O's game blog: The Orioles are 5-7 in road games (game rained out)

The Orioles have a very good record at home this year. Tonight they try to work on improving their road record when they begin a three-game series at Minnesota.

Having just concluded a 6-4 homestand, the Orioles are 13-5 at Oriole Park this year. But they are under .500 at 5-7 on the road. The Orioles have lost three of their four road series. They went 2-4 on their last road trip to Kansas City and Tampa Bay and scored just five runs in the last four games of that trip.

But the Orioles hit a season-high six homers in Sunday's win over Oakland. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the third time in Orioles history that they scored at least 10 runs in a game and home runs accounted for all of the runs. The Orioles also did so in a 12-8 win over the Mariners in 1996 and a 12-2 win over the Blue Jays in 2012.

The Orioles' 43 home runs now ranks first in the American League and is tied for third in the majors behind the New York Mets (47) and the St. Louis Cardinals (44).

The Orioles have won four of six games and at 18-12 they lead the American League East by a 1/2 game over the Boston Red Sox. They have been in first place all but four days of the 2016 season.

Minnesota lost its first three games of the year at Camden Yards by scores of 3-2, 4-2 and 4-2. Minnesota would go on to an 0-9 start and currently has the worst record in the AL at 8-23. The Twins have lost five in a row and nine of 10 games.

On the mound tonight, Tyler Wilson (1-1, 3.04 ERA) pitches against right-hander Jose Berrios (1-1, 6.75 ERA).

The Orioles are 5-3 in Wilson's eight career starts, including a 2-1 mark this year. Wilson is 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 15 career appearances and, in the eight starts only, is 2-3 with a 4.20 ERA and four quality starts.

Berrios began the year at Triple-A Rochester and went 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA. In two starts with the Twins he gave up five runs in four innings against Cleveland and then two runs in 5 1/3 innings versus Houston.

The 21-year-old Berrios is the Twins' No. 2 prospect according to Baseball America and he got the win over Houston's Dallas Keuchel in that last start. He allowed two solo homers. Berrios is the highest-drafted pitcher ever from Puerto Rico (32nd overall in 2012). He was the Twins minor league Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and 2015.

Orioles 2016 leaders, quality starts:
4 - Chris Tillman
3 - Ubaldo Jimenez
2 - Kevin Gausman, Mike Wright
1 - Tyler Wilson

No game tonight: Tonight's Orioles-Twins game has been rained out. It will be made up on July 28 and the teams will not play a doubleheader during this O's trip to Minnesota.