O'Hearn stays in left field for second game against Astros

The Orioles will try to rebound today from last night’s bizarre 14-11 loss to the Astros in Houston. A win would have moved them into first place because the Yankees also lost.

Colton Cowser is in right field and Ryan O’Hearn is in left again. Austin Hays stays on the bench.

Anthony Santander, who’s homered 11 times this month, is the designated hitter.

O’Hearn is batting .400 against low pitches in June after posting a .125 average entering the month, per STATS.

Adley Rutschman, who had his second career five-hit game last night, is catching Corbin Burnes again.

So much for the James McCann storyline. Fun while it lasted, though.

Burnes is 8-2 with 2.14 ERA and 1.036 WHIP in 15 starts, living up to his reputation as an ace. He’s registered 10 quality starts in a row to pull within two of the club record set by Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in 1975.

Jack Harshman and Steve Barber strung together 11 quality starts in a row in 1958 and 1965, respectively.

Burnes has made two career appearances against the Astros and allowed five runs in six innings. Yordan Álvarez has only two at-bats but he hit a home run.

Burnes’ first-pitch strike rate is up to 67.2 percent this season after a 59.3% mark in 2023, per STATS.

The Orioles have homered in 20 consecutive games to tie the club record in 1998.

Right-hander Ronel Blanco is 7-2 with a 2.43 ERA and 0.966 WHIP in 13 starts. He’s allowed only 44 hits in 77 2/3 innings.

The highlight for Blanco obviously was the no-hitter against the Blue Jays in his first start. He tossed six scoreless innings with one hit allowed in his next outing in Texas. Over his last two starts, he’s held opponents to one run and three hits in 13 innings and struck out 16 batters.

Right-handed hitters are slashing .163/.255/.267 and left-handers are slashing .164/.245/.321. Right-handers are batting .088 against his changeup.

Blanco has never faced the Orioles.

For the Orioles

Gunnar Henderson SS
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan O’Hearn LF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Anthony Santander DH
Jordan Westburg 2B
Cedric Mullins CF
Colton Cowser RF
Ramón Urías 3B

Corbin Burnes RHP