O's game blog: Jordan Lyles pitches the opener (update, Reyes in Game 2)

After producing their biggest comeback win since Aug. 14, 2016 on Friday night, the Orioles returned to Fenway Park this morning for long day of baseball. The clubs play the first game of a day-night doubleheader at 12:10 p.m., with the second game set for 6:10 p.m.

The Orioles (19-27) trailed 6-0 after two innings last night and were behind 8-2 when the seventh inning started. But they scored 10 late runs to beat Boston 12-8 in the opener of this five-game, four-day series. 

Jorge Mateo's three-run homer in the seventh pulled them within 8-5, and an inning later they scored three more, two on an Austin Hays' homer, to get even. A four-run ninth put the win over the top. 

In that game at San Francisco in August 2016, the Orioles trailed 7-1 after five and then scored two each in the seventh and eighth and three runs in the ninth for an 8-7 win. That was the last time they won when trailing by six runs at any point in the game.

Entering play last night, the Orioles had lost their last 181 games in which they trailed by at least six runs. Baltimore’s 11 comeback wins this season are tied for the second-most in the American League and fifth-most in the majors, and their comeback last night is the second-largest comeback win in the AL this season, and tied for the third-largest in the big leagues.

Before last night, the last time the Orioles won when allowing eight runs or more was just last Sept. 8, in a 9-8 win over Kansas City in which they scored nine times in the eighth inning.

The Orioles' 12 runs is a season high. Three times previously they scored nine runs in a game, most recently on May 19 versus the Yankees.

In just the last eight games, the Orioles have had three walk-off wins in a four-game span, beat Gerrit Cole - pinning a season-high five runs on his pitching line - and then came back from six runs down to beat Boston. 

So, not bad.

The Orioles are 2-2 on this AL East road trip, 5-3 over the last eight games and 3-1 versus Boston. They are 13-13 the last 26 games and have scored 49 runs over their past eight games.

The Baltimore bullpen allowed just two runs in 7 1/3 innings Friday night and has pitched to an ERA of 2.02 over the last 22 games.

Best bullpen ERAs in the major leagues:

2.58 - Houston
2.84 - Detroit
3.04 - Baltimore

Right-hander Jordan Lyles (3-4, 4.10 ERA) gets the start for the Orioles, coming off a 117-pitch outing on Monday at New York, where he allowed three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings. Lyles has recorded four quality starts over his past five games. In those games he has thrown 101, 90, 91, 106 and 117 pitches.

With 52 2/3 innings for the season, Lyles ranks 10th in the American League in innings and is tied for 21st in innings in the majors.

Over those last five starts, he is 2-2 with a 3.31 ERA, with nine walks and 33 strikeouts over 32 2/3 innings. The Orioles are 4-5 in his nine starts on the season.

On May 1, Lyles threw well against Boston, allowing one run and seven hits over six innings, and he got the win in a 9-5 O's victory.

Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 4.10 ERA) will make his 10th start in the opener. For the year, he has allowed 48 hits in 48 1/3 innings and has given up 15 home runs to lead the majors, and that is five more than the next closest pitcher.

Eovaldi had a 2.51 ERA in April, but his ERA is 6.41 in four starts this month. Sunday he allowed two runs in 6 2/3 versus Seattle and picked up his 1,000th career strikeout. 

He has allowed three runs or fewer in eight of his nine outings and has thrown six innings or more four times. He has walked two or fewer in 26 of his past 27 starts dating to June 14, 2021.

Boston (21-24) was rolling until the O's slowed them a bit last night. They had won seven of the past eight, 10 of 13 and 11 of 15 games, scoring 112 runs in those 15 contests. They were 6-1 in their past seven home games. 

The Orioles are now 9-14 (.391) against the AL East, and Boston is 5-12 (.294) in division games. The Orioles have played 13 of those division games (56.5 percent) against the Yankees, the team with the best record in the majors. They are 4-9 in those 13 games and 5-5 in the other AL East games. 

The Orioles' roster moves today:

* They selected the contract of right-hander Cody Sedlock, their 2016 first-round draft pick, from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 73 and his first appearance will be his big league debut.

* They added right-hander Denyi Reyes to serve as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.

* They have optioned right-hander Beau Sulser to Norfolk.

* They have designated infielder Jahmai Jones for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Sedlock.

This will be the only game blog for both games today, so stay here for comments within both games, and also between games of the doubleheader. 

O's fall in Game 1: This time there was no late-inning comeback as the Orioles lost Game 1 to Boston by a 5-3 score to fall to 19-28 overall and to 2-3 on this road trip.

Anthony Santander singled in a run for the Orioles, and Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run homer, his second.

In the second game, right-hander Denyi Reyes gets the start for the Orioles in his second major league appearance and first start. On May 13 he threw two scoreless innings at Detroit. In the minors this year he was 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA in 24 innings, with five walks to 28 strikeouts.

Reyes has alternated pitching five and two innings in each of his last four Triple-A games. He pitched two innings, allowing one run Tuesday against Gwinnett in his most recent outing.

Boston will start right-hander Josh Winckowski, who will be making his big league debut. Ranked by Baseball America over the winter as Boston's No. 9 prospect, he is No. 12 now.

In seven Triple-A starts, Winckowski, who owns a mid-90s fastball, is 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. But in his most recent game he gave up five runs in six innings against Scranton last Sunday.