Major League Baseball

Orioles-Angels Preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:41 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

While the Baltimore Orioles' Ubaldo Jimenez is hoping to bounce back from another ineffective start, the Los Angeles Angels' Jered Weaver has his own slump to break out of.

Jimenez will try to reel in his control issues Sunday to help the visiting Orioles to a series sweep over Weaver and the Angels.

Los Angeles (19-24) seemed like it would even this series on Saturday, but Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Baltimore (26-15) to an improbable 3-1 victory.

Wieters is batting .464 with three homers and eight RBIs in his last eight games.

After the Orioles piled up 14 hits - four home runs - in Friday's 9-4 win, they finished with five hits in the middle game - two coming in the final inning.

They're hoping for a bounce-back effort Sunday from Jimenez (2-4, 5.60 ERA). After working a season-high eight innings in a 5-2 victory over Oakland on May 7, he allowed 11 runs, 14 hits and walked eight in 9 1/3 innings between his last two starts.

Jimenez has walked three or more in six of his eight starts and issued one or fewer while pitching at least seven innings in each of his two 2016 wins. For the third time in four starts, the right-hander tossed five or fewer innings.

"It's disappointing," Jimenez told MLB's official website. "As a starting pitcher you want to get deeper and give your team a chance to win. But it's just part of the game. I have to keep working and find a way to move on and get ready for my next one."

He hopes for similar results as his two 2015 outings against the Angels. Jimenez held them to two runs in 15 innings, including an eight-inning two-hitter on Aug. 8.

That August victory was his first against the Angels after losing his first five starts in the series. Yunel Escobar bats .348 with a double and home run in the matchup.

Weaver is mired in his own slump that he hopes to shake out of.

The right-hander has given up at least four runs in five of his eight starts, and has a 9.00 ERA in his past two outings. He allowed four runs and 10 hits over seven innings in Tuesday's 5-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Weaver (3-3, 5.76) has lost his last three decisions while dealing with general soreness and tightness in his right shoulder.

"There's been nothing easy about this process," Weaver told MLB's official website. "It's been a lot of hard work in between starts, and it's taken a bit longer than anticipated as far as my body goes."

Weaver is 5-2 with a 1.83 ERA in eight home starts against the Orioles. He held them to three runs over 12 1/3 innings in a pair of Los Angeles wins last season.

Baltimore's Adam Jones snapped a 0-for-18 slump with Saturday's 1-for-4 showing, and he has seen Weaver well in the past. He is 8 for 28 in the matchup with a double, triple and two home runs.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball