• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Orioles-Indians Preview

Aug 10, 2010 - 4:35 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Baltimore (37-74) at Cleveland (47-65), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Baltimore thrived in its first homestand under new manager Buck Showalter. The Orioles hope that solid play continues as they try for some rare success on the road.

The Orioles look for a third straight victory in the opener of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Baltimore (38-74) has the worst record in the majors, but is 6-1 since Showalter took over last Tuesday. The Orioles swept the Los Angeles Angels, then took three of four from the White Sox to win consecutive series for the first time since July 2009.

Earl Weaver is the only other manager in Orioles history to win six of his first seven games.

"(Baltimore) is playing well," Chicago's Juan Pierre said. "They got a bunch of young guys and a new manager. They play hard."

Showalter, however, knows the Orioles' recent success won't mean much if they aren't able to sustain it on the road. Looking to avoid a fourth straight road loss, Baltimore is 14-40 away from Camden Yards and has lost six of eight at Cleveland.

"There's another challenge around every corner," Showalter said. "Now the road presents a challenge for us."

Baltimore's starting pitchers posted a 1.89 ERA on the homestand. Scheduled starter Jake Arrieta (3-3, 5.07 ERA) contributed to that success despite failing to earn a win in four straight starts.

The rookie right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.33 ERA in four starts since winning at Texas on July 11, but allowed two runs and four hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 5-4 win over the Angels on Thursday.

"It's just a matter of making a few minor adjustments," Arrieta told the Orioles' official website. "It's just a matter of being more aggressive in the zone early and it makes a big difference throughout the course of the game."

Arrieta will make his first appearance against the Indians (47-65).

Ty Wigginton is a lifetime .352 hitter with three home runs against Cleveland. The All-Star hit his 18th and Brian Roberts added a solo shot in the 10th to give Baltimore a 3-2 win over the White Sox on Monday.

Wigginton is 10 for 26 with six RBIs in his last six games and 3 for 8 against Cleveland's Justin Masterson (4-10, 5.40), who will try for a second straight win Tuesday.

The right-hander was 0-3 with a 7.85 ERA in his previous five starts, but gave up a run in five innings of a 9-1 victory at Boston on Wednesday.

"He's tough," Red Sox catcher Kevin Cash told the Indians' official website. "He's got a good sinker and a good slider. When he's got that kind of movement, you're going to see a lot of ground balls and a lot of swing and misses."

Masterson dropped to 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA in three starts against the Orioles after allowing six runs and five walks in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-1 loss May 14.

Matt LaPorta is 10 for 30 with two homers in eight games for the Indians, who have lost two in a row and seven of nine at home. He is batting .353 with three home runs in nine career games against the Orioles.