O's game blog: The series finale against New York

This afternoon the Orioles (10-14) wrap up a four-game series and seven-game homestand, hosting the New York Yankees (11-13). After the Orioles won 4-2 Monday night behind Matt Harvey, their starters allowed 10 runs and 19 hits over eight innings the past two nights in 5-1 and 7-0 losses.

Yankees batters went a combined 19-for-41 (.463) with four doubles and four homers the past two games against lefty Bruce Zimmermann and right-hander Dean Kremer. They went just 3-for-19 (.158) against Harvey.

The O's struggling offense has been shut out four times this year, twice by New York. Baltimore has scored seven total runs in its last eight losses, with two runs or fewer each game and three shutouts.

The Orioles are 2-4 against New York. The four losses have come by 7-0, 7-2, 5-1 and 7-0 scores. That is a combined 26-3.

The O's Trey Mancini collected the 499th and 500th hits of his career with two singles to center field in the seventh and ninth frames Wednesday night. He became the 49th player to record 500 hits in an Orioles uniform and is the 14th Oriole to reach the 500-hit mark in 486 games or fewer. It was his fifth multi-hit game of the season, and Mancini has reached base in each of his last six games, played with two multi-hit efforts, batting .318 (7-for-22) with two doubles, three RBIs, three walks, and two runs scored.

Ryan Mountcastle tallied the O's first hit of the game with a single to third base in the fifth. He has reached base safely in each of his last six games played, going 4-for-21 (.190) with a double, two walks, two runs and two stolen bases. Over a longer stretch he has just four hits his last 38 at-bats.

On the mound today, right-hander Jorge López (1-3, 8.15 ERA) gets his fifth start of 2021. He has thrown 17 2/3 innings, allowing 18 hits and 16 earned runs with 1.415 WHIP and has allowed 3.1 homers per nine innings with 3.6 walks and 9.2 strikeouts. Lefty batters are hitting .192 with a .742 OPS against him and right-handers bat .295/.909. In two home starts, he is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA and has yielded three homers over eight innings.

In one start against the Yankees in 2021, he took the loss April 5 in the Bronx. Over 4 2/3 innings he gave up three hits and four runs.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (1-1, 4.57 ERA) will make his fifth start and second against Baltimore. He shut down the Orioles on four hits over six scoreless innings on 73 pitches in that April 5 game. In eight career games against Baltimore he is 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA and 1.233 WHIP. In 43 innings he has walked 11 and fanned 50 Baltimore batters.

The O's will take off for Oakland following today's game to start their third road trip, which includes three games in Oakland and three in Seattle. Baltimore has gone 7-4 on the road this season for a .636 winning percentage, tied for the third-best in the American League and tied for sixth-best in the majors.

The O's have posted a team ERA of 2.92 in 11 road games, the third-lowest in the AL and majors. The O's have averaged 3.8 runs per game on the road and 3.5 at home. They have a plus-8 run differential on the road and a minus-23 run differential at home.

The O's have lost seven straight games at the Oakland Coliseum, with their last win coming on Aug. 12, 2017.