For Orioles, AL East was not a beast in 2014

SARASOTA, Fla. - As I arrive at spring training, the Orioles are 3-8, have lost six of their last seven games and have scored just eight runs in the last five games.

Should we be concerned?

Of course not. Moving on ...

I will be in Dunedin later today to see Ubaldo Jimenez make his third start of the year after he gave up six runs in 1 1/3 innings on March 3 against Detroit and one run over two-plus innings in his last outing March 8 against Minnesota.

The Orioles play the Blue Jays today and when they met an American League East opponent in the 2014 regular season, they did rather well.

In fact, going back to 2012 when the Orioles made the playoffs, they had an excellent record within the AL East. They went 43-29 (.597), posting their best winning percentage in division games since 1980.

The Orioles finished at .500 or better against each AL East team that year.

The 2014 Orioles did even better against their own division. They went 47-29 (.618), going 13-6 against New York, 11-8 versus Boston, 12-7 against Tampa Bay and 11-8 against Toronto.

The Orioles played 24 AL East series last season and they lost just six of those series, just two on the road. The Orioles suceess within their division was a huge reason the club won its ninth AL East title last year, taking the title by 12 games.

The Orioles' series record against the AL East:

* O's went 15-6-3.
* O's went 7-4-1 at home.
* O's went 8-2-2 on the road.

The AL East against the AL East in 2014:

.618 - Orioles at 47-29
.513 - Toronto at 39-37
.487 - New York at 37-39
.474 - Tampa Bay at 36-40
.408 - Boston at 31-45

The Orioles' record was the second-best in the entire AL against the East last year. Oakland had a better winning percentage at .625 (20-12).

Today they face another East opponent, but this time it doesn't count and is just another primer for the regular season.

Check back here throughout the day for coverage of the Orioles and Blue Jays from Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.