O's game blog: Going for a series sweep at Cincinnati

CINCINNATI – After pitching-led 3-0 and 2-1 wins over the Cincinnati Reds this weekend, the Orioles can sweep this series today with a victory at Great American Ball Park.

The O’s took a 2-0 lead to the ninth last night and hung on for a 2-1 win. They improved to 22-11 and have won three in a row, five of six, 10 of 14 and 14 of the last 19 games. They are now 10-4 in road games.

They have won this series and are now 8-3 in series play for the season and are 4-1 in road series, losing only at Pittsburgh.

Baltimore has two series sweeps, both of three games, this year. They won three straight April 9-11 at Boston by a combined 23-10 score and three in a row at home versus Minnesota April 15-17 by 22-9. 

The Orioles began this series ranking first in the American League in slugging and fourth in OPS. They remain first in the major leagues in team homers and were scoring 5.29 runs per game – third-best in the majors – at the start of this weekend.

They have scored only five runs on 16 hits this series, going 2-for-19 with runners in scoring position. And Cincy has scored just one run on eight hits as O’s pitchers have walked just two and fanned 18 this weekend.

The Reds have lost four straight – two to San Diego and two to Baltimore – by a combined 17-7 score. It is their first four-game losing streak since Sept. 19-23, 2023. Cincinnati has lost seven of its past nine games and is 9-9 at home. The Reds (16-17) are under the .500 mark for the first time since June 14, 2023.

The Orioles' team ERA is 1.17 the last six games, with the staff allowing just seven runs total. They have allowed a .163 batting average in this span.

Over the past 13 games, the team ERA is 2.23 an Orioles pitchers collectively have posted a .199 batting average against. The Birds have given up two runs or fewer in six consecutive games and nine times in the past 13 games.

In the last three days, both Kyle Bradish and John Means returned to the rotation. They allowed one run in 11 2/3 combined innings.

Right-hander Dean Kremer (2-2, 4.19 ERA) today has surrendered 1.078 WHIP going into his seventh start of the year. He has a 2.6 walk rate and 8.1 strikeout rate.

In his past two games he gave up four runs and seven hits in 12 1/3 innings versus the Angels and Yankees. The Orioles are 3-3 in his 2024 starts.

The O’s face a tough lefty this afternoon in Nick Lodolo (3-0, 1.88 ERA). In 24 innings over four starts, Lodolo has allowed just 15 hits and one homer with six walks to 31 strikeouts. He has allowed 0.875 WHIP and an 11.6 K rate.

He began this year on the injured list with a left calf injury and was activated April 13. He’s made four starts since and the Reds are 4-0 in those games, in which he gave up zero, one, three and one run.

In his only career outing against Baltimore, on July 31, 2022, he gave up one run and four hits in six innings.