Orioles and Twins in series finale

The Orioles wrap up their three-game series with the Twins today at Target Field before reaching another open date on their schedule. They're 6-3 this year in the final game of a series. The Orioles are 10-8 against the American League East, but only 3-5 versus the Central. Miguel Gonzalez is making his sixth start of the season and fourth away from Camden Yards. In his first three road starts, he's gone 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in 15 innings. Gonzalez has never faced the Twins. Ubaldo Jimenez isn't the only pitcher relieved that the season has moved into May. Twins starter Phil Hughes has a career 6.15 ERA in 28 starts in March/April and a 4.51 ERA in 24 starts this month. Hughes is 6-5 with a 5.22 ERA in 20 career games against the Orioles. Nick Markakis is 15-for-47 (.319) with three doubles and two homers lifetime against Hughes. Manny Machado is 5-for-12 and Jemile Weeks is 4-for-8. Adam Jones is 8-for-44 (.182) with two doubles and two homers against Hughes. Matt Wieters is 7-for-34 (.206) with a homer. J.J. Hardy is 5-for-26 (.192) with a double and homer. Nelson Cruz is 4-for-17. All four hits are doubles. Markakis went 2-for-4 yesterday to raise his average to .310. He's hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, including eight multi-hit games, and is 22-for-59 (.373) in that stretch. Since the start of the 2012 season, Markakis is 30-for-60 in 15 games against the Twins, including 11 multi-hit games. Markakis doubled yesterday for his 439th career extra-base hit, leaving him seven behind Paul Blair for seventh place on the Orioles' all-time list. Jonathan Schoop went 0-for-3 yesterday and his average is down to .227. He's 2-for-19 since April 24. Down on the farm, Steve Lombardozzi went 2-for-2 with three walks and a run scored yesterday in his first game at Triple-A Norfolk. He started at second base. Steve Johnson, activated from the disabled list earlier in the day, allowed two runs and five hits in three innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. He threw 68 pitches, 47 for strikes. Tides manager Ron Johnson was ejected in the third inning and fired his cap into the crowd before going into the dugout.