O's game blog: Alex Cobb on mound as homestand begins

The Orioles begin a three-game series with Oakland tonight at Camden Yards. It is the start of a nine-game homestand that will see the Orioles play host to the Athletics, White Sox and Blue Jays.

The Orioles (41-102) have 19 games remaining - 13 at home and six on the road. They have been better at home, going 24-44 (.353), than on the road, going 17-58 (.227) and losing 12 of the last 13.

Oakland (87-57) is playing outstanding baseball and is the leader for the second American League wild card berth by 7 1/2 games. The Athletics trail AL West-leading Houston by three games. The A's have won four in a row and six of seven. They are 30 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2013 season at 96-66.

Oakland is 99-63 over its past 162 games. The A's offense has been humming recently, scoring six runs or more in eight of the last nine games with 60 runs. The A's, who are a major league-best 32-15 in the second half, are 9-1-2 in their last 12 series and 19-2-3 in the past 24. Oakland has hit 199 homers and with one more will become the sixth A's team with 200 in a season.

Oakland is 16-8 versus the Orioles since the 2015 season and that includes a 3-0 mark this year. In May in Oakland, the A's beat the Orioles by scores of 6-4, 2-0 (12) and 2-1. Oakland leads the majors in one-run winning percentage going 27-12 (.692).

The Orioles were outscored 32-10 in losing three games on the road at Tampa Bay over the weekend. Baltimore pitchers allowed 28 earned runs, 37 hits, 15 walks and six homers against the Rays. On the 1-8 road trip, Baltimore pitching allowed 65 runs and 15 home runs, with an ERA of 7.24.

The Orioles offense scored just 25 runs with a team batting average of .248 on the trip. The Orioles have gone seven straight games with one homer or less. On the trip the team hit just .143 (8-for-56) with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles are out to snap a four-game losing streak tonight. They've also lost eight of nine and 16 of the last 20 games to fall 61 games under the .500 mark.

Over his past 14 games, Trey Mancini is batting .309 (17-for-55) with five doubles, a triple, four homers, nine runs and 11 RBIs. Mancini hit .291 with an OPS of .874 in August. But in the first eight games of September he's batting .219/.586.

Right-hander Alex Cobb (5-15, 4.97 ERA) will make his 27th start tonight. For the first time this year, his ERA is under 5.00.

In seven games since Aug. 1, Cobb is 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA. He has eight quality starts his last 10 games, going 3-4 with a 2.67 ERA. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of the 10 outings. But Cobb is looking for his first home win of the year. He is 0-7 with a 5.10 ERA in 10 starts at Oriole Park.

Right-hander Mike Fiers (11-6, 3.36 ERA) will make his seventh start since he was traded from Detroit to Oakland on Aug. 6. For the A's he is 4-0 with a 2.94 ERA and .211 average against. In his last 18 starts, Fiers is 7-3 with a 2.69 ERA since May 30. In three career starts against Baltimore, he is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA. That includes a start for the Tigers on April 27, when he took a loss allowing three runs in six innings.

Outfielder DJ Stewart got a call-up to the majors today from Triple-A Norfolk. With his first appearance, Stewart will became the 14th Oriole to make his MLB debut this season. The 14 debuts will match the most in a season in Orioles history. According to STATS, LLC., the mark for most Orioles to debut in a season was set in 1955, the club's second year in Baltimore, with 14.

Major League Baseball announced plans for league-wide commemoration of Sept. 11, 2001 with tributes at all games today. This remembrance is part of MLB's ongoing effort to honor those whose lives were lost and affected on that tragic day 17 years ago. Clubs will recognize the day with a moment of silence and pregame ceremonies. A "We Shall Not Forget" silhouetted batter ribbon will be displayed throughout ballparks, on special lineup cards and on base jewels. Players, coaches and umpires will wear caps with a side patch of the ribbon during games. MLB will donate all royalties from the sales of the caps to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Pentagon Memorial Fund, and the Flight 93 National Memorial. Tonight we join all of @MLB in wearing these caps with a "We Shall Not Forget" patch and holding a pregame moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/0X206LnVl2

-- Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 11, 2018