O's game blog: O's have lost seven of 10 heading into Game 2 against the Angels

The Orioles need a win tonight to avoid falling four games below the .500 mark for the first time all year.

At 15-18, they are now three games under .500 for the fifth time this year, and they have lost seven of 10 games heading into the second game of this weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels.

Tonight's game will not start on time. The tarp is on the field and we are in rain delay right now at Camden Yards.

Ubaldo Jimenez (3-2, 2.41 ERA) makes his seventh start of the year tonight against Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker (2-3, 6.61 ERA).

Jimenez is coming off Monday's seven-inning outing, where he gave up just two runs and fanned nine against Toronto.

In three home starts, he is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.86. In 21 innings, he has allowed just 10 hits and four runs (two earned) with four walks and 23 strikeouts.

Shoemaker has struggled and gave up six hits and runs in just three innings in his last start against Houston. In 31 1/3 innings, he has allowed 35 hits and 10 homers. He has given up six homers in 10 1/3 innings over his last two starts.

In 22 games since being activated from the disabled list, Jimmy Paredes is hitting .353 with five home runs, seven doubles, two triples, 18 RBIs and 16 runs scored. Paredes has at least one hit in 19 of his 22 games played this season and 14 of his 32 hits have been for extra bases. He snapped his career-high 12-game hitting streak on Friday after going 0-for-3 with a walk. That streak was the longest by an Oriole this season.

The Orioles rank first in the majors with 11 outfield assists. Delmon Young leads the team and ranks tied for third in the American League with four, Adam Jones has three, and Alejandro De Aza and Travis Snider each have two.

On this date in 1965 (50 years ago today), 19-year-old rookie right-hander Jim Palmer entered in relief and earned his first major league win, defeating the Yankees 7-5 at Memorial Stadium. Palmer also clubbed his first career home run in the game, a shot to right field off right-hander Jim Bouton.