O's game blog: The Yankees series begins in Bronx

It’s on to The Bronx for the Orioles' three-city road trip. The Birds play the Yankees tonight in the first of a three-game series to wrap up the trip. It began with the Orioles going 1-3 at Oakland and then 2-1 in Anaheim versus the Los Angeles Angels.

The Yankees lost two of three in Baltimore in the series just before this O’s trip. But New York is 5-1 since leaving Baltimore and swept Cleveland three in a row over the weekend by scores of 4-1, 5-4 and 10-2. New York scored just six runs in the three games at Camden Yards, but has scored 28 runs in the six games since. The Yankees (10-6) begin play tonight half-game behind Toronto for the American League East lead.

The Orioles (6-10) lost 7-6 to the Angels on Sunday. They beat Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday, then fell short of getting a sweep. Had they done that, it would have been their first road sweep since June 28-30, 2021 at Houston and first sweep of Los Angeles in a three-game series since Aug. 27-29, 2010 at Angel Stadium.

The Orioles offense produced 16 runs at Angel Stadium. After scoring just 24 runs during the first 12 games, and going 4-8, the O’s have scored 20 over the last four games, going 2-2.

The last five games have been decided by one or two runs and the Orioles are 3-2 in those games. They are 5-5 since starting the year 1-5. They are 3-4 on this road trip and 3-2 on the season in series-opening games. Baltimore is 0-5 when it homers in a game and the Birds had their first two-homer game on Sunday.

The Orioles scored a season-high six runs Sunday, hit a season-high two homers and tied a season high with nine hits. They also produced a season-best five extra-base hits. The team batting average is just .224, but that is its highest point since the second game of the year.

Sunday ended a stretch of 12 straight games by O’s starting pitchers allowing two earned runs or less. Chris Ellis failed to get an out and allowed five runs. The 12-game run began April 11 versus Milwaukee and continued through Saturday’s game. During the span, O’s starters' ERA was 1.87. Baltimore starters gave up one earned run or none seven times during the streak.

Right-hander Jordan Lyles (1-1, 3.52 ERA) will make his fourth O’s start tonight. For the year, he has thrown 15 1/3 innings, allowing 18 hits and six runs with six walks to 12 strikeouts. He led the league, allowing 38 homers in 2021, but has given up just one thus far.

On April 15 at Oriole Park, he gave up one run over 5 1/3 innings versus the Yankees. His ERA is 0.87 and OPS against is .681 in his past two games. In those outings versus the Yankees and Athletics, Lyles has yielded just one run and 11 hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts over 10 1/3 innings. He threw five scoreless innings on Wednesday at Oakland in a game the Orioles won 1-0. He has thrown 83, 91 and 89 pitches in his starts.

In three career games, including two starts, against the Yankees, he is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA, yielding four earned runs over 14 innings.

Right-hander Luis Severino (1-0, 2.08 ERA) gets the ball for New York. Like Lyles, his last two games were strong. He gave up one run in 10 innings and has thrown 65, 83 and 88 pitches in his outings.

The 28-year-old Severino has made 10 career outings and eight starts versus the Orioles, going 5-1 with a 3.31 ERA and 0.968 WHIP.