Orioles hoping to put Miami in a vise

The Orioles won't have to worry about a rain delay in Miami this weekend unless the Marlins are slow again to close the roof. Storms tend to sneak up on them.

This is the Orioles' first visit to Marlins Park, where the home team is floundering. Miami has lost seven in a row and the general manager is in the dugout. No word on whether the traveling secretary will be handling the MRIs.

The Orioles trail the all-time series 6-18, including 1-11 on the road. They've won only one series, going back to 2000, when they took two of three games at Camden Yards.

In the most recent meeting, the Marlins won two of three in 2010 at Land Shark Stadium. Adam Jones went 7-for-12 with two home runs.

Remember when the Marlins had giant pencils as foul poles? They could use one to erase this season.

Ubaldo Jimenez will make his eighth start of the season tonight. He's 3-3 with a 2.43 ERA in 40 1/3 innings.

Jimenez has gone seven innings in back-to-back outings, allowing four runs, walking two and striking out 15. He's averaging 2.7 walks per nine innings compared to 5.5 last season.

With no designated hitter, manager Buck Showalter must decide whether to sit Jimmy Paredes - who singled and walked yesterday and is batting .342 - or play him in the field. He could start at second base, though Showalter obviously has better defensive options, including Steve Pearce and Everth Cabrera, who comes off the disabled list today.

Giancarlo Stanton is 3-for-7 with a home run against Jimenez, Martin Prado is 3-for-8 and Ichiro Suzuki is 5-for-17.

Marlins right-hander Henderson Alvarez is 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts after going 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA and three complete-game shutouts in 30 starts last season and making the National League All-Star team. He came back this year from a stint on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder and elbow.

Alvarez is 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA in five career starts against the Orioles. Chris Davis is 5-for-10 with a double, home run and four RBIs against him, Jones is 5-for-11 with a home run and Alejandro De Aza is 4-for-9 with a double.

Jones fouled a ball off his left foot yesterday, something he does approximately 100 times during a season, and Showalter expressed concern afterward. He said it's the type of blow that can break a bone. Jones stayed in the game, but Showalter and head athletic trainer Richie Bancells will check him again.

Say what you want about Jones, but don't ever question his toughness. This guy takes a beating, and he stays in the lineup and plays every inning.

Manny Machado already has stolen a career-high seven bases this season and it's only May. Did the Orioles talk to him about being more aggressive on the basepaths or is it simply a product of having "two new knees," as he described them at minicamp?

"We didn't talk to him per se about that," Showalter said. "You'd be surprised at how many guys are on their own here. If they feel like they can steal the base, go. I don't want to take that away from them to a point.

"I think it's just an indication of how good he feels physically, and there's not any concern health-wise. We saw it there early in the spring. You don't see many guys' foot speed improve. There's some mechanics and fundamentals of running that Brady (Anderson) has worked with him on, and I think he's been able to attack some things that he couldn't do in the past. It's been nice to see."