O's game blog: Looking for a four-game split in the series finale

As the Orioles wrap up a four-game series with Toronto tonight, they need a win to split the series. If they can get it, they move back to within 2 1/2 games of Toronto for the final American League wild card spot. A loss would leave them 4 1/2 games out with 25 games to play.

The Orioles offense broke out for a 9-6 win last night. The Orioles scored five runs in the third inning and three in the eighth as they went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They had gone 1-for-14 with RISP in the Monday doubleheader loss and were batting .119 with RISP (8-for-67) over their previous 11 games before Tuesday night.

Baltimore ended a three-game losing streak. The O’s have won five of eight, eight of 13, 13 of 21 and 21 of their last 34 games.

The Orioles improved to 7-5 against Toronto, a year after going 5-14 versus the Blue Jays. They are now 28-31 on the season in AL East games.

Catcher Adley Rutschman had a two-run double last night and is 6-for-12 this series with four runs and four RBIs. He is 9-for-20 during a five-game hitting streak with two doubles, two homers and six RBIs. He moved into third place on the single-season rookie doubles list for the Orioles with No. 28 last night. He trails only Cal Ripken Jr., who had 32 in 1982, and Eddie Murray's 29 in 1977.

Ryan Mountcastle drove in three runs in the victory. He is 3-for-12 with four RBIs this series. In in seven games this month, Mountcastle is batting .296 with an OPS of 1.012, and has three homers and 10 RBIs. In 37 career games against Toronto, Mountcastle is batting .329 with seven doubles, 14 homers, 32 RBIs and an OPS of 1.052.

For Toronto, Bo Bichette is 10-for-15 this series with a double, four homers and nine RBIs. Over his last six games he is batting .593 (16-for-27) with three doubles, five homers and 14 RBIs. He has a .926 OPS since the All-Star break after posting a .720 OPS in the first half.

The Blue Jays (75-60) had a rare loss last night when outhitting their opponent. They had 13 hits to the Orioles nine but fell to 49-14 when outhitting the opponent. They are 5-1 on their current road trip and 11-2 their past 13 road games. 

The Orioles have activated right-hander Tyler Wells off the injured list today and optioned Spenser Watkins to Triple-A. Wells last pitched in the majors on July 27 and is 7-6 with a 3.90 ERA this year over 20 starts. He could be used as an opener tonight, with Dean Kremer, who had been scheduled to start this game, coming in later.

Wells has been out with lower left side discomfort, an oblique issue. and made one injury rehab outing at High-A Aberdeen on Friday. Over 2 1/3 innings he allowed one hit and one run with no walks and three strikeouts on 31 pitches.

He beat Toronto earlier this year in his only outing in 2022 against them. That was at Rogers Centre on June 16, when he went six innings and allowed five hits and one run on 86 pitches. The Orioles are 10-10 in his starts this season.

Right-hander Alek Manoah (13-7, 2.48 ERA) will make his 27^th start for Toronto. Over his past three starts his ERA is 0.89 and he has allowed one, one and zero earned runs in those games, with a .181 batting average against and .475 OPS in that span.

Manoah is 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in three starts this season against Baltimore. But in his past two games against the O's, both last month, he gave up seven runs and 12 hits in 10 2/3 innings for a 5.91 ERA in those two games.