In recent years, Baltimore has offered a reprieve during road trips through the AL East -- a break from contenders like the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.
Now? Not so much.
The Cleveland Indians begin a four-game series with Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, and this year at least, the O's are no pushover.
After four straight seasons of finishing last in the AL East, the Orioles currently sit in second place. At 41-33, they are 5.0 games back of the New York Yankees and 1.5 games ahead of both the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox.
Baltimore, 21-17 at home, currently holds a wildcard spot.
The Indians, meanwhile, are riding a season-high five-game losing streak after getting swept by the Yankees. They have fallen 2.5 games back of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox.
Zach McAllister will take the hill for Cleveland Thursday. In four starts, McAllister is 1-1 with a 3.96 ERA. He has 22 strikeouts in 25 innings.
Rookie Wei-Yin Chen, 7-3 with a 3.38 ERA, will start for Baltimore.
For more on the Cleveland Indians, check out Let's Go Tribe. You can also head over to SB Nation's main MLB hub at Baseball Nation, or watch SB Nation's YouTube channel: