Notes and quotes on the sweep, plus Bowie clinches a playoff spot

You can't always outscore a shaky starting rotation, but the Orioles did it twice in their three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners.

Wrapped around Dylan Bundy's gem Tuesday night, Chris Tillman gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings on Monday, but the Orioles won 7-6. Yesterday, Ubaldo Jiménez gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings, but the Orioles won 8-7.

As manager Buck Showalter said, to win seven straight, you have to do several things well and sometimes outslugging the other team is one of them. But as the rosters can be expanded starting Friday, you have to wonder if the Orioles can afford to keep starting Tillman and/or Jiménez.

Whether the Orioles want to take a look at Miguel Castro in the rotation right now or call up someone from Triple-A to make a start or two, it has to be a strong consideration. Especially if the Orioles want to also give their starters extra rest - a plan that is working quite well right now.

Chasing Cal and Eddie: When Trey Mancini crushed a ball to center field yesterday for his 23rd homer, Mancini broke a tie he held with three others for third in most homers by a rookie in club history. Mancini was at 22, tied with Curt Blefary (1965), Sam Bowens (1964) and Ron Hansen (1960). Now Mancini has moved ahead of that trio.

Now he is only chasing two Hall of Famers. Cal Ripken Jr. hit 28 homers on his way to the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1982. Eddie Murray hit 27 homers in winning AL Rookie of the Year in 1977.

Mancini has a chance to catch and/or pass both Ripken and Murray. Now that would be keeping good company.

The homer bashing: The Orioles put on a show the last two games, hitting four homers each day. They have hit four or more homers in four of the last nine games and in eight of their last 23. They have hit four or more 18 times on the season, going 18-0. When the Orioles hit two or more home runs in a game they are 40-12.

The Orioles lead the majors with 55 home runs in 28 games in August. They began yesterday leading the majors this month in team batting (.301), slugging (.526) and home runs.

Beef was bashing: Catcher Welington Castillo had some series against the Mariners. He went 4-for-4 Wednesday to tie his career high in hits, done for the third time. He homered in the last two games of the series and went 8-for-11 against Seattle with two homers and six RBIs.

Castillo is not about to overanalyze his recent hot stretch at the plate. But he was asked the key about his hot hitting.

"Mostly nothing. I just go (up) there with my plan and try looking for my pitch and then don't go away from my plan," he said yesterday.

Castillo is batting .392 (29-for-74) over his past 20 games with seven homers and 20 RBIs. Against lefty pitching this year, he is batting .380/.398/.608.

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop drove in his 98th and 99th runs Wednesday. His single in the last of the eighth broke the tie and lifted the Orioles to the 8-7 win. Schoop hit his 30th home run in the fifth inning, becoming the 22nd player in Orioles history to have a 30-homer year.

In the series, the Orioles had 37 hits, scored 19 runs and hit nine homers. They have scored 52 runs in the last seven games, 95 in 15 and 260 runs in 45 games since the All-Star break. They are averaging 5.8 runs per game in the second-half.

"This lineup, from one to nine, can do damage," Schoop said. "We score at the top, in the middle and in the bottom. So, you know, that's why we are really dangerous because everybody can do damage."

The Orioles' seven-game win streak is a season high and matches their best streak of last year, something they did three times. In 2016, they won seven in a row to start the year from April 4-12. They also did it from May 7-14 and June 22-29.

The Orioles bullpen has quietly put a nice streak together. Brad Brach gave up a game-tying homer and Castro allowed two inherited runs to score. But over the past six games, the O's 'pen has allowed one run in 17 1/3 innings.

The Orioles have four one-run wins during their winning streak. They have won by one run in three of the last four games. They are 17-15 in one-run games for the year.

Tonight the Orioles start a four-game series with Toronto. They are 9-3 versus the Blue Jays. The Orioles are 30-22 (.577) in division games and that is the best record of any AL East team within the division.

Bowie is in, Frederick could be next: For the second time in three years, the Double-A Bowie Baysox will be in the Eastern League playoffs. The Baysox (70-65) lost 2-1 to Trenton last night, but with losses by Akron and Erie, Bowie clinched its seventh playoff berth in team history.

The playoffs will begin Wednesday, Sept. 6 with the dates of home games in Bowie yet to be determined. Playoff ticket strip packs can currently be purchased at www.baysoxshop.com.

Frederick came up with a 2-1 walk-off win over Salem in 10 innings last night at home. With that victory, Frederick moves into a position where the Keys hold a Carolina League playoff spot with five regular season games go.

In the 10th, Glynn Davis led off and reached second on a two-base error and went to third on a Yermin Mercedes single. Jomar Reyes was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs. Then Armando Araiza's single to center won the game.

Lynchburg has won the division race in both halves this season, so the second place team in the second half will also get a postseason berth. That team is Frederick, by one game over Salem after they beat Salem the last two nights.

Short-season Single-A Aberdeen split a doubleheader with Connecticut last night and is 37-31. The IronBirds are three games out of a wild card spot with eight games to play.