Opposite dugout: Rangers look to duplicate success against O's from last season

Manager: Jeff Banister (2nd season)

Record: 5-5

Last 10 games: 5-5

Who to watch: RF Nomar Mazara (.375), 3B Adrian Beltre (.308, 2 HR, 9 RBIs), DH Prince Fielder (10 RBIs), LHP Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08 ERA), LHP Derek Holland (1-0, 3.00 ERA), RHP Shawn Tolleson (2 saves, 22.50 ERA)

Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (6-1 in 2015)

Pitching probables:

April 14: RHP Chris Tillman vs. LHP Cole Hamels, 8:05 p.m., MASN2
April 15: RHP Vance Worley vs. LHP Martin Perez, 8:05 p.m., MASN2
April 16: RHP Yovani Gallardo vs. RHP Colby Lewis, 8:05 p.m., MASN2
April 17: RHP Mike Wright vs. LHP Derek Holland, 3:05 p.m., MASN2

Inside the Rangers:

Things didn't go so well for the Orioles deep in the heart of Texas last season. They were 0-3 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, part of a 1-6 record against a club that rookie manager Jeff Banister took to the American League West crown. Along the way, the Birds were outscored 34-15 and Baltimore pitching allowed 13 home runs in seven games. Texas lost its last game against Seattle in extra innings, but has still won four of six overall and is only a half-game out of the AL West lead. The Orioles series will conclude a rare early-season stretch that sees Texas play 14 consecutive days.

While they possess middling pitching statistically, the Rangers have been getting solid contributions on offense. They rank sixth in hits (78), fifth in stolen bases (seven) and ninth in runs (42). Last season, they scored only 15 runs in the season's first seven games, so they're making the most their base hits. But when they finally get some of their power bats going, the Rangers are going to be pretty dangerous. So far, they've hit only seven homers, with third baseman Adrian Beltre their leader with a pair. DH Prince Fielder has driven in runs in seven different games and leads the club with 10 RBIs.

When right fielder Shin-Soo Choo went on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain over the weekend, Texas recalled one of its top prospects, outfielder Nomar Mazara, the youngest player currently in the majors at 20. Mazara responded by homering in his major league debut on Sunday and getting hits in six of his first nine at-bats. Second baseman Rougned Odor hasn't been able to carry over his strong second half into 2016; he's scuffling along at .167. Ian Desmond, an All-Star shortstop with the Nationals who was a free agent this winter, signed late in the offseason to play left field for the Rangers.

The starting pitching has been impressive, logging eight quality starts to lead the majors. Lefty Cole Hamels, who went 7-1 for Texas after being acquired from the Phillies on July 31, starts the opener of a seven-game homestand. He's 6-0 with a 3.70 ERA in nine career starts at Rangers Ballpark, but 1-2 with a 3.49 ERA against the Orioles in his career. Current Orioles hit just .206 off Hamels, so he'll be a tough test. Another southpaw, Martin Perez, draws the assignment for Friday night and is in his first full season since Tommy John surgery. He's made three lifetime starts against the Orioles, going 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA. Current Orioles have a cumulative .298/.349/.474 slash line against Perez. Righty Colby Lewis faces ex-Ranger Yovani Gallardo on Friday, a good test for a guy who piled up 17 wins in 2015. The Orioles have knocked Lewis around in his career, posting a 4-2 record and saddling him with a 6.11 ERA in nine games, including seven starts. Chris Davis has done damage against Lewis, his former teammate, with a .500/.556/1.250 slash line that includes two homers and five RBIs. Derek Holland, the third lefty the O's will face in four games, has battled a plethora of injuries over the past several seasons. But when he's faced the Birds, he's pitched well, as his 5-2 record and 2.94 ERA in eight games, including seven starts, attests.

The Rangers have gotten a solid effort from their bullpen, though inflated ERAs in small sample sizes from closer Shawn Tolleson (22.50) and Tom Wilhelmsen (16.88) skew otherwise effective relief numbers. Tolleson, who saved 35 games last year, allowed five runs and was charged with a blown save in his second outing of the year, a miserable game where he didn't retire a hitter, while Wilhelmsen had a similar line in his season debut. Guys like lefty Jake Diekman and righties Phil Klein and Sam Dyson aren't well known, but they are pretty reliable in relief.