O's game blog: It's Ubaldo Jimenez against Joe Kelly at Camden Yards

Winners of five of their last six games after losing 15 of 18, the Orioles host Boston tonight in the second game of a three-game series and fifth game of a six-game homestand.

With last night's 2-0 win over the Red Sox, the Orioles improved to 10-4 this year versus Boston and clinched the season series. It is the fourth straight year the Orioles will win a season series against the Red Sox for the first time since they did so from 1964-67.

Orioles against Boston:
* Went 13-5 in 2012
* Went 11-8 in 2013
* Went 11-8 in 2014
* Are 10-4 in 2015

It was that long ago that the Orioles were a Red Sox doormat. From 2006-09, Orioles went 17-55 (.236), which included a 2-16 record in 2009. But since 2012, the Orioles have a record of 45-25 (.643) versus Boston. This season the Orioles are 6-1 against the Sox at home and 8-1 in the last nine games between the teams.

Boston had won seven of its last nine, outscoring its opponents 60-34, coming into this series. The Red Sox are 7-1-1 their last nine series and 16-9 since Aug. 18. In going 7-3 its last 10 games, Boston batters are hitting .297/.354/.481 with 25 doubles and 13 homers. Red Sox starters have a 2.30 ERA in that stretch.

Ubaldo Jimenez Orange day.jpgUbaldo Jimenez (11-9, 4.22 ERA) makes his 29th start tonight and pitches against Boston right-hander Joe Kelly (10-6, 4.70 ERA).

Jimenez tonight seeks his 100th career win. Of his 99 victories, 56 came as a member of the Colorado Rockies (including a no-hitter on April 17, 2010 at Atlanta), 26 came with the Cleveland Indians, and 17 were earned with the Orioles. Jimenez would become the 11th Dominican Republic-born pitcher to earn 100 career victories. Hall of Famer right-hander Juan Marichal leads with 243, and current Orioles pitching instructor Ramon Martinez owns 135 career wins.

Jimenez has won his last two starts against Toronto and New York with an ERA of 2.84 over 12 2/3 innings. Before that, he was 2-5 with a 7.50 ERA in his first nine starts after the All-Star break. In nine career starts against Boston, he is 2-3 with an 8.06 ERA. In two 2015 starts, Jimenez is 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA against Boston. O's starting pitchers have recorded back-to-back quality starts after going through a stretch where the team had just one in 15 games.

Kelly has won each of his last eight starts. He is 8-0 with an ERA of 2.59 since Aug. 1, and he's allowed two earned runs or less seven consecutive starts. His run of eight wins in eight starts ties the Cubs' Jake Arrieta for the longest streak in the majors this year and is the best by a Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez won nine games in nine starts from April 20-June 4, 1999.

In two starts this season against the Orioles, Kelly is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, and in four career starts, he is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA. Kelly has nine quality starts, and the Red Sox are 13-11 when he gets the start in 2015.




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