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Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins: What to watch for

By Nate Wardle

May 30, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; A general view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards during the fifth inning between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox . The Red Sox won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; A general view of Oriole Park at Camden Yards during the fifth inning between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox . The Red Sox won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 5, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; A general view of Camden Yards during the game between the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; A general view of Camden Yards during the game between the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

What to watch for in the Baltimore Orioles upcoming series against the Minnesota Twins.

The Minnesota Twins come to Baltimore after playing a doubleheader on Sunday, while the Baltimore Orioles are fresh off a rebounding series win versus the Blue Jays.

Surprisingly, both of these teams would currently be in the playoffs, if the playoffs started today.

The Twins lead the AL Central, one year after being the worst team in baseball. The Orioles hold the first wild card spot.

So, how are Twins doing it? And how do the Orioles match up against them? Let’s discuss with a what to watch for feature.

Strong at home versus strong on the road

The Baltimore Orioles, at 15-4 are the best team in baseball at home. Their loss on Sunday at home was their first home loss in almost a month.

The Twins, meanwhile, are one of the best road teams in baseball at 11-5. So, this will be a matchup of strength versus strength.

In this case, I would believe the advantage is held by the team that is at home, as they are familiar with their surroundings. The Twins are a team mixed with young players and old veterans. Joe Mauer, Jason Castro and Brian Dozier are the veterans in the lineup, surrounded by the youth of guys like Miguel Sano, Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton and more.

Their pitching staff leans toward the veteran status. Ervin Santana is 6-2 with a 2.07 ERA. Hector Santiago is 4-2 with a 3.96 ERA. Phil Hughes is 4-3, but just went on the disabled list.

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