O's game blog: Bruce Zimmermann faces Boston at Oriole Park

With Thursday's home opener loss behind them and with a 1-3 record since a 3-0 start, the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox tonight. The Sox won 7-3 Thursday in the series opener, ending a four-game losing streak to the Orioles.

Through Friday's games, the Orioles and Boston were tied for first in the American League East at 4-3, with New York and Tampa Bay one game back at 3-4 and Toronto 1 1/2 games out at 3-5.

This afternoon those standings changed when Tampa Bay blanked the Yankees on a six-pitcher five-hitter by a 4-0 score. The Rays are now 4-4 and the Yankees 3-5. Tampa Bay went 8-2 versus New York in the regular season last year and then beat the Yankees in the AL Division Series. They have won the first two games of their current series.

As for the Orioles, Baltimorean Bruce Zimmermann (1-0, 4.50 ERA) will make his second start tonight. It's a rematch from the third game of the season, when he faced right-hander Garrett Richards (0-1, 27.00), who is also starting tonight. Baltimore won that game at Fenway Park, 11-3.

Zimmermann went six innings, allowing four hits and three runs with one walk and five strikeouts. The left-hander threw 73 pitches, 54 for strikes and fired first-pitch strikes to 19 of 23 batters. He used his four-seam fastball 35 times that day and it averaged 91.7 mph, per Statcast, topping at 93.7.

It was his first career win. Lefty batters went 0-for-3 against him and right-handed batters were 4-for-18 with two doubles, a homer and four strikeouts. J.D. Martinez homered leading off the Boston fourth.

Zimmermann also faced the Red Sox in relief late last year. He has a 3.60 ERA in the two games, allowing six hits and four runs over 10 innings with two walks to 10 strikeouts. Boston has hit .167 with a .511 OPS against him.

Richards allowed seven hits and six runs in two-plus innings in that game against the Orioles. Three inherited runners scored after he left the game. Maikel Franco had a two-run double as the O's took a 3-0 lead in the first, and for the day they went 7-for-13 with three doubles off Richards.

Richards has made nine career appearances (five starts) against the O's, going 0-5 with a 6.82 ERA. He's allowed 42 hits in 31 2/3 innings and O's batters have hit .313 with an OPS of .847 against him.

The Orioles are 0-2 this season when facing a lefty starter and 4-1 when the opponent starts a right-handed pitcher.

O's center fielder Cedric Mullins is 13-for-29 (.448) to start the year. That batting ranks sixth-best in the major leagues and fourth in the AL. His 13 hits are tied for the second-most in the majors. Mullins has a seven-game hitting streak in 2021 and an 11-game streak dating to end of last year. That is the longest active streak in the majors. His seven-game hitting streak just this season is a career-high for a single season.

Mullins has led off each game this year and has gone 5-for-7 in his first at-bats, and is 9-for-13 when leading off any inning, with his nine hits leading all of baseball in this category.

Since the beginning of the 2020 season and the introduction of a player starting at second base in extra innings, the Orioles have gone 5-4 in extra-inning games. Their nine total games are tied for the second-most in the majors during this span, and their five wins are tied for the third-most.

OTD: On this date in 1975, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer tossed an opening day shutout at Detroit as the Orioles won the game 10-0. It is one of three shutouts by an O's pitcher on opening day in club history.

In a ballpark that's seen its share of magic moments, Trey's welcome home will be remembered forever.

You're amazing, #Birdland pic.twitter.com/stW5It4EIg

-- Baltimore Orioles 😷 (@Orioles) April 10, 2021