BALTIMORE ORIOLES (7-0)

at BOSTON RED SOX (3-4)

First pitch: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: Baltimore +102, Boston -112, Total: 9.0

The undefeated Orioles look for their eighth consecutive win to start the season when they take on the division-rival Red Sox at Fenway Park.

What’s gotten into the Orioles? The O’s (7-0) have been the surprise of baseball through the first week-and-a-half. Picked by seemingly no one to win the American League East or even earn a wild-card berth, Baltimore has rattled off seven consecutive victories to begin 2016 with a bang. Buck Showalter’s squad took the first two games of the series and is going for a rare road sweep of the Red Sox (3-4). Pitching for the first-place O’s is RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0, 1.29 ERA, 9 S0, 0 BB). He’ll be opposed by RHP Joe Kelly (0-0, 21.00 ERA, 1 HR), who was hit hard in his first start of the season. Baltimore is tied for the most runs (40) and home runs (13) in the American League. It’s also second in average (.293) and tied for second in OBP (.355). The Red Sox have also scored 40 runs and are third in the AL in average (.282). Baltimore’s pitchers have done a solid job of throwing up zeroes (2.86 ERA – 3rd in AL). Boston’s staff, meanwhile, has been the worst in the AL (5.90 ERA). The Orioles, who hold a four-game lead over Boston in the division, went 11-8 against the Sox last season.

So who’s driving in runs for the O’s? The better question: Who’s not driving in runs for the O’s? RF Mark Trumbo (.464, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .500 OBP), in his first season in Baltimore, has been absolutely destroying the ball. 3B Manny Machado (.414, 3 HR, 4 RBI, .469 OBP, 1 2B) and LF Joey Rickard (.370, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 2B) have also been on fire. What’s most impressive about the Orioles’ offense thus far is that they’ve managed to light up the scoreboard with minimal production from C Matt Wieters (.208, 0 HR, 6 RBI, .269 OBP) and Adam Jones (.200, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .200 OBP), who is day-to-day with a rib injury. 1B Chris Davis (.240, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .387 OBP), the most feared hitter in the lineup, has been his usual self, hitting for a low average but making his hits count with long balls. DH Pedro Alvarez (.105, 0 HR, 0 RBI), who spent six years in the National League, has seen the most of Kelly. He’s 4-for-15 lifetime against him with a home run, a double, four RBIs and four walks.

Manager John Farrell’s best hitter this season has been 1B Hanley Ramirez (.379, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .406 OBP, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 SB). DH David Ortiz (.346, 3 HR, 9 RBI, .393 OBP, 4 2B), in his final season, is looking like the Big Papi of old, and LF Brock Holt (.333, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .462 OBP) has shown some pop. 2B Dustin Pedroia (.303, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .324 OBP, 2 2B) has been his usual excellent self, and 3B Travis Shaw (.300, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .417 OBP, 3 2B, 1 SB), in his first full season in the majors, has impressed. The veteran Sox have seen plenty of Jimenez. 3B Pablo Sandoval (0-for-6 with 4 SO), who’s been relegated to the bench, is 14-for-39 against the right-hander with two home runs, seven RBIs and a triple. Pedroia has also had success against the former All-Star, going 9-for-24 with two doubles, four RBIs and three walks. RF Mookie Betts (.242, 2 HR, 6 RBI) is 4-for-12 lifetime against Jimenez with a double and SS Xander Bogaerts (.233, 0 HR, 2 RBI) is 5-for-12 against him, but Ortiz (2-for-19 with a homer and 4 SO) and Ramirez (3-for-14) never quite figured him out.