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Blue Jays-Orioles Preview

Sep 14, 2010 - 4:11 AM By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor

Toronto (73-70) at Baltimore (55-88), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Baltimore Orioles have experienced quite a turnaround since Buck Showalter took over as manager.

A win over the Toronto Blue Jays is their latest accomplishment.

Coming off their first victory in 13 tries this season against the Blue Jays, the Orioles look to win four consecutive series for the first time in six years Tuesday night.

Baltimore (56-88) continued its turnaround under Showalter with a 4-3, 11-inning win in Monday night's series opener. Luke Scott singled home the winning run as the Orioles ended a 12-game losing streak versus Toronto (73-71) and improved to 18-5 at home in one-run games.

"To our credit, facing adversity we haven't given up," Scott said. "We've been battling hard for everything that we get. Hopefully that attitude will turn things around for us."

With its seventh win in nine contests, Baltimore improved to 24-15 since Showalter's arrival. The Orioles can win four consecutive series for the first time since August 2004 with a victory in either of the next two games.

"It's no secret, we've been playing better baseball since he got the job," shortstop Cesar Izturis said. "It's a different ballclub. We've got more energy right now."

Nick Markakis had three hits and scored the winning run Monday. He is batting .368 (14 for 38) during a nine-game hitting streak.

Getting quality outings from a starting pitcher has become the norm for the Orioles, who had received six in a row and 26 of 38 under Showalter before Monday. Brian Matusz left the series opener after one inning with a bruise on the back of his upper arm before Rick VandenHurk limited Toronto to one run in 5 1-3 innings.

Matusz wasn't the only Oriole to leave with an injury. Second baseman Brian Roberts, who homered in the first inning, was replaced in the ninth after he was hit by a pitch near his right knee an inning earlier.

Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Blue Jays, extending Toronto's streak of successive games with a home run to 15 - the team's longest such run since July 2000.

Baltimore's Jake Arrieta (5-6, 4.96 ERA) looks to win consecutive starts for the first time since the first two of his major league career. The rookie right-hander snapped a personal three-game losing streak last Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, allowing two runs and eight hits over 6 1-3 innings of a 6-2 victory.

Since beating the Yankees in his major league debut June 10, Arrieta is 0-3 with a 5.54 ERA in seven starts at home. He has a 2.79 ERA in his past three outings at Camden Yards, however.

Shawn Hill (0-1, 5.06) makes his second start for Toronto. The right-hander made his first start since April 25, 2009 - when he pitched for San Diego - on Thursday, allowing four runs - three earned - and eight hits over 5 1-3 innings of a 4-2 loss to Texas.

He underwent his second elbow ligament replacement surgery last June and signed with the Blue Jays in January.

Hill lost his only start against the Orioles on May 16, 2008, while pitching for Washington. He gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings of a 5-3 defeat.

Scott homered off Hill in that game.