O's game blog: Birds try to end road trip on a high note in Detroit

DETROIT - They lost Friday's game 1-0 at Comerica Park. And, behind right-hander Corbin Burnes, the Orioles beat the Tigers 4-2 Saturday night. Today they try to end this series and road trip on a winning note. 

At 84-65, they begin play two games back of the Yankees for the American League East lead and two games up on the Royals for the top AL wild-card spot. The Orioles went 4-2 against the Royals this year, so should the teams tie for a playoff spot, the O's hold the tiebreaker and will get the higher seed.

Even in winning last night, the Orioles have lost five of their past seven and six of nine games. They are 26-27 since the All-Star break and 31-34 since July 1.

The Orioles are 1-1 versus the Tigers and the teams play again next weekend in Baltimore. The Orioles are 17-8 (.680) versus AL Central teams, their best win percentage this year against any division.

In the two games this series, Baltimore pitchers have allowed just three runs. Over the past four games, the O's team ERA is 2.04.

Baltimore starting pitchers have four straight quality starts with an ERA of 1.01 in this span. They have six quality starts the last eight games with an ERA of 2.20.

Burnes pitched his first scoreless start of the 2024 season last night, allowing just two singles over seven innings. Burnes has a 1.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP his last four games. 

The Orioles are now 17-3 (.850) this season when their starting pitcher goes seven or more innings. They are 49-16 (.754) when their starter provides a quality start.

As they go for a series win today, lefty Cade Povich (2-8, 5.91 ERA) pitches the road trip finale for the Orioles, making his 14^th start of the 2024 season.

He has allowed four runs or more in three of his past four starts, but has a 7 1/3 scoreless outing in there versus the White Sox. But in the four games overall, Povich is 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA and .906 OPS against.

In five road starts, he is 0-4 with an 11.37 ERA, allowing 24 earned runs over 19 innings.

In 64 innings for the season, Povich has given up 74 hits with a 1.594 WHIP. He averages 3.9 walks per nine innings and 7.3 strikeouts. Povich gives up an .871 OPS the first time through the batting order, .823 the second time and .840 the third time through the lineup.

For the Tigers, right-hander Keider Montero (5-6, 4.88 ERA) will make his 15^th start. The Tigers are 8-6 in the first 14. Over 83 innings, Montero has a 1.277 WHIP while averaging 2.8 walks per nine and 7.0 strikeouts.

Montero, 24, from Venezuela, pitched a rare complete-game shutout in an 11-0 win Tuesday over Colorado. He allowed three hits with no walks and five strikeouts, throwing 96 pitches. In his previous two games, he had allowed eight runs over 9 1/3 innings.

Lefty batters post a .729 OPS off the right-hander and righty batters have an OPS of .795. Montero’s fastball, which he uses 42 percent, averages 94.8 mph. He throws his slider 30 percent, knuckle curve 11 percent, changeup 10 percent and two-seamer seven percent.

The Orioles are 2-3 on their road trip to Boston and Detroit and are 42-32 on the road for the full season.