O's game blog: Orioles look to break three-series road losing streak at Houston

After playing just three road games over a 20-game stretch since May 11, the Orioles begin a two-city, seven-game road trip tonight at Houston. This is the first time this year they are playing outside the Eastern time zone.

A loss tonight and the Orioles would match a season-high at four games .500. They begin the road trip with a 23-26 record after losing the last two days to Tampa Bay.

The Yankees and Rays are tied for the American League East lead at 26-25, with the Orioles in third place, two games out.

Baltimore has lost its last three road series, going 2-7 against the Mets, Yankees and Marlins. They are 8-14 in 22 road games.

The Orioles' struggling offense may be happy to turn the calender to June after scoring just 3.3 runs per game during May. They ended the month scoring two runs or less in 11 of the last 21 games and producing six hits or less in six of the last nine.

Houston has the second best record in the AL, behind only Minnesota. Yeah, everybody figured that, right? The Twins are 30-19 (.612) and the Astros are 31-20 (.608).

Houston began the year 3-5, then went 26-11 over a 37-game stretch heading into last week's series at Camden Yards. But they lost two of three there and then lost two of three to the Chicago White Sox over the weekend.

Houston came to Camden Yards with an 11-4 record in one-run games and then suffered two one-run losses in Baltimore.

Houston is 26-2 whe scoring four or more runs (1-1 versus the Orioles), 19-0 when producing a multi-home run game and leads the majors scoring 90 runs this year from the seventh inning on.

Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 3.14 ERA) makes his 10th start tonight and will be facing Houston in back-to-back games. Last Wednesday he went seven innings and gave up 10 hits and four runs.

Jimenez in April: 2-1 with 1.59 ERA, 3.2 walks/nine innings, .133 average against.

Jimenez in May: 1-2 with 4.34 ERA, 1.9 walks/nine innings, .303 average against.

Left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (0-0, 3.00 ERA) makes his second start of the season. He was on the disabled list due to a blister on his left index finger, was activated to make a start May 13, re-aggravated that injury and went back on the DL. He comes off that list for the second time to start tonight.

Oberholtzer has walked just 1.77 batters for every nine innings pitched over his career, ranking third in team history among pitchers with 200 or more innings.