O's game blog: Orioles and Detroit meet in series opener

As the Orioles begin a series tonight against Detroit, they are still trying to get their bats going in home games. It's been somewhat strange but the Orioles have a team batting average of .283 and average 5.2 runs per game on the road while batting just .242 and scoring only 3.1 runs per game at the Yard. The Orioles have scored three runs or less in 11 of 16 home games, the latest of which was yesterday in a 5-2 loss to Houston. They scored 11 runs in that series. Detroit has won of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Can the O's get their home offense going against this team? Nick Markakis has been hitting well in all ballparks. He went 6-for-12 over the weekend and his average of .317 now ranks sixth in the AL. He is tied for fourth with 46 hits. Markakis' hitting streak has reached 18 games. He is batting .356 (26-for-73) during the streak with nine walks, three doubles, two homers, nine runs and eight RBIs. He has 10 multi-hit games over his past 22 contests, batting .364 since April 16. Bud Norris (2-2, 3.82 ERA) gets the start for the Orioles tonight against right-hander Rick Porcello (5-1, 3.49 ERA). Porcello has won each of his last four starts. Norris is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA over his last three starts. He is 0-2 with a 7.41 ERA in three career starts versus the Tigers. Hunter Harvey note: The Orioles 2013 top draft pick, right-hander Hunter Harvey, had a very strong outing tonight at home against Lakewood. Over seven innings he gave up just one hit and no runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 1.38. Harvey threw 83 pitches, 61 for strikes. Sounds like the kid was rolling at Perdue Stadium tonight.