O's game blog: The Toronto series begins at Rogers Centre

TORONTO – After building some momentum with back-to-back wins at Kansas City in a four-game series split, the Orioles' road trip has now arrived in Toronto. The Blue Jays host the Orioles tonight to start a four-game series in the first meeting this year between the clubs.

The Orioles (26-35) lost the first two games in Kansas City before posting 6-4 and 10-7 wins on Saturday and Sunday. They scored 16 runs on 25 hits in those games with four doubles, two triples and four homers. They went 8-for-25 with runners in scoring position in those games.

The Orioles are 11-20 on the road for the season and 2-2 on this trip. But they are 5-4 in the last nine road games.

Their offense has now scored 31 runs the last five games, 124 in the past 23 and 222 runs in their last 49 games. They have hit 14 homers the last seven games and 21 in their past 12 games.

Toronto (35-24) beat Detroit 6-0 Sunday to take two of three in that series as right-hander Ross Stripling pitched six scoreless innings and three relievers completed the two-hit shutout. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer, his 14^th. The Blue Jays have won four of six and 13 of their past 17 games. They are 17-7 since May 15.

Toronto is 18-10 at home and 17-14 on the road. Toronto is in second place in the American League East, 8 ½ games behind the New York Yankees and just a ½ game ahead of Tampa Bay. Toronto is 9-10 in AL East games this year.

The Orioles hit three solo homers in the first two innings Sunday, getting No. 11 from Anthony Santander to lead the team, No. 9 from Ryan Mountcastle and No. 7 from Rougned Odor, who went back-to-back in the Baltimore second inning. The O’s moved out to leads of 6-0 in the fourth and 10-3 in the seventh before holding off Kansas City’s late rally. The Orioles are 4-3 this season versus the Royals.

Kansas City losing pitcher, right-hander Brad Keller, had allowed just two homers all year over 39 1/3 innings in home games, and then the Orioles hit three off him in the first two frames Sunday. Santander’s blast traveled 455 feet. Mountcastle's went 428 and Odor's 422. That is 1,305 feet worth of home runs.

The Orioles hit just 18 homers in the season’s first 29 games. Now they have hit 43 in the last 32 games.

The club resumes AL East play tonight after a recent two-week span when they went 7-8 against the Yankees, Rays, Yankees and Red Sox. The Orioles lost the first three games of this stretch at home against New York in mid-May. That means they are 7-5 in their last 12 AL East games. For the year, the Orioles are 11-16 within the division, going 4-10 in AL East road games.

On the mound tonight at Rogers Centre, right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-3, 6.45 ERA) will make his ninth start. For the season, he has allowed 44 hits and 10 homers in 37 2/3 innings, with 16 walks to 40 strikeouts. He has recorded a WHIP of 1.593 with a 3.8 walk rate and 9.6 strikeout rate. The Orioles are 5-3 in his eight starts, winning the last three.

Bradish seems to be making some small progress, although each of his last two games, against Seattle and the Chicago Cubs, lasted 4 2/3 innings. He has given up four runs in 9 1/3 in those games, throwing 80 and 105 pitches.

Lefty batters have hit just .231 with an OPS of .615 off Bradish, while right-handers are batting .358/1.158.

Toronto right-hander Alek Manoah (7-1, 1.81 ERA) will make his 12^th start, and most of them have been pretty strong this season. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer 10 times, and just three earned runs in the other. Toronto is 8-3 in his outings, winning the last four. He has recorded an amazing 10 quality starts already.

Manoah is ranked No. 1 in the AL in ERA and is fifth with an 0.96 WHIP.

Per some Statcast stats, he ranks in the game’s top three percent in best hard-hit rate against, the top nine percent in barrel percentage and top 20 percent in chase rate. He is 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 0.808 WHIP in five home starts.

Manoah, 24, finished eighth for the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year Award, after going 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 games. Toronto drafted him in round one, No. 11 overall, in 2019 out of West Virginia University.

The Orioles put Anthony Santander and Keegan Akin on the restricted list today and added as substitutes pitcher Rico Garcia and outfielder Kyle Stowers. Stowers is making his major league debut tonight, batting eighth and playing left field.