O's game blog: Jimenez returns to rotation and some homer notes

Well, we know the Orioles rely a lot on the home run ball. At least they hit them often, and that is not just referring to the six they hit last night. The Orioles lead the majors with 42 games where they have hit two or more homers. They are 32-10 in those multi-homer games. They are 55-25 when they hit even one homer in a game. The Orioles now lead the majors with 144 homers. Here are the top six teams: 1. Orioles, 144 2. Toronto, 137 3. Houston, 128 4. Colorado, 127 t5. Milwaukee and Oakland, 116 J.J. Hardy hit two homers last night for his 11th career multi-homer game. Chris Davis has now homered three times in the last four games. When you consider the Orioles lead the majors in homers without that pair hitting the number many expected, it would be quite a plus for the offense if Hardy and Davis finish strong hitting the longball. You can add to that the fact that Nelson Cruz has just one homer his last 25 games. Yet the O's are still hitting plenty of home runs. The Orioles have now homered in seven consecutive games, hitting 15 total. They've hit 13 in their last five games. Ubaldo Jimenez (3-8, 4.52 ERA) returns to the O's rotation today, making his first big league start since July 5 when he gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings against Boston. Jimenez made two minor league rehab starts, giving up 10 hits and two runs (one earned) in 10 2/3 innings on July 29 for short-season Single-A Aberdeen and Aug. 3 for Triple-A Norfolk. So he's pitching on five days rest today. John Lackey makes his second start for St. Louis this afternoon after being traded by Boston to the Cardinals. He is 12-7 with a 3.55 ERA in 22 starts. But Lackey did not fare well in three starts this year for Boston against the Orioles, going 1-2 with a 7.02 ERA and allowing 23 hits and three homers in 16 2/3 innings. In his first start, he gave up just two runs in six innings versus the Orioles. But in his last two, he went a combined 10 2/3 innings, allowing 20 hits and 11 runs. Meanwhile, the Orioles have been on a pretty good roll with their pitching, especially over the last 18 games. Their team ERA in that stretch is 2.25 and they are 13-5. Over those 18 games, O's starters have pitched to an ERA of 2.62 and the bullpen ERA is 1.48. The Orioles are 8-4 in interleague play despite playing the toughest schedule. According to STATS, their National League opponents have a combined .544 win percentage. The Orioles are now a season-high 17 games over .500, their best record since late in the 2012 season.