Opening Day 2018: Baltimore Orioles vs Minneosta Twins game preview

The Baltimore Orioles will begin their 2018 campaign by taking on the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards (3:05 PM) in Baltimore on Monday.

BALTIMORE — Taking the mound for the Orioles will be right-handed starting pitcher, Dylan Bundy. Bundy, 25, went 13-9, with a 4.24 ERA and 1.196 WHIP, over the course of 169.2 innings pitched in 2017. Bundy pitched in two games against the Twins in 2017, pitching to a 0-2 record, 6.00 ERA, with Twins batters hitting .234 against him. This will be the first Opening Day start in Bundy’s career.

Going against Bundy will be newly-acquired Twins starter, Jake Odorizzi (10-8, 4.14 ERA and 1.242 WHIP in 2017). Odorizzi, 28, will make his first appearance for Minnesota, after being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league infield prospect Jermaine Palacios. Odorizzi pitched in four games against Baltimore in 2017, pitching to a 2-0 record, 3.10 ERA, with Orioles batters only hitting .227 against him in 20.1 innings pitched.

Baltimore’s starting lineup:

  1. 1B Chris Davis
  2. SS Manny Machado
  3. 2B Jonathan Schoop
  4. CF Adam Jones
  5. LF Trey Mancini
  6. 3B Tim Beckham
  7. DH Pedro Alvarez
  8. RF Craig Gentry
  9. C Caleb Joseph

Starting pitcher: Dylan Bundy

Orioles notes:

For Baltimore, the team will employ Davis as the leadoff man. It will be his first time leading off in his career. Beckham and Machado have swapped positions with one another. Though Beckham (groin) is dealing with an injury, he will take his spot at third. Alvarez is penciled in at designated hitter, where he provides a left-handed bat in place of the injured Mark Trumbo (quadriceps).

Jones took 214 at-bats in 2017 in the four spot, batting .304, driving in 27 runs and hitting nine home runs. Schoop batted .301 in the three hole last season, hitting 18 homers and driving in 60 runs.

Minnesota’s lineup:

  1. 2B Brian Dozier
  2. 1B Joe Mauer
  3. 3B Miguel Sano
  4. LF Eddie Rosario
  5. DH Logan Morrison
  6. SS Eduardo Escobar
  7. RF Max Kepler
  8. CF Byron Buxton
  9. C Jason Castro

Starting pitcher: Jake Odorizzi

More predictions and analysis at Doc’s Sports.

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(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

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Kyle Andrews
Born in Norfolk, VA, raised in the Baltimore area and currently living there. Originally pursuing a degree in exercise science at McDaniel, Andrews became interested in sports writing. He was the sports editor of McDaniel's newspaper in 2014 and became an English major, and hasn't looked back since.

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