Listen Live: Oakland at Baltimore [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland
The Baltimore Orioles scored five runs in three games with the New York Yankees and still managed a series win. They will look to get the bats going when they continue a lengthy homestand with the first of three straight against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
Baltimore recorded just one run in the final 22 innings of their set with the Yankees but it led to a 1-0 walk-off victory in 10 innings on Thursday, giving them two of three in the series and an 11-4 record at Camden Yards. Among the many big Baltimore bats mired in a slump is slugging first baseman Chris Davis, who was 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in the Yankees series, and star center fielder Adam Jones, who was 1-for-11 in the set and hasn't homered since April 16. The Athletics have lost four straight and nine of their last 12 after being swept at home against Seattle to begin the week. They will turn to surprising veteran Rich Hill - who entered Thursday ranked fifth in the American League in strikeouts - opposite Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Rich Hill (3-3, 2.53 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 5.20)
Hill turned in his third straight quality start Sunday against Houston, dropping a tough decision despite allowing two runs in six innings. He limited the Astros to a season-low two hits but had four strikeouts after producing 34 in 23 1/3 innings over his previous four outings. The University of Michigan product, who pitched in 14 games for the Orioles in 2009, has given up 23 earned runs in 21 2/3 innings in his career at Camden Yards.
Since opening the season with a solid effort against Minnesota, Jimenez is 0-3 with a 6.53 ERA over a span of four starts. He failed to get through five innings for the first time in 2016 on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, allowing a season-high six runs on seven hits and four walks. The 32-year-old is 3-1 with a 5.28 ERA in six career starts against Oakland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore's bullpen owns a 2.45 ERA.
2. Athletics LF Khris Davis had three home runs and five RBIs in the series versus Seattle.
3. Orioles LF Hyun Soo Kim is 10-for-18 on the season.
PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Athletics 4
