Coming off a season in which they finished at exactly 81-81 and in third-place in the AL East division, the Baltimore Orioles will be looking to take it a step further in 2016, as they seek to return to the postseason.
They made quite a few moves over the offseason in trying to make that happen, particular within their batting order, in which they are just oozing power. Prior to the offseason, they already boasted fixtures in the lineup like Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Adam Jones, but didn’t get content with that impressive array of talent, as they also added sluggers Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez. Furthermore, they also still have J.J. Hardy and Matt Wieters, two guys who can also rake.
If Baltimore is going to make some noise this season under manager Buck Showalter, they will need improved starting pitching from their rotation. Chris Tillman got that effort started the right way on Opening Day, in which the O’s downed the Twins, 3-2, for the first victory of the campaign. With spirits high, let’s take a look at the value of the rest of the Orioles’ opening series opposite Minnesota.
4/6/16 Twins at Orioles | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Avg. Ticket Price: $40 | Get-in: $18
4/7/16 Twins at Orioles | Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Avg. Ticket Price: $33 | Get-in: $10
Fans are getting a tremendous deal on Orioles tickets when it comes to the rest of this season-opening series. First off, the Twins were one of the better team in the American League a year ago, narrowly missing out on one of the two postseason Wild Card berths, but made a statement to the rest of the league that they have arrived again with their influx of talent. With the emergence of future stars like Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton, Minnesota looks like it’ll be a force for awhile, and this series could set the tone for the rest of April.
This is also a crucial series for Baltimore as fans will get to see the team debut of starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, who was arguably the club’s main acquisition over the winter to improve the pitching staff. Gallardo had a very solid season with the Rangers last season and will aim to duplicate that success in his first year with the Birds. His 2016 slate begins in this series.
For those still looking to arrive in town for the first series of the year, Hipmunk.com can be a lifesaver, sporting cheap flights to Baltimore so out-of-town fans can make the trek without spending a bundle. Furthermore, Hipmunk also has affordable hotel rooms in Baltimore, with rooms starting as little as $57, to help fans create the perfect baseball getaway to begin the new year.
submitted by Ralph Garcia
