Having scored just 10 runs their last five games, the Orioles host the Oakland Athletics tonight in the nightcap of a split doubleheader. The A's won 8-4 earlier to improve to 14-16, while the Orioles are 16-12.
The pitching matchup tonight features right-handers: Ubaldo Jimenez (1-3, 5.20 ERA) makes his sixth start and Oakland's Jesse Hahn (1-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his second.
Jimenez had an ERA of 3.91 before his worst outing of 2016 last Sunday against the White Sox. He gave up six runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, throwing 84 pitches.
In six career starts against Oakland, Jimenez is 3-1 with a 5.28 ERA and 1.630 WHIP. Ubaldo is one win shy of tying right-hander Miguel Batista with 102 career victories for ninth place on the all-time wins list among Dominican Republic-born pitchers.
The 26-year-old Hahn began this season at Triple-A Nashville, going 0-1 with a 2.04 ERA over four starts. He got the start a week ago today against Houston and threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings on three hits. He got a 2-0 win, throwing 81 pitches. Lefty batters went 2-for-9 against him and right-handed hitters went 1-for-12.
A sixth-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2010 out of Virginia Tech, Hahn made 16 starts for the A's last year. He went 6-6 with a 3.35 ERA before his season ended in July due to a forearm strain. Over his last eight starts last season, he went 5-2 with a 2.42 ERA.
Manny Machado has now hit safely in seven of his last eight games going 13-for-32 (.406/.457/.688). He has six multi-hit games and six doubles in that span since April 28. He now has 21 extra-base hits (14 doubles, seven home runs) in 28 games. Machado entered play today with the second-most doubles in the majors and was tied for the most multi-hit performances among American League hitters.
Jonathan Schoop went 1-for-4 in the opener to extend his season-high hitting streak to nine games. Schoop is 10-for-32 (.313/.333/.469) during the streak since April 27.