After hitting just three home runs over an eight-game stretch, the Orioles hit three in one game last night. They beat the Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Thursday to start a four-game series and 10-game homestand.
The Orioles' 31 homers rank fourth in the majors behind Arizona (36), St. Louis (33) and Colorado (33). The Orioles are 6-2 when they hit two or more homers.
At 13-8, the Orioles have spent each day of the season in or tied for first place. Their 7-0 start made the Orioles the first American League East team to begin 7-0 since the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers started 13-0.
The Orioles are 8-1 at home and 5-7 on the road, and their run differential of plus-20 leads AL East clubs.
Manny Machado
On the mound tonight, right-hander Mike Wright (1-2, 6.23 ERA) pitches against White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-2, 4.05 ERA).
Wright's last start was Sunday in Kansas City. He took the mound in the last of the seventh trailing 2-1 at 87 pitches. But K.C. came up with a four-run seventh to break the game open and win 6-1. Wright's final line showed eight hits and five runs allowed over 6 1/3 innings.
Over three starts, left-handed batters are hitting .345 against him with three homers in 29 at-bats and right-handed batters are hitting .243.
Rodon had a start where he gave up five runs in just 1/3 of an inning April 18 against the Angels. In his other three outings, his ERA is 1.83. Lefty batters hit .130 against him and right-handed batters are hitting .288. Rodon is 6-4 with a 2.41 ERA and 69 strikeouts over his last 12 outings dating back to Aug. 8, 2015 with 11 quality starts.
Active leaders, consecutive games played:
183 - Manny Machado, Orioles
124 - Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
114 - Adrian Beltre, Texas
113 - Jose Altuve, Houston
101 - Carlos Santana, Cleveland
Chicago and the Orioles remain one-two in the major leagues in bullpen ERA, but the gap closed last night. The White Sox 'pen ERA is 1.68 starting tonight and the Orioles are at 1.70.