After right-hander Zach Eflin pitched the Orioles past the Rays with a 4-1 win Friday night, the O's will look for another victory tonight. If they get it they will have another American League East series win.

Colton Cowser led off Friday's affair with his 18th homer in the first. Cowser has homered in back-to-back games and he's hit four longballs his last 11 games. Cedric Mullins hit the O's second solo shot of the night, his 12th in the sixth inning. 

The Orioles are 7-1 this season against the Rays and 5-0 at the Trop where they have outscored the Tampa 29-8. Baltimore is 15-5 its last 20 games against Tampa Bay and 24-13 in the last 37.

The O's are now 25-12 versus AL East opponents and 13-5 in AL East road games.

The Orioles send ace righty Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.63 ERA) to the mound tonight in Game 2 of this three-game series.

If it seems like the Orioles don’t issue many intentional walks, they don’t and the stats back that up.

Heading into the Tampa Bay series, the O’s pitchers have issued just seven intentional walks this season. Only three American League teams issued less, five by New York, four by Cleveland and two by Houston. Only six major league clubs have issued less than the O’s in 2024.

Oakland pitchers lead the AL with 26 intentional walks with Boston next at 22, Toronto 21 and Texas 20.

The O’s philosophy seems to be pitch the big boppers carefully and work the edges of and off the plate. And if you walk him you walk him.

During the Toronto series, I asked manager Brandon Hyde about a specific instance during Wednesday’s game with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but also in general how the club handles such situations when a big hitter is up.

The Orioles begin a three-game weekend series tonight in St. Petersburg, Fla. versus the Tampa Bay Rays. They do so with the memory of a four-game sweep at the Trop the last time they were there.

The O's and Yankees are both 68-48 beginning play tonight after both lost last night. While the O's play the Rays this weekend, the Yankees will host the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers. The Yankees have won five straight home series over the Rangers. 

Perhaps the ninth-inning rally last night gives the O's some momentum as a new series begins. They entered the last inning at Rogers Centre down 7-2 but scored four runs to pull within one. Jackson Holliday scored one with an RBI grounder, Cedric Mullins doubled in a run and Colton Cowser scored two with a single to right field.

But the rally ended there and the O's lost an American League East series for just the second time this season. They are now 7-2-2 in 11 division series. 

Cowser had homered earlier and he drove in four runs to tie his season high for the third time. Cowser has hit safely in 18 of his last 20 games since July 19, batting .355/.419/.592/1.011 with three doubles, five homers and 19 RBIs.

TORONTO – It did not come as a surprise when Anthony Santander said yet again on Thursday afternoon that he would like to remain an Oriole beyond the 2024 season.

He can be a free agent this winter and any club could try to sign him. He confirmed that he and the team have not had any in-season contract talks. But this is where he wants to stay, if it works out for him to do that.

“I want to stay here,” Santander said pregame Thursday in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre. “This is the team that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. I like where we are right now. We are a really good team. This team is about to get in a World Series soon – hopefully this year. Of course, I would like to stay here for the rest of my career. But it’s out of my hands. Just get ready for today’s game and go for the win, you know. But at the same time, so happy and thankful for the fans that want me to stay here.”

Santander has picked a good time to have a great walk year, the season leading up to free agency. He is on a pace to hit 48 homers and drive in 110 runs. He hit two homers Wednesday night to give him 34 for the year – a new career-high, topping the 33 he hit in 2022. He has 46 games to add to that total.

One reason Santander is having a big year is that he is hitting all pitches pretty well this season. While his slugging percentage is .500 against fastballs, it is even better versus breaking balls at .519 and much better at .721 versus offspeed pitches. Last year he slugged .368 against offspeed.

TORONTO – Coming into the rubber match of their series at Toronto tonight, the Orioles had lost just one American League East series in 10 tries this year and just one in their past 24 division series dating to early April of 2023.

If there was a player who could change that it would be Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Hitting against a team he loves to torment, Guerrero homered and added a double and triple with four RBIs tonight as Toronto beat the Orioles 7-6 in front of 27,910 at Rogers Center.

Even with Guerrero's monster night at the plate, the O's had a chance to steal the series in the ninth inning. Trailing 7-2 at the turn of the ninth, the Orioles loaded the bases behind three consecutive singles from Ryan O'Hearn, Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle. 

Then the runs followed. Jackson Holliday drove in a run with a groundout, Cedric Mullins doubled in another and then Colton Cowser singled for two more. It was quickly 7-6. And with the O's homer leader, Anthony Santander coming up. 

But righty reliever Chad Green got the final out as he induced Santander to fly to center on a 2-2 fastball and Toronto hung on. The O's rally fell a run short.  

Since early last season, the Orioles have lost just one American League East series. They need a win tonight at Rogers Centre for that stat to continue. Right before the All-Star break the O's lost a series to the Yankees. But they are 17-1-6 in their past 24 division series. 

They went 32-20 in AL East games last year and are 24-11 this season heading into this series finale. The O's are 7-5 against Toronto and 12-4 in AL East road games.

After losing Tuesday in Toronto 5-2 as they were held to three hits, they won 7-3 last night when they hit three homers.

With last night's win, the Orioles have clinched a second straight season series win over the Blue Jays. This is the first time they’ve accomplished that since winning the season series in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

From 2020-2022, they went 16-32 against Toronto. But since the start of 2023, they are 17-8 versus the Blue Jays. 

TORONTO - As he keeps mashing homers – he’s now hit a career-high 34 with a lot of games to play – O’s outfielder Anthony Santander is sure having a great “walk year.”

That is the year that leads into a player becoming a free agent and Santander can be that at the end of this season for the first time. Not a bad time to be putting up big numbers and making great plays on defense.

Once again today he expressed that he wants to remain an Oriole beyond 2024 but also acknowledges “that is out of my hands.”

Last night Santander hit two more homers and made a great catch to rob Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of extra bases and preserve what was at the time a one-run lead. The O’s beat Toronto 7-3 and Santander was a big reason for that.

He is now batting .248/.311/.540/.851. His 34 homers are second in the American League and tied for second the majors.

TORONTO - The Orioles have gone 7-1-2 in 10 American League East series this year, losing just one. Tonight they play the rubber match game against Toronto after splitting the first two games of this series.

The Orioles are 7-5 versus the Blue Jays and have won the season series. They are 24-11 against division opponents. They have not lost a road AL East series, going 3-0-1 in four series and 12-4 in those games.

In tonight's series finale, Colton Cowser will bat leadoff again, Anthony Santander will serve as the DH as Ryan O'Hearn moves from left to right field. Ramón Urías starts at third base, batting ninth. 

Five players in the majors have now hit 30 or more homers. Santander, at 34, ranks second in the AL and tied for second in MLB in home runs.

MLB homer leaders:

TORONTO – It didn't happen in April when he went 2-for-34 with 18 strikeouts. But it's happening now. Jackson Holliday, who will not turn 21 until Dec. 4, is now doing special things for the Orioles.

So special that last night, Holliday's go-ahead homer in the seventh led the Orioles to a win but he also became the youngest player in American League history to homer in three straight games.

Looking overmatched and not ready in April, now he looks every bit like the best prospect in baseball. Those that called him overhyped and overrated then are eating their words faster than a buffet lunch. 

The fun started last Wednesday in Baltimore, in his first game back in the bigs since April. 

He drilled a ball 439 feet in the sixth inning against Toronto for a grand slam. A 4-3 lead became 8-3 and Jackson got all of that one. He hit an 0-2 slider with 109.2 mph exit velocity.

TORONTO – The kid did it again. Jackson Holliday hit yet another homer off the Toronto Blue Jays and this one was huge.

With the Orioles down 3-2 in the seventh, Holliday connected on a two-run shot – his fourth in seven games since rejoining the club – and the O’s had a 4-3 lead.

Anthony Santander provided insurance, with a solo homer in the eighth, his second home run of the game. It came not long after he made a leaping catch against the right-field wall in the seventh to rob Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The robbery came with a man on second and two outs, which preserved the 4-3 lead.

The O’s bullpen got the outs late to make it stand up as the Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 to even this three-game series.

They improved to 68-47 and are 10-9 since the All-Star break. The Orioles are 24-11 in AL East games and 12-4 in division road games.

TORONTO - After losing both a game and pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to injury last night, the Orioles have to figure night two in Toronto will go better for them. 

Now in second place for the first time in over a month (since June 26), the Orioles 67-47 are now 33-22 on the road and 6-5 against Toronto.

The Birds had won the last two games at Cleveland but have now lost three of five and nine of their past 16 games. They are 9-9 since the All-Star break.

The Orioles are 23-11 in American League East games and 11-4 in division games on the road. They are 3-0-1 in four AL East road series. To not lose their first one of the year, they'll need two straight wins at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles had scored 16 runs on 30 hits on Saturday and Sunday in Cleveland and they went 3-for-29 at-bat last night. Jackson Holliday's solo homer to right-center in the sixth was Baltimore's first hit and the Orioles went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

TORONTO - O's right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, scratched from his start last night at Rogers Centre, went on the 15-day injured list today, retroactive to Sunday with right lat/teres discomfort. But today O's skipper Brandon Hyde was optimistic he will return this season.

“It’s a mild strain," Hyde said of Rodriguez, who is 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA. "So, he’s going to miss some time. Shut him down for a little while. Get him some rest and recovery, get him some rehab. But I think we’re optimistic about it. Hopefully he is going to join us sometime soon. That has yet to be determined. We’re going to let him rest for a little bit before we crank him back up."

Is this situation less serious than in 2022 when Rodriguez missed three months at Triple-A with a lat strain?

“It seems to be. Seems to be,” said Hyde. “Diagnosing right now as a mild strain. Never know what the timetable is going to be. But hope that he can miss just some time and then rejoin us."

Right-hander Albert Suárez, who pitched five scoreless in the series opener is the strong candidate to stay in that rotation spot.

TORONTO - Lefty Trevor Rogers (2-10, 4.76 ERA) will make his second O's start tonight as the Orioles look to even their series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run homer off lefty reliever Gregory Soto in the sixth inning last night as Toronto beat the Orioles 5-2.

Now 67-47, the Orioles are a half-game behind the Yankees for the division lead. They are not in first place - tied or alone - for the first time since June 26.

Rogers gave up six hits and five runs over 4 1/3 innings on Thursday at Cleveland in his O's debut. He threw 94 pitches in that outing at Progressive Field.

In one career start against Toronto, he allowed five hits and three runs in five innings.

The O's were held to two runs and three hits in the series-opener at Rogers Centre after scoring 16 runs on 30 hits in the last two games at Cleveland. Over their previous 12 games heading into this series, the O's offense was scoring 6.4 runs per game, batting .291 and with an OPS of .859 as a team. But they went just 3-for-29 last night.

TORONTO - The Orioles rotation began play last night with a 3.83 ERA and that ranked as third-best rotation ERA in the American League. That is a solid placing but how long can a rotation stay there when it keeps taking hits?

Kyle Bradish made just eight starts this year. John Means made four and Tyler Wells made just three. Recent trades brought reinforcements with right-hander Zach Eflin and lefty Trevor Rogers. But then righty Grayson Rodriguez gets scratched last night minutes before the game and seems likely headed to the injured list for the second time this year.

Rodriguez is returning to Baltimore to get further evaluation and imaging on an issue the club announced as right lat/teres discomfort. No word yet on how long he may be out.

With that news as a backdrop, lefty Rogers makes his second O's start tonight. In 22 starts this season with 21 for Miami and one for Baltimore he is 2-10 with a 4.76 ERA.

In his last nine Marlins starts before the O's traded for him, he had an ERA of 3.17. But in his first O's outing on Thursday at Cleveland, he gave up five runs over 4 1/3 innings.

TORONTO – The Orioles' new-look rotation, which recently added righty Zach Eflin and lefty Trevor Rogers via trade, has lost another player tonight.

Just minutes before first pitch of the series-opener at Rogers Centre between the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez was scratched from tonight’s start and that Albert Suárez would pitch for the Orioles.

The MASN cameras caught an interaction in the outfield not long before first pitch when Rodriguez was seen with pitching coach Drew French and appeared to be saying, "I don't feel right."

Despite five strong innings from emergency starter Albert Suárez, the Orioles dropped the opener of a series against the Blue Jays, 5-2.

Rodriguez spent time on the injured list from May 1 through May 17 with right shoulder inflammation and missed about three starts. He returned to pitch on May 18 and hurled six-innings of scoreless, one-hit ball in Baltimore against Seattle.

TORONTO – The Orioles split a four-game series at Cleveland that ended Sunday. Tonight, their three-city, 10-game road trip continues with the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The Orioles scored 16 runs on 30 hits and went 12-for-31 with runners in scoring position in wins Saturday and Sunday at Cleveland. They have scored 39 runs their past six games and are averaging 6.4 runs per game with a team OPS of .859 their last 12 games, scoring six runs or more seven times in those dozen games.

The Orioles have now won four of six and six of their past nine. They are 9-8 since the All-Star break. Their team ERA in the second half is 4.95 and they are batting .276 as a team since the break with an .829 OPS and scoring 6.0 runs per game in the 17 games.

In five games since rejoining the team, rookie infielder Jackson Holliday is 7-for-18 with a double, two homers and seven RBIs. His OPS is 1.254 in those games.

Gunnar Henderson had three hits Sunday, including a two-run homer. He had gone 15 games without a homer and had just one his last 24 games until he connected for No. 29. Henderson hit 28 homers last season, when he averaged one every 20.00 at-bats. This season he gets one on average every 15.21 at-bats.

TORONTO – Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has not played since he was hit by a pitch July 31 against Toronto and suffered a fractured right hand.

With the O’s set to play the Blue Jays again, this time north of the border, Westburg was quite upbeat today about making it back to the Orioles before the regular season winds down.

“It’s hard to tell. It just comes down how quickly the bone heals and how quickly I can progress,” Westburg said this afternoon in the visitor’s clubhouse with his arm wrapped and using a splint. “I am just taking it one day at a time and personally, I’m optimistic I can be back before the end of the season. I am going to do everything I can to get back out there.”

Do the doctors share that optimism?

“Well, I don’t have any concrete timetable right now. Just trying to be optimistic and set my attitude and worry about taking it one day at a time,” said Westburg, batting .269 with an .815 OPS in 101 games.

TORONTO - The Orioles begin a three-game series tonight at Toronto as their 10-game road trip continues at Rogers Centre. They went 2-2 at Cleveland, winning the final two games of that series on Saturday and Sunday. 

The Orioles scored 16 runs on 30 hits in taking the final two games at Progressive Field. In going 7-5 the last 12 games, the Orioles have scored 6.4 runs per game while batting .291 as a team with 24 doubles, four triples, 17 homers and an .859 club OPS in that span. The Orioles are averaging 6.0 runs per game since the All-Star break, going 9-8, the fourth-best mark in the major leagues. They have a .361 OBP, third in the majors, in that span. 

Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (13-4, 3.86 ERA) gets the start for the Orioles in the series opener, coming off a home win versus Toronto. Last Wednesday in Baltimore he allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings to the Blue Jays. In seven starts this season against American League East clubs, Rodriguez is 4-2 with a 3.98 ERA.

The O's begin play tonight once again tied for first with the Yankees, with both clubs at 67-46. The Orioles are 23-10 in 2024 versus AL East clubs, including a 6-4 mark against Toronto. They are 3-0-1 in four AL East road series, going 11-3 in those 14 games.

Toronto (51-61) has lost four of its last five games and is 7-9 since the All-Star break and 26-28 at home this season. 

Sometimes you can "turn and burn" but sometimes "you take rather than rake."

When I interviewed Ryan O’Hearn in spring training and we talked about his strong 2023 and hopes for the 2024 season, he knew he may still have some doubters out there.

“I’m sure there are people saying, ‘He’s a one-hit wonder or a flash in the pan’ type of thing. You know, I’m eager to prove that is not true,” he said in that March interview in Sarasota.

Then O’Hearn spelled out some specific plans to improve this year and they have played out on the field pretty much exactly as he had hoped.

He wanted to walk more. He is. He wanted to do a better job in 3-2 counts and he is big time.

The Orioles, after an extended stretch of losing, may now be trending up again. Their offense and their won-loss record.

In the last two games at Cleveland, they scored 16 runs on 30 hits with nine doubles, a triple and two home runs. They went 12-for-31 (.387) batting with runners in scoring position. They created a lot of scoring chances and cashed a few of them in. They scored two or more runs in five different innings the last two games at Cleveland.

With those two wins, the Orioles now have the third-best record in the majors.

.604 – Cleveland (67-44)

.595 – Philadelphia (66-45)