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Orioles-Angels Preview

Jul 5, 2009 - 6:07 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (36-45) at Los Angeles (44-35), 3:35 p.m. EDT

After losing in a ballpark where he's never won, Joe Saunders gets a chance to bounce back against a team that has never beaten him.

Saunders looks to improve to 6-0 in his career against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday when the Los Angeles Angels try to capture a four-game home series.

The left-hander is a Virginia native who always has plenty of friends and family on hand when he pitches in Baltimore. Saunders (8-5, 4.24 ERA) is 5-0 with a 4.15 ERA in six lifetime starts versus the Orioles, including a 7-5 road victory April 28 in which he allowed four runs over six innings.

He's done an excellent job in his career against the Orioles' Brian Roberts, who is 3 for 17 (.176) versus him, and Nick Markakis, who is 4 for 18 (.222)

Saunders should be happy to see Baltimore (36-45) after allowing a season-high eight runs over a season-low 3 2-3 innings Tuesday in a 9-5 loss at Texas. He fell to 0-5 with an 11.67 ERA in five career starts at Rangers Ballpark.

"Obviously he doesn't feel comfortable. I don't know if it's the mound, a good offensive club," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He has trouble executing pitches as consistently as he can."

Saunders is more comfortable at home this year, going 4-2 with a 2.95 ERA in eight starts.

Los Angeles (44-35) rallied from a four-run deficit in the fifth inning Saturday for an 11-4 victory. The Angels remained tied for first place in the AL West with Texas, which visits Anaheim for a three-game set beginning Monday.

Vladimir Guerrero hit a three-run homer as part of a six-run rally in the eighth inning and drove in four runs. Guerrero's homer gave the Angels 34 in their last 21 games after connecting 44 times in their first 58.

"It took us a while to get going, but at the end of the night with Vlad going deep, that was definitely nice," Scioscia said.

Bobby Abreu added three hits and Chone Figgins scored three times as they continue to torment the Orioles. Each player has scored four runs in this series, with Abreu going 5 for 11 and Figgins 5 for 12.

The Orioles haven't gotten much from Roberts and Markakis in the last three games. Roberts is 3 for 13 and Markakis 2 for 11 for Baltimore, which has lost five of six on the road.

Baltimore starter Rich Hill (3-2, 7.08) has lasted past the sixth inning in just one of his nine outings, and hasn't pitched past the fifth in his last two. He was pounded for a season-high nine runs over 3 1-3 innings Tuesday, but escaped without a decision in an 11-10 victory over Boston.

Despite Hill's poor numbers this year, the Orioles are 7-2 in his starts. The left-hander has never faced the Angels.