Orioles 9 - 4 Angels
Final
  for this game

Orioles-Angels Preview

May 20, 2016 - 5:42 AM Baltimore has been at home for the majority of the last three weeks and was taking advantage of that luxury before a rare series loss at Camden Yards.

Manager Buck Showalter believes he'll find out what his team is made of during its upcoming road stretch.

The Orioles begin a nine-game road trip Friday night against a Los Angeles Angels club thriving despite a plethora of injuries.

Baltimore (24-15) has played only two road games since April 28 and won its seventh in a row when Mike Wright shut down Detroit on Saturday. But it lost the series finale to the Tigers and dropped two of three to Seattle, including Wednesday's 7-2 defeat.

''Everybody's trying to seek their level right now,'' Showalter said. ''We're in the middle of May. Everybody's trying to figure out who they are, whether they're a dancer or someone who spins the records.''

The Orioles will face the Angels (19-22), Houston and Cleveland during their trip. They're 7-7 away from home, and Showalter knows success on the road will be crucial later in the season.

"It's two common denominators of teams that play in October - having an advantage at home and being competitive on the road. We know we have to follow that trend," Showalter told MLB's official website. "It's long, tried and tested. We're going to some places where people are playing well."

Los Angeles certainly is, winning six of its last seven after beating the Dodgers 7-4 on Friday. The Angels have continued on their roll despite having 10 players on the disabled list, including five pitchers.

Mike Trout homered for the second straight game and Carlos Perez added a solo shot for the Angels, who have scored 52 runs in the last eight games after plating just eight in their previous five.

They'll look to stay hot against Wright (2-3, 5.20 ERA), who had his best start of the season Saturday while allowing two runs and three hits in seven innings of a 9-3 victory.

Wright overcame three walks and tied his season high with six strikeouts.

"I think that seventh inning makes me feel really good," said Wright, who threw a career-high 108 pitches. "If I had gone six, that feels OK as long as we get the win, that's positive. But in that seventh, going out there and throwing that and getting over 100 pitches, it makes me feel really good, and hopefully I ride that the rest of the season."

The right-hander made his major league debut against the Angels on May 17 of last year, allowing four hits in 7 1/3 innings - still his career high - of a 3-0 victory.

Wright will oppose Hector Santiago, who is coming off a solid outing of his own.

Santiago (3-2, 3.42) was fantastic Sunday, outdueling Felix Hernandez while giving up two hits in a career high-tying eight innings of a 3-0 win at Seattle. He pitched fewer than six in each of his previous three outings.

''I feel like if I'm in that situation then I'm pitching good and getting zeros,'' Santiago said. ''If they get 10 hits and I put up six or seven zeros I'm happy just the same.''

The left-hander has a 2.57 ERA in three starts and three relief appearances against the Orioles, but he hasn't faced them since 2014.

Adam Jones (4 for 10), Chris Davis (2 for 8), Mark Trumbo (1 for 8) and Nolan Reimold (2 for 4) have all homered off Santiago.






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