O's game blog: Mark Trumbo leads the majors with 20 home runs

The Orioles' Mark Trumbo leads the majors with 20 home runs. He hit No. 20 in the fifth inning last night, a two-run shot. Trumbo has now hit two homers in this series, seven homers over his last 13 games and 14 in his past 33 contests.

Todd Frazier of the Chicago White Sox ranks second with 19 homers and Colorado's Nolan Arenado ranks third in the majors with 18.

Trumbo hit a career-high 34 home runs in 2013 with the Angels. At his current pace, he would hit 57 in 2016. He has hit 10 homers each at home and on the road with six in April, nine in May and five so far in seven games in June.

With his fifth-inning blast on Tuesday, Trumbo became the first player in the majors to reach 20. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Trumbo is the third Orioles hitter in the last four seasons to be the first in the majors to hit 20 homers. Chris Davis did so in 2013 and Nelson Cruz accomplished the feat in 2014. Prior to Davis, the last Oriole to be the first in the majors to reach 20 home runs was Frank Robinson in 1967.

The Orioles have 87 home runs to lead the major leagues with Tampa Bay next at 85 and then Seattle with 84. The Orioles have hit seven homers in two games in the series with Kansas City and have hit 18 the last six games.

Orioles pitchers have allowed one run each in three straight games to lower the team ERA from 4.16 to 3.98, which is sixth in the AL. The O's have allowed just two earned runs in that span.

Orioles relievers lead the majors with a 2.68 ERA. Over the last three games, the O's bullpen has pitched nine scoreless innings on four hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts. The Orioles bullpen has 174 strikeouts over 191 2/3 innings.

Tonight's pitching matchup features right-hander Chris Tillman (7-1, 3.33 ERA) against right-hander Edinson Volquez (5-5, 4.03 ERA).

Tillman pitched to an ERA of 2.61 through his first 10 starts of the year. But over his past two games, he has allowed nine runs and six homers over 11 2/3 innings against Cleveland and the Yankees. Tillman is 5-0 with a 2.78 ERA and .224 average against in eight home starts. The Orioles are 10-2 when he starts in 2016.

Volquez pitched to an ERA of 1.09 his first four starts. Over his most recent four starts, he is 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA. In five road starts, he is 2-3 with a 6.67 ERA and has given up six homers in 28 1/3 innings. In four career starts versus Baltimore, he is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA.

There will not be a wrap-up report in this space after tonight's game, so stay in this blog with comments after the game is over.