Twins at Orioles
The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles have played some surprisingly good baseball on the road and will try to carry that success into their second homestand of the year, beginning Friday against the Minnesota Twins. The Orioles improved to 7-6 on the road - compared to 1-6 in Baltimore - with a 6-5 victory in 11 innings at MLB-best Tampa Bay on Thursday.
Right fielder Joey Rickard capped a four-hit effort with an RBI double in the 11th to provide the difference for the Orioles. Alex Cobb will be coming off the injured list for the second time already this season when he starts for Baltimore on Friday opposite fellow right-hander Jose Berrios. The Twins dropped three of four to Toronto at home to begin the week, blowing an early two-run lead in Thursday's 7-4 defeat. Left fielder Eddie Rosario slugged a pair of solo homers in the loss and he has six in his last 10 games for Minnesota.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Jose Berrios (2-1, 2.30 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Alex Cobb (0-0, 3.18)
Berrios has four straight quality starts out of the gate while striking out 28 in 27 1/3 innings with just five walks. He has held opponents to only 15 hits overall, including four over 6 2/3 innings in a win over Detroit on Sunday. The 24-year-old is 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in two career starts at Camden Yards.
Cobb hit the injured list with a groin strain just before Opening Day and then was sidelined by a lumbar strain following his one and only outing against the New York Yankees on April 4. He allowed two runs across 5 2/3 innings in that start while striking out four and walking one. The Boston native is 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA in four career starts versus Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rosario has 14 RBIs during his 10-game power surge.
2. Orioles LF Trey Mancini has five doubles and four walks over his last seven games.
3. Minnesota took six of seven meetings last year after winning five of seven in 2017.