O's game blog: A chance for a series win at New York

With a playoff berth now secure, the Orioles play at New York tonight looking to wrap up the top American League Wild Card seed. At five games behind the Yankees with five to play, they also are still mathematically alive for the AL East championship.

An O's win tonight would push them closer to that top Wild Card slot while keeping their faint division hopes alive for another day.

In Tuesday's 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium, they got solo homers from Anthony Santander (No. 44), Ramón Urías (No. 11) and Colton Cowser (No. 23). Santander's homer hit the right-field foul pole, going just 344 feet, while Urías hit one 405 and Cowser's blast went 432 feet.

Santander's homer also produced his 100th RBI, which is five more than his career high from 2023. Santander's 195 RBIs since the start of last year put him tied for 11th in the majors. He is tied with former Oriole Manny Machado.

He homered for the third time in five games and has hit 35 in his last 100 games, since June 1. Santander has four homers in 11 games versus the Yankees.

The Orioles hit three or more homers for the 30th time this season and they are 25-5 in those games.

Yankees pitchers, who had a 1.96 ERA in winning 12 of their previous 16 games, had allowed three or more homers just one time in the last 50 games. They gave up three to St. Louis on Sept. 1. New York pitchers had allowed four homers total in the previous eight games before Tuesday night.

The Orioles have won the season series versus the Yankees for the second straight season. They are 7-4 with two games to go. Their pitchers have a 3.45 ERA in the season series, allowing a .211 batting average and .686 OPS. Their batters score 4.73 runs per game in 2024 against the Yankees.

The Orioles are 3-1 at Yankee Stadium in 2024, hitting eight homers, scoring 31 runs and with a team OPS of .914. That is their highest OPS at any road venue.

The Yankees (92-65) hold the best record in the AL by 1 1/2 games over Cleveland in their bid to get the No. 1 seed. Heading into last night, New York had won three in a row, six of seven, nine of 11 and 12 of the previous 16 games.

The Yankees are 42-34 at home, 34-25 in the second half and 25-25 in AL East games. The O's are 31-19 in AL East play.

Baltimore batters produced just 24 runs over a 12-game stretch through Sept. 18, hitting 10 homers and posting a .575 OPS.

In their past five games the O's have scored 24 runs, hitting 10 homers and recording a .780 OPS.

Right-hander Zach Eflin (10-9, 3.53 ERA) will make his 28th start tonight and his ninth for the Orioles, who are 6-2 in the first eight.

As an Oriole only, Eflin has gone 5-2 with a 2.31 ERA. Over 50 2/3 innings he has allowed six walks and gotten 46 strikeouts, and he has seven quality starts in the eight outings. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer six times.

In 10 second-half starts (two with Tampa Bay) he is 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA.

Eflin faced the Yankees three times this year - all with Tampa Bay - going 0-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.056 WHIP. In eight career starts, he is 3-3 with a 2.11 ERA and 1.043 WHIP against the Yankees. 

A win tonight would allow the Orioles to end a five-series losing streak.  

Lefty Nestor Cortes was scheduled to start tonight but was scratched. Right-hander Marcus Stroman (10-8, 4.04 ERA) will take the mound for his 29th start.

In three September games, he has a 6.75 ERA and .905 OPS against.

He has not started versus the Orioles this year. But in eight starts in AL East games, Stroman is 0-3 with a 5.45 ERA and .870 OPS.