O's game blog: Birds go for a sweep at Fenway Park

The Orioles have used strong pitching and some clutch hitting to produce two wins over the Boston Red Sox. They've batted .313 (5-for-16) with runners in scoring position in the series, while O's pitchers have allowed just two runs in two games.

Wins by 3-0 and 4-2 have them set up to sweep this three-game series if they win this afternoon. The Red Sox last scored just two runs over their first two games in 1976. That was also against the Orioles in games started by Jim Palmer and Ken Holtzman.

The Orioles are 2-0 for the first time since 2017. A win today would give them their first 3-0 mark since 2017, when they began the year by going 4-0.

Baltimore pitchers have allowed nine hits in the series, giving up four walks with 16 strikeouts. Their starters have allowed two runs in 11 2/3 innings and the O's bullpen has thrown 6 1/3 scoreless innings at Fenway Park. Boston batters are 9-for-62 (.145) and have gone 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Lefty Bruce Zimmermann will make his second major league start today. His last big league appearance was Sept. 23, 2020 in Fenway Park when he gave up two hits and one run over four innings in relief. In that game, he threw 54 pitches, 39 for strikes. He threw 25 four-seam fastballs between 90 and 92 mph, and added 15 changeups and 13 sliders.

This spring, he went into the spring training finale having thrown nine scoreless innings on one hit before he gave up seven runs. He finished spring with a 4.73 ERA with three walks and 13 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings and posted a WHIP of 0.975.

Right-hander Garrett Richards (2-2, 4.03 ERA in 2020) will make his Boston debut today. He is beginning his 13th major league season. Richards made an opening day roster for the seventh time. He was the opening day starter for the Los Angeles Angels in 2016 and 2018.

Last season for San Diego, he pitched 51 1/3 innings, making 14 appearances, including 10 starts. He allowed 1.2 homers per nine innings with 3.0 walks and 8.1 strikeouts. On Aug. 27, 2020, he yielded six runs in just 2/3 of an inning. In his other 13 games for San Diego, he pitched to an ERA of 3.02.

This spring his ERA was 5.93. Over 13 2/3 innings, he walked 11 and fanned 14.

In eight career games, including four starts, versus Baltimore, he is 0-4 with a 5.46 ERA and 1.382 WHIP. In 29 2/3 innings, Richards has walked six Orioles and fanned 22.

Through two games, the Orioles' 1.00 team ERA ranks third in the majors behind Minnesota (0.50) and Philadelphia (0.95). They are second at .145 in batting average behind only Philadelphia (.123). They are second in WHIP at 0.72, also trailing only the Phillies (0.53).

The Orioles, who went 5-5 against Boston in 2020, are 9-6 in their past 15 games against the Red Sox since Sept. 27, 2019.

O's catcher Pedro Severino has gone 2-for-4 with a run scored in each of the first two games. He is the sixth catcher in Orioles history to record multi-hit games in each of the first two games of the season for Baltimore. The others are Matt Wieters in 2010, Ramón Hernández in 2006, Rick Dempsey in 1979, John Orsino in 1965 and Gus Triandos in 1958.

The Orioles have not hit a home run in either of their first two games for the first time since 2019. It's the 18th time in Orioles history in which they have gone homerless in their first two games.