Orioles at Twins
The Minnesota Twins failed to make up ground in the American League Central on Wednesday with a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, but they will have a good chance to recapture the top spot this weekend. The surprising Twins, who trail first-place Cleveland by 1 ½ games in the division race, host the struggling Baltimore Orioles on Thursday for the opener of a four-game series that leads into the All-Star break.
Minnesota failed in an attempt to record its sixth sweep of the season with Wednesday’s setback, but second baseman Brian Dozier (back) returned to the lineup after missing two contests and extended his hitting streak to five games. Jose Berrios hopes to rebound from his worst start of 2017 when he takes the mound for the Twins in the opener against Baltimore ace Dylan Bundy, who looks to recapture his form from the first two months of the year. The Orioles had won four of five to vault back into the AL East race but have gone 1-5 since and managed three runs while getting swept in three games at Milwaukee earlier in the week. Minnesota took three straight in Baltimore from May 22-24, outscoring the Orioles 20-10 in the process as Max Kepler knocked in five runs.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN2 (Baltimore), FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (8-7, 4.02 ERA) vs. Twins RH Jose Berrios (7-2, 3.44)
Bundy has faded a bit since a strong showing over the first two months of the season, when he posted a 2.89 ERA, by going just 2-4 over his last six starts and completing more than five innings twice in that span. The 24-year-old Oklahoma native suffered a tough-luck loss in his first career start against Minnesota on May 23, giving up two runs, six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over seven frames in a 2-0 setback. Dozier homered off Bundy in that contest.
Berrios allowed season highs of five runs and nine hits over five innings at Kansas City last time out, but he was able to avoid a loss in the 11-6 setback. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican has worked at least six frames in seven of his 10 starts this year after accomplishing the feat once in 14 outings last year. Manny Machado is 3-for-5 with a homer versus Berrios, who permitted three runs and four hits over 6 1/3 innings on May 24 to defeat Baltimore.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles LHP Zach Britton was activated Wednesday after missing two months with a forearm injury, allowing one hit and one walk in one inning at Milwaukee.
2. Minnesota placed LHP Hector Santiago (back) on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday and recalled RHP Alan Busenitz from Triple-A Rochester.
3. Baltimore CF Adam Jones has gone eight games without an RBI, remaining one behind Ken Singleton (766) for fifth place on the franchise list.