Orioles Game 101 Game Thread: at Twins, 7:10

You were probably worried enough about this game the second you heard that Ubaldo Jimenez would be the starter. And you might also recall that the last time the Orioles had one of these one-game-only excursions, they played rather a sloppy game in Texas.

It won't make you feel much better, then, to hear that one reporter in Minnesota noted that the Orioles arrived there at 3am, local time, and said that they are looking tired in the clubhouse. Well, hopefully they can rally for game time, or at least ingest sufficient quantities of whatever legal energy drinks they prefer in order to be in game shape. Oh yeah, and they have to pack up after this game and fly to Toronto for a weekend series that includes two day games! Sleep fast.

Still, even an Orioles team facing some handicaps should be able to handle the Twins, who are not just bad, but Really Bad. They are on pace to win something like 60 games. The Orioles have already won every game they've played against the Twins so far this year, which could either mean the Twins are due to win one or that the Orioles just totally have the Twins number. Last year, the Twins won every game against the Orioles, so a complete season sweep would be nice revenge.

The circumstances aren't ideal, but good teams have to get through that stuff in order to keep proving that they are good. The Red Sox are out west tonight, while the Blue Jays are off entirely. Beat a bad team and maintain or gain ground. That's all there is to it.