Today's scheduled Orioles-Tampa Bay Rays game has been rained out. The contest will be made up on July 13 at Oriole Park as part of a split-admission doubleheader with games at 1:05 and 7:05 p.m.
Read on for the earlier game blog notes had we had a game today, and feel free to leave any O's questions/comments here through the afternoon. We're back here Monday night when the Orioles host Boston.
The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays wrap up a three-game series that has featured two shutouts the past two nights. Friday night, Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow threw scoreless three-hit ball over seven innings in the Rays' 7-0 win. Last night the Orioles' Dylan Bundy blanked the Rays on three hits and 96 pitches over 7 1/3 in a 3-0 win.
Bundy threw 46 four-seam fastballs that averaged 91.3 mph in recording his first scoreless start since last June 11 against Boston. It was the eighth time in his career he worked seven or more shutout innings. He picked up his first win since Sept. 18 and snapped a career-long six-game losing streak. Bundy's outing was the longest by an Oriole so far in 2019.
Left-hander John Means (3-3, 2.81 ERA) will make his ninth appearance and fifth start of 2019 this afternoon. In four games out of the bullpen, Means is 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA, a 1.043 WHIP and 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings. In his four starts, he is 1-3 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.222 WHIP and 6.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
For the season, Means has pitched 25 2/3 innings, allowing 23 hits and eight earned runs. He's given up four home runs with seven walks, 25 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.169. In four games (two starts) at Oriole Park, Means is 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA, and he's allowed one homer in 10 1/3 innings.
Means allows a .188 batting average and .715 OPS when pitching to left-handed batters, and marks of .244/.705 versus right-handers. He yields an average of .158 when pitching with runners in scoring position.
Means has been good this year when he gets to a two-strike count. Batters have hit .150 against him in such spots, with 25 strikeouts in 60 at-bats. Hitters are 0-for-4 when the count is 0-2, 2-for-12 at 1-2, 3-for-28 (.107) on 2-2 and 4-for-16 on a full count.
The Rays are scheduled to use right-hander Ryne Stanek (0-1, 2.81 ERA) as an opener today. He has made 13 appearances, eight as an opener. In those games, Stanek has a 2.31 ERA and has allowed seven hits over 11 2/3 innings. In 10 career games (five starts) against the Orioles, he is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA and has given up five homers in 11 1/3.
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.masnsports.com/