Rick Porcello ended his woes against the Baltimore Orioles earlier this season, but he has yet to solve Camden Yards.
Porcello will try to win for the first time in four tries in Baltimore on Monday night (6 p.m pregame, 7:05 first pitch on FOX Sports Detroit) in the opener of a three-game set for the Detroit Tigers.
This series between division leaders begins with the same pitching matchup from a 7-6 home victory for Porcello (5-1, 3.49 ERA) on April 5. He allowed one run over 6 2-3 innings after going 0-5 with a 5.45 ERA in his previous six outings versus Baltimore (20-15).
The Orioles' Bud Norris (2-2, 3.82), who will oppose Porcello again, surrendered a season-high five runs over five innings and was charged with the loss.
Norris may like his chances Monday since he has a 0.73 ERA at home compared to a 5.48 road mark even though he is 0-2 with a 7.41 ERA in three starts against the Tigers.
Porcello hasn't found Baltimore to his liking, going 0-3 with a 5.19 ERA in three starts there.
Another issue for Porcello is that the Orioles activated slugger Chris Davis from the 15-day disabled list Sunday. Davis is 5 for 15 with three homers off the right-hander - tied for the most home runs Porcello has allowed.
Davis went 2 for 4 in his first game since April 25 in Sunday's 5-2 defeat to Houston that ended Baltimore's season-high five-game win streak.
"Felt good," Davis said. "Timing is a little off, little in-between. But it was definitely good to be in there, moving around again."
The Orioles got Davis back but placed catcher Matt Wieters on the DL with a right elbow strain.
The Tigers (21-12) won two of three over the Orioles in last month's series. Torii Hunter was 6 for 12 with three homers and seven RBIs and Miguel Cabrera went 6 for 13 with one home run. Hunter had a three-run double and a two-run homer off Norris in that set.
Norris has limited Cabrera to two doubles in nine at-bats. The Baltimore right-hander gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings and didn't get a decision in Wednesday's 4-3 victory at Tampa Bay - the Orioles' third straight win with him on the mound.
Porcello won his fourth straight start that same night by allowing two runs in 6 2-3 innings in a 3-2 victory over the Astros. His last five-start win streak was from July 3-29, 2011.
Nick Markakis is 9 for 21 against Porcello, and enters with an 18-game hitting streak that is one shy of his career best.
Detroit is seeking its first six-game road win streak since Sept. 5-14, 2011. The Tigers have dropped three of four after a season-best eight-game win streak, falling 4-3 to Minnesota on Sunday.
Victor Martinez is hitting .370 with five homers and 15 RBIs in his last 14 games.
The Orioles may make a move to bolster their bullpen with the Tigers coming to town.
"We'll talk about it, we'd like to make sure we have some length there," manager Buck Showalter said. "Detroit's primarily right-handed so we'll talk about it."
