The next ten games will say a lot about how the rest of the season will play out for the Orioles. After dropping the last two games at home, the team heads to Los Angeles for a three-game series that begins tonight against the Angels.

Following the three games in Los Angeles, they’ll head to Oakland for three games against the Athletics and then to Kansas City for four games against the Royals before returning to Baltimore on May 13.

The Orioles are currently two games above .500 (15-13) overall and two games below .500 on the road (5-7). If they can bounce back and have a winning road trip, then the Orioles might be able to hang around the top of the AL East a little bit longer. Anything less than a .500 road trip could spell disaster for a team with a lot of young players that has been playing above expectations so far this season.

The Angels had won two straight before losing, 15-8, last night against the Athletics. At home, they are one game above .500 (8-7) in 2008. Last night, Williamsport native Nick Adenhart made his Major League debut, but it wasn’t a good one. He lasted only two innings, walked five and allowed five runs on three hits.

Pitching matchups

Friday 5/2: Jeremy Guthrie (0-3, 4.34) vs. Jered Weaver (2-3, 4.21)
Saturday 5/3: Daniel Cabrera (2-0, 4.14) vs. Jon Garland (3-3, 5.94)
Sunday 5/4: Steve Trachsel (1-3, 6.08) vs. Joe Saunders (5-0, 2.08)

Who you should play from the Angels

Casey Kotchman, 1B – In 21 career games against the Orioles, Kotchman is only hitting .172 with one home run and four RBIs. However, the career statistics should be ignored in this situation because Kotchman has been impressive so far this season. Kotchman is hitting .340 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 2008.

Who you should bench from the Angels

Jon Garland, RHP – Garland is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine career games against the Orioles. However, he has struggled with his command this season. In 36 1/3 innings, Garland has issued 12 walks and only struck out nine hitters. Throughout his career, Garland has never collected a lot of strikeouts, but this season’s total is exceptionally low. Since his ERA is 5.94, Garland’s value is minimal at this point. He needs to start striking out hitters or allowing fewer runs to acquire any fantasy value.

Who you should play from the Orioles

Aubrey Huff, DH – How many people thought Huff would be leading the team in home runs (five) and RBIs (19) after the first month of the season? He also ranks among the team leaders in doubles and runs scored. Pick Huff up and try to get him in your lineup if he’s available in your league. He’s going to be receiving consistent at-bats, so there is no reason why he can’t continue to contribute to your fantasy team.

Who you should bench from the Orioles

Luke Scott, LF – After hitting .389 in his first 16 games, Scott is only 4-for-34 with no home runs and no RBIs in his last 11 games. There’s still a chance that Scott will hit 20-25 home runs this season, but that chance gets slimmer with each passing day. Sit him out during this rough stretch, but don’t get rid of him. He’ll regain his value as soon as he breaks out of this recent slump.