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Athletics-Orioles Preview

Jun 28, 2010 - 5:08 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Oakland (37-40) at Baltimore (23-52), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Oakland Athletics took full advantage of their weekend series against the NL's worst team, but a matchup with the AL's worst club doesn't look quite as appealing at the moment.

The Baltimore Orioles will be trying to extend their season-best winning streak to five as they open a three-game set with the visiting A's on Tuesday night.

Oakland (37-40) had dropped 10 of 12 before hosting Pittsburgh to finish interleague play, outscoring the lowly Pirates 22-6 during a three-game sweep.

Despite totaling three hits and no earned runs, the A's won the finale 3-2 on Sunday. Kurt Suzuki's pop-up was dropped in foul ground in the eighth inning, and he homered later in the at-bat to provide the winning margin.

"That's not our best game but we still won," manager Bob Geren said. "Sometimes you play well and come up short. Mistakes by the other team certainly helped us out a lot."

In a season full of missteps, the Orioles (23-52) have been minimizing theirs lately, leading to their first four-game winning streak of 2010. They last won five in a row from June 17-21, 2009.

Baltimore has totaled 28 runs during its current streak after averaging 3.3 runs before that. The team erased a deficit of at least three runs in each of its three wins over interleague rival Washington over the weekend.

"If you look around, you see guys around you that are excited to hit and ready to hit," right-hander Jeremy Guthrie said. "When you are down six and five and three, and win all those games, that changes your mentality - knowing that you always have a chance to win the game, instead of, if they score a couple it's over."

A resurgent Adam Jones has been perhaps the biggest factor. Jones is hitting .424 with four home runs and nine RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak. He also has seven homers and 18 RBIs in June after totaling five homers and 15 RBIs in the previous two months.

Jones, however, is 1 for 13 (.077) against Dallas Braden, who is scheduled to start for Oakland. Teammate Nick Markakis is 2 for 15 (.133) against the left-hander.

It's little surprise, then, that Braden (4-7, 3.83 ERA) has gone 5-1 with a 1.41 ERA in seven outings against the Orioles - six starts. He allowed one unearned run in four innings at Camden Yards on May 25, but had to leave the game with a sore ankle.

Braden still hasn't won since pitching a perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9, going 0-5 with a 4.31 ERA in his last eight starts.

Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz (2-8, 4.95) takes the mound trying to end an even longer winless streak. He is 0-8 in 12 outings since winning at Oakland on April 18.

The 23-year-old Matusz blew an early 4-0 lead against Florida on Wednesday, giving up six runs - including two homers - in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-5 loss.

"These are young guys and they're learning up here," interim Orioles manager Juan Samuel said. "We've seen him make some pitches down and away. Unfortunately, he left those pitches up."

The A's scored four runs in the first inning of a 6-1 win against Matusz on May 26, taking two of three at Camden Yards in that series. They've won 15 of 18 overall against the Orioles since the start of 2008.