Minnesota @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2013 ) Baltimore 5, Minnesota 9
Chris Davis may be the only member of the Baltimore Orioles not looking forward to Friday's home opener against the Minnesota Twins. Fueled by Davis' record-setting start, the Orioles opened the season by taking two of three at Tampa Bay. Davis tore up Tropicana Field, homering in each game and driving in 11 runs while becoming the first player in major league history to have at least three RBIs in the first three games of a season.
The Twins entered the season with a number of question marks, and starting pitching was at the top of the list with three newcomers at the front of the rotation. The cold weather at Target Field certainly was a factor, but Minnesota received solid starts from Vance Worley, Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey in taking two of three from AL Central favorite Detroit. "Three good starts in a row is huge for our baseball team," manager Ron Gardenhire said.
TV: 3:05 p.m., Fox Sports North (Minnesota), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Liam Hendriks (2012: 1-8, 5.59 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jake Arrieta (3-9, 6.20)
Hendriks endured a nightmarish 2012, failing to earn his first win until Sept. 9. It ended an ignominious stretch for the 24-year-old Australian, who was the fifth pitcher since 1920 to go winless in his first 17 starts. He needs to work on keeping the ball in the park, having surrendered 17 homers in only 85 1/3 innings last season. Hendriks faced Baltimore in his final spring training outing, allowing four hits in 2 2/3 innings before taking a line drive off his pitching hand.
Arrieta won the No. 5 starting job in spring training, allowing only three earned runs and striking out 16 in 17 1/3 innings. He looked like a legitimate ace in tossing seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball on Opening Day in 2012. Two months later, he was banished to the bullpen and eventually demoted to the minors after going 0-6 in a span of seven starts. "It was a very difficult year, but I'm in this position now because of it," Arrieta said. "Now it's time for me to have a great year."
WALK-OFFS
1. Davis has 10 homers in his last 10 regular-season games dating to Sept. 26, 2012.
2. Minnesota has a winning record for the first time since the end of the 2010 season.
3. Orioles 2B Brian Roberts is scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on his hamstring after he was injured in the ninth inning of Thursday's game.
PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Twins 3