Baltimore @ Minnesota preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 7, 2013 ) Minnesota 4, Baltimore 3

The Minnesota Twins finished a lengthy road trip in fine fashion. They will try to carry the momentum into a nine-game homestand, beginning with Friday's meeting with the Baltimore Orioles. After stumbling through early portions of the 10-game excursion, the Twins won the final three games of a four-game series in Boston by a combined margin of 26-12. Minnesota finished the trip 5-5. Three of the five setbacks came by one run.

The Twins taking three of four from the Red Sox helped the Orioles crawl into a tie with Boston atop the American League East, but Baltimore missed out on a chance to move into first place alone for the first time this year when it dropped a 6-2 decision to Kansas City on Thursday. That loss robs the O's, who had won their previous four, of any momentum entering the series, but their 12 road wins easily tops the American League and they have won six of eight at Target Field over the last two years.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network 2 (Baltimore), Fox Sports North (Minnesota)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Jason Hammel (5-1, 4.10 ERA) vs. Twins RH Mike Pelfrey (3-3, 6.35)

Hammel is making a habit of opening the season in strong fashion. He is aiming to become the first Baltimore hurler to start 6-1 in consecutive seasons since Mike Boddicker in 1985 and 1986. Hammel is 5-0 with a 3.41 ERA in five road starts. His latest Sunday in Anaheim wasn't pretty, but it was good enough to earn the victory. The right-hander gave up four runs and a season-high nine hits in six innings while walking three. The Orioles have finished with an average of eight runs in Hammel's last four starts. He has never pitched at Target Field but is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in five appearances (four starts) against Minnesota.

If Pelfrey is able to look back on the 2013 season as a good one, he may point to Sunday's start in Cleveland as the catalyst. He entered with a 7.66 ERA (10.06 over his previous four starts) before limiting the high-powered Indians to one run on four hits in six innings of a 4-2 victory. Perhaps most notable was the uptick in Pelfrey's strikeout totals. He fanned seven batters after recording a total of seven in 22 1/3 innings over his first five starts. Pelfrey has won his only two starts against the Orioles but has not faced them since 2010.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins 1B Justin Morneau is 4-for-9 against Hammel. All four hits have been doubles.

2. Minnesota took two of three in Camden Yards earlier this season.

3. Orioles SS J.J. Hardy is 8-for-22 with three home runs and six RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Twins 4