Orioles 1 - 2 Phillies
Final
  for this game

Powerful Orioles try to finish off sweep of Phils

Jun 18, 2015 - 12:06 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Baltimore Orioles will try to finish off a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a home-and-home series.

These two clubs are clearly headed in opposite directions, with the Orioles having won 11 of their past 13 to move three games over .500 and two games back of first place in the AL East.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have lost nine in a row -- their longest skid since an 11-game slide from Sept. 4-14, 1999 -- and are 4-21 in their past 25.

Philadelphia lost the first two games of this series in Baltimore, with Tuesday's 19-3 setback wrapping up an 0-8 road trip. That was the first winless swing of at least eight games for the club since an 0-9 road trip during the team's inaugural season in 1883.

Baltimore hit a franchise-record eight homers in that win and then added two homers in Wednesday's 6-4 win. Chris Parmelee homered after going deep twice on Tuesday and Travis Snider also left the yard to back Ubaldo Jimenez's 6 2/3 innings of work in which he allowed four runs, three earned.

"We have a good lineup, we have good pitching, we have great defense," said Jimenez, who struck out eight and hit an RBI single. "It was just a matter of putting everything together."

Freddy Galvis hit a three-run homer in the seventh to get the Phillies within 6-4, but outfielder Jeff Francoeur, who pitched the last two innings on Tuesday and was on the mound during an embarrassing moment when the Phillies couldn't reach their bullpen because the phone was off the hook, came up with the tying runs on base in the ninth inning Wednesday and grounded into a double play to end the game.

Kevin Correia pitched five innings in his second start for the Phillies since signing as a free agent this month. He gave up seven hits and six runs, though only two of them were earned.

"The frustrating part is that in numerous games we were (one play) away from I don't know how many wins," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg. "We came up short in those games and that starts to add up."

Bud Norris will make his third start for the Orioles since coming off a near month-long stay on the disabled list due to a bout of bronchitis.

Norris won his return start on June 7 in Cleveland after allowing a run and striking out seven over five innings. He then lasted 5 2/3 frames on Saturday against the New York Yankees, but did not factor into a 9-4 win after yielding four runs on eight hits and zero walks.

The righty is 2-4 with an 8.29 earned run average this season through eight starts and is 1-3 lifetime versus the Phillies with a 4.21 ERA in five outings.

Sean O'Sullivan takes aim at only his second victory of the season this afternoon in a meeting with the Orioles.

O'Sullivan is 1-5 with a 5.08 ERA on the season, losing three decisions over five outings since his lone win on May 17. He hurled six innings of a 4-3 loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday, giving up four runs on eight hits and four walks.

O'Sullivan, a 27-year-old righty, has an 8.64 ERA in four previous meetings with the Orioles, including three starts, but has not recorded a decision against them.

The Orioles have won 10 of their last 12 against the Phillies. The clubs are meeting for the first time since 2012.






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