O's game blog: Orioles look to salvage series finale at the Yard

When the Orioles hosted the Yankees in mid-April they won two of three in the series, allowing six total runs. But first-place New York is playing much better ball this series in Baltimore. With a win this afternoon, the Yankees would complete a four-game sweep of the Orioles.

New York won 6-2 Monday night and has now posted two straight one-run wins, by 5-4 and 3-2 scores.

The Orioles (14-24) have lost six in a row and seven of their past eight games. They fell behind 3-0 in the first inning last night and are 4-20 when their opponent scores first. The Yankees (28-9) are now 19-2 when they score first in the game.

The Orioles are 2-7 and have lost six in a row to the Yankees since that first series at Camden Yards. They are now 9-10 at home, 5-7 in one-run games and 4-11 versus the AL East.

The O’s offense has produced just eight runs on 19 hits in this series. Baltimore batters have scored two runs or less six times in the past eight games. In those eight games, they have scored 15 runs total and have gone 4-for-40 with runners in scoring position.

Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann (2-2, 2.72 ERA) will take the mound today for his eighth outing of the year. He has thrown 36 1/3 innings, allowing 35 hits – but just three home runs – with nine walks to 32 strikeouts. Zimmermann has a 1.211 WHIP with a 0.7 homer rate, 2.2 walk rate and 7.9 strikeout rate. The Orioles are 4-3 in his starts, but they are 1-3 in his past four.

In his last two games, Zimmermann has an ERA of 3.00 in outings against Kansas City and Detroit. In 12 innings, he allowed four earned runs on 12 hits with a .273 average against and .799 opponent OPS.

In four home games in 2022, Zimmermann is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 1.100 WHIP and has not allowed a home run at the Yard in 20 innings with six walks and 19 strikeouts. In his career at Baltimore, he is 4-2 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.266 WHIP in 12 games.

Zimmermann has faced the Yankees twice this season, going 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA, giving up three runs in 9 1/3 innings. In four career games (three starts), he is 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.446 WHIP.

New York left-hander Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 3.06 ERA) starts for the Yankees. He has thrown well this year, allowing two earned runs or less in each of his seven starts, yet the Yankees are 2-5 in his games. In two starts this year versus the Orioles, Montgomery is 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA and in 14 career games he is 3-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.278 WHIP.

Austin Hays snapped an 0-for-18 with a double in the first last night and went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. This marked his 13th career game with at least three hits, and first since a four-hit effort May 8 against Kansas City. It was his second game this year with at least two doubles, also April 28 at New York. 

Hays is a lifetime .304/.381/.571 (34-for-112) hitter with seven homers and nine doubles in 31 career games against the Yankees, and has slashed .273/.327/.464 (130-for-476) with 19 homers, three triples, and 28 doubles in 129 career games against AL East foes.