O's game blog: Orioles need a win to avoid four-game sweep

TORONTO - The Orioles end a four-game series in Toronto and a six-game road trip this afternoon at Rogers Centre. Since Thursday, they've lost by scores of 5-4 in 10 innings, 5-1 and 4-3 in 10 innings.

The Blue Jays today seek their first four-game home sweep of the Orioles since June 26-28, 1978. Yes, that is 40 years ago. The Orioles have scored just eight runs on 20 hits in this series and they are 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position in three games in Toronto.

The Baltimore offense ranks last in the American League with 226 runs scored. The Orioles are tied for 14th in team batting average at .228, are last in OBP at .292 and last in slugging at .379. O's batters have produced just 25 runs the last 13 games, 40 in 18 and 53 runs in the last 22 games. They have failed to homer in eight of the last 12 games and are 3-22 this year when they don't homer.

Toronto (29-35) had lost seven of eight when this series started, but now has won three in a row for the first time since April 29-May 1. After Saturday's win, Toronto is 5-0 in walk-off games and 7-1 in extra innings. The Blue Jays are 5-1 against the Orioles, 15-19 at home and 24-1 when scoring five runs or more.

Right-hander Alex Cobb (2-7, 6.19 ERA) gets the start, coming off his best game as an Oriole. On Tuesday on the road against the Mets, he went six innings, allowing two hits and one run. In seven starts since May 1, he is 2-4 with a 4.30 ERA.

Cobb is 2-4 with a 6.43 ERA in seven road starts. He allows an ERA of 5.40 in the first inning, 2.70 in the second and 8.10 in the third inning. He has five quality starts, but the Orioles are just 2-8 in his 10 starts. In eight career starts against Toronto, Cobb is 3-3 with a 3.23 ERA and 1.056 WHIP.

Right-hander Marco Estrada (2-6, 5.29 ERA through 12 starts) gets the ball today for the Blue Jays. During a poor season, Estrada had a strong start Tuesday against the Yankees, allowing six hits and one run over six innings on 97 pitches. He is 0-4 with a 5.14 ERA in six starts at Rogers Centre.

Estrada's ERA is in a three-year decline. It was 3.48 in 2016, 4.98 in 2017 and is 5.29 now. He has five quality starts and Toronto is 5-7 in his 12 outings, losing the last five of those games.

Estrada took a loss April 11 at Camden Yards. Over four innings he gave up six hits and four runs. In 16 career games (14 starts) he is 7-2 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.165 WHIP against Baltimore.