O's game blog: Orioles face Scherzer in Game 2 against Texas

The Orioles are nearing the end of a stretch of playing 30 games in 31 days since May 31. Even with the recent five-game losing steak, the team is 16-11 (.593) in this span with three games left in this series with Texas remaining before Monday's off-day to end this grueling span.

The Orioles have won series in this difficult stretch versus the Rays (twice), Braves, Phillies and Yankees. They split a four-game set in Toronto and lost series to the Astros and Guardians.

The six teams that would qualify for the American League playoffs if the season ended today are the Orioles, Yankees, Guardians, Mariners, Twins and Royals. The Birds are 6-1 in series against those clubs, going 15-7 overall.

In the first game between the Orioles and Rangers since Texas swept three in a row last October in the AL Division Series, the O's won 11-2, hitting four homers. Right-hander Corbin Burnes got the win on the mound, allowing one run over seven innings to now be 9-3 with a 2.28 ERA. He has 11 quality starts in his past 12 games with an ERA of 2.09 over that stretch.

Jordan Westburg's two-run double in the first gave the Orioles a 3-0 lead. Heston Kjerstad hit a two-run homer in the third and Cedric Mullins hit a two-run shot an inning later. The O's got solo homers from Adley Rutschman in the seventh and Colton Cowser in the eighth.

Baltimore batters have hit 11 homers the past three games, 26 in the last 11 and 57 homers in 26 games this month.

With one day off in June against a tough schedule, here's a look at where the O's offense ranks in the major leagues this month:

* .280 batting average – fourth
* .337 on-base percentage – fifth
* .531 slugging percentage – first
* .868 OPS – second
* 5.88 runs per game – second

The Orioles are 44-20 this year when they hit a homer, 35-6 when hitting multiple homers, 19-5 when they hit three and 5-2 when they mash four.

Just three major league teams have topped 100 homers thus far in 2024. The Orioles leadi the way by a big margin with 136 to 119 for the Yankees and 111 for the Dodgers.

Major legue leaders in homers per game:

1) 1.68 – Orioles
2) 1.43 – Yankees
3) 1.35 – Dodgers
4) 1.24 – Mets

Mullins picked up his 13th multi-hit game last night and his sixth in his last seven starts. He is batting .386/.407/.702 (22-for-57) in 17 games since June 9 with five doubles, two triples, three homers, 14 runs, four steals and six RBIs.

Gunnar Henderson was 2-for-5 last night and extended his on-base streak to 34 straight games. That is the longest by an Oriole since Nick Markakis at 38 in a row in 2009. Henderson leads the major leagues in scoring 72 runs.

O's right-hander Albert Suárez (3-2, 2.70 ERA) will make his 17th appearance and 10th start tonight. In his past two starts against the Yankees and Astros, he allowed a combined eight runs and 16 hits in 8 2/3 innings with eight walks to six strikeouts. In the four starts before those games, he had an ERA of 1.40.

Right-hander Max Scherzer (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season for Texas. Scherzer spent a lot of time on the injured list this year after December back surgery and also dealing with a nerve problem in his right arm in April. On Sunday, he pitched five scoreless on just one hit, throwing 57 pitches against the Royals. He was pulled early that day with a thumb issue.

Scherzer enters Friday’s start with 3,371 career strikeouts, tied for 11th all-time with Greg Maddux (Justin Verlander is 10th with 3,393). Scherzer is 7-2 with a 3.17 ERA over 14 career starts versus the Orioles. His most recent outing was a start for Washington at Oriole Park on Aug. 16, 2020, when he gave up five runs over seven innings. He has quality starts in seven of his last 10 outings against the Orioles and is 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA in seven career starts at Camden Yards.

Farm notes: Double-A Bowie infielder Max Wagner went on the injured list today with a low back injury. He was batting just .109 in 19 Baysox games. Bowie added catcher Randy Florentino from High-A Aberdeen.

Entering today, the two longest active hitting streaks in the Single-A Carolina League belong to a pair of Delmarva Shorebirds. Infielder Leandro Arias, 19 from the Dominican Republic, is batting .432 during an 11-game run with a homer, three doubles and nine RBIs. Outfielder Thomas Sosa, also 19 from the Dominican, has hit in 10 straight, batting .357 with three doubles, a homer, 10 runs and six RBIs.

After a bunt single yesterday at Double-A Bowie, infielder Frederick Bencosme now owns the longest active hit streak in the Eastern Leaue at 12 consecutive games, which is also the longest hit streak by a Baysox player this season. The Orioles' No. 27 prospect is batting .300/.408/.758 over this span.

In his last 30 games since May 21, Samuel Basallo is batting .315/.392/.942 with six homers and 18 RBIs. 

The Orioles today signed infielder Niko Goodrum and right-handed pitcher Burch Smith to minor league contracts.