O's game blog: The Orioles-Twins series finale

After snapping the long losing streak last night, the Orioles can record a series win if they take the series finale tonight against the Minnesota Twins. The Orioles' 7-4 win last night ended the 14-game losing streak, and tonight they look for their first series win since taking two of three at Seattle May 3-5. They have lost seven consecutive series since then.

The Orioles improved to 7-19 at home with Tuesday's win. They can win their first home series of the year with a victory tonight. They are 0-6-1 in seven series at Camden Yards in 2021.

Local product Bruce Zimmermann earned the win in last night's contest after allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with a career-high seven strikeouts. A Baltimore native, Zimmermann became just the second Maryland-born Orioles starting pitcher to earn a win at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, joining right-hander Steve Johnson, who did so three times for the Birds in 2012. Upon making his major league debut on Sept, 17, 2020 against Tampa Bay, Zimmermann became the 28th and most recent Maryland-born player to appear in a game in Orioles history. He earned his first career win at Oriole Park on May 16 against the New York Yankees after allowing one run on two hits and one walk with six strikeouts through 5 2/3 innings of relief.

O's center fielder Cedric Mullins leads the club with 63 hits, the third-most in the American League and tied for the sixth-most in the majors. His .299 batting average, .363 OBP, 14 doubles, and nine stolen bases also lead the O's, while his 21 walks are second on the team. Mullins is batting .388 (19-for-49) in the first inning and the 19 first-inning hits lead the majors and are the most hits by a player in any inning in the majors. In the team's 18 wins, Mullins is hitting .419, hitting safely in 17 of the 18, while in the O's 37 losses he's hitting .234.

Right-hander Matt Harvey (3-6, 6.84 ERA) will make tonight's start on three-days' rest. In the opener of Saturday's doubleheader at Chicago he allowed five hits and five runs over three innings on 88 pitches. In his past four starts, Harvey has an ERA of 15.15 and has allowed seven, six, six and five runs. He pitched to a 3.60 ERA in his first seven starts of this year. Harvey is expected to throw only a few innings in this game, working on short rest, and then turn over the bulk of the evening to a bullpen game.

Harvey's 16 walks this season are his third-fewest through his first 11 games of a season, while his 1.64 WHIP is the highest through his first 11 games of a season. According to Baseball Savant, Harvey's 7.00 walk percentage ranks in the 70th percentile among all big league pitchers and he is one of nine AL pitchers to allow 16 walks-or-fewer this year (min. 11 starts).

Harvey recorded his 800th career strikeout on May 12 at the New York Mets when he fanned José Peraza looking in the fourth inning. Harvey became the 103rd pitcher in major league history to record 800 strikeouts in 160 games or fewer to begin his career.

The Twins (22-32) are 4-1 this season against the Orioles, and their 16-game win streak over the Orioles was snapped last night. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, the Twins are 32-13 against the Orioles. Minnesota has won eight of its last 12 and nine of 15 games, and they are 10-15 in road games.

American League HR leaders as a shortstop

11 - Bo Bichette, Toronto
9 - Freddy Galvis, Orioles, and Xander Bogaerts, Boston
8 - Carlos Correa, Houston