=== Baltimore Orioles Team Report - July 31 === (Betting Express) - The Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins tangle in the rubber match of their three-game series at the Metrodome on Thursday. On Wednesday, Jacque Jones drove in three runs and collected a pair of hits as the Twins rolled to a 5-1 win over the Orioles in the second contest of the set. Deivi Cruz was the only Oriole to record a pair of hits and scored the team's only run, as Baltimore lost for just the fourth time in 13 games since the mid-summer classic. Baltimore's Sidney Ponson (14-6) failed in his bid to record five straight wins, allowing five runs over seven innings. He gave up seven hits and three walks, while fanning three, and could not tie Toronto's Roy Halladay and Atlanta's Russ Ortiz for the major-league lead in wins. Baltimore gives the ball to Jason Johnson on Thursday. The righthander has gone just 1-2 over his last four starts to fall to 8-5 on the year. In his last outing, Johnson suffered the loss against Toronto on Friday. He surrendered five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, while walking four and striking out six. Johnson has had success in his career against the Twins, going 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA in five appearances -- four starts. The Orioles are 24-10 in their past 34 games at the Metrodome. |
