monday, avoided matching a season high with their third straight loss.
Baltimore came into the series after losing two of three at home to Tampa Bay. The Orioles had played their previous seven games on the road, winning two of three in Seattle, then going 1-2 with a suspended game in Chicago against the White Sox.
All the traveling didn’t hurt Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora on Friday. The two each drove in a pair of runs and Markakis homered for the fifth time this season.
Baltimore manager Dave Trembley shuffled his lineup in order to inject some life into an offense that had been held to three runs or fewer in four of five games entering Friday.
Trembley moved Markakis up to the second spot and batted Mora third. He also moved Aubrey Huff into the cleanup role and dropped struggling Kevin Millar down two spots to sixth.
Millar is 4-for-35 in his last nine games, dropping his average to a season-low .209.
The Orioles improved to 8-2 in one-run decisions after going 13-31 in those situations last season.
"We haven’t been swinging the bats great as a team, so he mixed it up and we were able to push enough runs across," said left fielder Jay Payton, who had two hits and a run scored on Friday.
The Angels’ loss on Friday was their third in the last five games. They are trying to avoid losing three straight for the first time this year.
Los Angeles made it 4-3 in the ninth when Torii Hunter scored on a fielder’s choice. The Angels put runners on second and third with one out, but George Sherrill retired pinch-hitter Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits for his 11th save, tying the Angels’ Francisco Rodriguez for the major league lead.
Los Angeles looks to bounce back on Saturday when it faces Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera (2-0, 4.14 ERA).
Cabrera, who finished 2007 losing his final six decisions, allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1-3 innings on Monday against the Chicago White Sox. The game was postponed after 11 innings because of rain.
Baltimore was 5-0 in his first five starts this season.
Cabrera is 2-3 with a 6.55 ERA in six career starts against the Angels, losing his last two appearances against them.
The Angels counter with Jon Garland (3-3, 5.94), who struggled in his last outing, allowing seven runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 14-2 loss to Oakland on Monday. The right-hander struck out five, but walked three and gave up two home runs.
"I was getting behind and they were hitting the ball. That’s all I can say," Garland said. "I felt I had pretty good pitches. The ball was put in play and it rolled their way."
Garland has won his last four starts against the Orioles. He is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in seven career starts and two relief appearances against them.