Notes on O's 20-game start, the bullpen and more

At 20 games into the 2020 season, the Orioles are in second place in the American League East at 12-8, with the fourth-best record in the league. Since they got swept in four in a row by the Miami Marlins, they have gone 7-1. They continue to hit well against accomplished pitchers and are beating good teams.

No one can say they haven't earned 12-8.

The Orioles have faced this group of eight pitchers nine times this season: Gerrit Cole, J.A Happ, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Stephen Strasburg twice, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta and Patrick Corbin.

That group of eight have combined for these numbers versus Orioles batters: 38 2/3 innings, 46 hits, 30 runs and eight home runs allowed. That is an ERA of 6.98. The Orioles are 6-3 in those games, producing a better winning percentage than in their season overall.

There are a couple of Cy Young Award winners and big-dollar pitchers on that list and it continues today when they face a three-time Cy Young Award winner in Nats right-hander Max Scherzer. But an ERA of 6.98. That is outstanding production versus that group.

In several games against these top-caliber pitchers, the O's offense got it going in the middle innings. Not last night. They led Corbin 4-0 after the second. Pedro Severino delivered a huge two-out, two-run double to left in the first. Severino has 11 RBIs his last seven games and is batting .346 with runners in scoring position.

The bottom of the order struck in the second. Who would have guessed Bryan Holaday and Andrew Velazquez would key a rally off Corbin? But they sure did. Holaday singled with one out and scored on a Velazquez triple. He would score on Hanser Alberto's sac fly.

It all produced a 7-3 win in another instance where the Orioles needed to bounce back from a loss or poor effort - or both in one night - and they did.

Tanner time: Cole Sulser picked up his fifth save of the year last night, but we could also point out that left-hander Tanner Scott had a hand in saving that game. The lefty with the blazing fastball and big potential is now realizing it before our eyes. The Nationals hit Asher Wojciechowski hard, scoring twice off him in the fourth and making some loud outs in the fifth. When Trea Turner homered leading off the sixth to cut Baltimore's lead to 5-3, O's manager Brandon Hyde called for Scott.

Scott would face some of the Nats best hitters and get all of them out. He faced five batters, fanning two. It might have been his best outing as an Oriole. He is doing a good impression of Andrew Miller right now for this club.

Last night, Scott got those five outs on just 21 pitches. He threw 11 fastballs at an average of 97 mph and 10 sliders that averaged 90 mph. The Nats swung on at 11 of his pitches and whiffed five times.

Scott has an ERA of 1.13 over eight games. In eight innings, he's allowed two hits and one run with four walks and 11 strikeouts. Mychal Givens, who followed Scott, has quietly thrown eight scoreless innings for the year with 11 strikeouts. Sulser picked up his fifth save in seven chances, getting the last four outs.

Nats hitters went 1-for-13 with four strikeouts against those three 'pen pitchers and they got Juan Soto out twice.

Series notes: The O's and Nats have been playing since 2006. And last night, the Orioles clinched the season series for this year. They are 4-1 with just today's game remaining in the Battle of the Beltways. The O's always seem to play the Nationals well and the numbers bear that out. In the all-time series, they lead 46-35 and are 24-16 at home. The Orioles are 8-2-5 in the all-time season series.

The Birds have now scored five runs or more 14 times and they are 12-2 in those games.

The pitching staff combined to walk just one batter last night. Through Friday's games, the O's had the fourth-best walk rate in the AL at 2.96 walks per nine innings.

Just once in the last 14 years have the Orioles had a 12-8 start or better after 20 games. They went 14-6 to begin the 2017 season.