O's game blog: It's López against Pivetta at Oriole Park

The Orioles have recorded a three-game sweep over Boston this year, and the Red Sox will have one over the Orioles if they win this afternoon at Camden Yards. Boston has won 7-3 and 6-4 in 10 innings to take the first two games in this series.

The Red Sox (5-3) now have the longest win streak in the American League - five in a row - and have moved into sole possession of first place. They lead the division by a game over the Orioles and Tampa Bay, both at 4-4, and by two games over New York and Toronto, both at 3-5.

Boston improved to 2-0 in extra-inning contests. The Orioles are 1-1 this season in extras and 5-5 since the beginning of the 2020 season, when Major League Baseball altered its rules to place a runner at second base at the start of each extra inning. Last night's game was the 65th extra-inning game between the O's and Boston at Oriole Park, and the Orioles are 26-39 in those games.

First baseman Trey Mancini and right fielder Anthony Santander hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, marking the first time the O's have hit back-to-back home runs since Ramón Urías and Cedric Mullins on Sept. 25, 2020 in Buffalo against the Toronto Blue Jays. It marks the first time Baltimore batters homered on consecutive first pitches of an at-bat since Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop homered off Chris Archer on May 12, 2018 versus Tampa Bay.

That was Mancini's first homer since Sept. 28, 2019, also against Boston. It marked the 15th time in his career he homered on the first pitch of an at-bat and just the fourth time he's done so in the first inning. It was his first RBI since the third inning on April 4 at Boston, snapping a streak of 19-straight at-bats without an RBI. Mancini has 13 home runs and 42 RBIs in 62 career games against Boston, his most against any team.

Center fielder Mullins singled in the fifth inning, extending his hitting streak to 12 games dating to last season. He is the first O's player to hit safely in the team's first eight games of the season since Dwight Smith Jr. did so in the team's first eight of 2019. Mullins doubled in the seventh inning for his fourth multi-hit game. He did not record four multi-hit games until his 20th game in 2020.

Right-hander Jorge López (0-1, 7.71 ERA) will make his second start. He took the loss on Monday night at New York when he gave up four runs and three hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked three and fanned five, throwing 75 pitches.

López pitched once in relief last year versus Boston and gave up five runs in four innings. In two career appearances he is 0-0 with a 10.50 ERA. He's given up eight hits and seven runs in six innings, allowing two home runs.

Right-hander Nick Pivetta (1-0, 0.00 ERA), acquired by Boston in a trade with Philadelphia last Aug. 21, starts for the Red Sox. He threw five scoreless innings on just two hits in an 11-2 win Monday over Tampa Bay. Pivetta walked four and fanned four that game, throwing 92 pitches, 52 for strikes.

He threw 42 four-seam fastballs against the Rays, with an average velocity of 94.9, topping at 97. He added 38 sliders and 12 knuckle curveballs. He posted a 6.23 ERA in 13 spring innings. Pivetta is 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA for Boston since joining the team.

Originally drafted by Washington in round four of the 2013 draft, he is the first Canadian-born Boston pitcher since Ryan Dempster in 2013.

The Orioles are 3-1 in day games this season and 13-7 in day games since the start of last season. That is the third-highest win percentage in the majors in that time.