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Rangers, Orioles play two at Camden

Apr 9, 2011 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - Young Zach Britton tries to slow down the last remaining undefeated team in the majors, as the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers play a doubleheader at Camden Yards

This series was slated to get underway on Friday, but rain in the area caused a postponement making today's straight double-dip necessary.

Britton was magnificent in his major league debut for the O's on Sunday. Starting in place of the injured Brian Matusz, he allowed a run and three hits with six strikeouts in six innings to defeat Tampa Bay.

"It's a great way to start the season," Britton said after the contest.

The sensational effort followed up an even better spring for the 23-year-old lefty that saw him pitch to a 1.35 earned run average. Britton had been the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the year last season.

He'll have his hands full today, though, as he faces a 6-0 Rangers team that is off its best start since winning their first seven games in 1996. The defending American League champions are the first team to start a season with six straight wins since Kansas City began with a 9-0 record and San Francisco a 7-0 mark in 2003.

The Rangers are also the fourth big-league team since 1945 to go to the World Series one year and start with six straight wins the next. The last defending league champion to start 6-0 were the 1985 Detroit Tigers.

"That's it. 6-0," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "There's nothing really else to say."

After an impressive sweep over the Boston Red Sox to open the season, the Rangers made it six in a row on Wednesday, finishing off another three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners by beating reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez.

"It gives our team more confidence knowing that we're able to play good teams," Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre said. "We played Boston and we swept them. We faced a guy like Felix Hernandez [Wednesday] and beat him. That builds our confidence. Hopefully we can feed off of it and go on the road and try to do the same."

The Rangers played their first six games of the season at home, and they now hit the road for nine games that also includes stops in Detroit and New York to face the Yankees.

Hoping to keep the Rangers in the win column in the first game will be right- hander Colby Lewis, who was effective in beating the Red Sox last Saturday. Lewis allowed three runs and six hits in six innings of that one, and also struck out four while walking a batter.

Lewis, though, is 0-2 lifetime against the Orioles with a 6.14 ERA in four games (two starts).

Matt Harrison heads to the hill for the Rangers in the nightcap trying to follow up a terrific outing his first time out. Harrison defeated the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, holding them to a run and five hits in seven innings of work. He also struck out eight and walked a pair.

Harrison has beaten the Orioles both times he has faced them, but has pitched to a 7.50 ERA in doing so.

Baltimore will counter with another young hurler of its own in Jake Arrieta in game two.

Arrieta, who was 3-0 this spring, was brilliant in his season debut against the Detroit Tigers as he held them to a run and six hits in six innings.

He has faced the Rangers twice and is 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA in those outings.

The Orioles are off to an impressive start as well, wining five of their first six games following a 9-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday. Adam Jones hit a two-run homer and knocked in three runs, while Mark Reynolds' two- run double fueled a five-run seventh for Baltimore, which is off to its best start in three years.

Baltimore has already won two series, a feat the team did not accomplish last year until May 13.

"I have not glanced at a stat sheet or the board about batting average," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We played five games and one of the great things with players with track records, if their health is there, they're more than likely going to be somewhere around that track record."

The O's could be without second baseman Brian Roberts today after the second baseman was taken to the hospital on Friday because of stomach pain. He would have been a late scratch had the game gone off as scheduled and is questionable for today's tilts.

Baltimore was 6-4 against the Rangers a year ago.