O's game blog: Cade Povich faces Boston in Game 3 of the series

The Orioles have had a homestand with two kinds of ugly losses and two well-pitched, well-played wins. Tonight they play Game 3 of a four-game series with Boston and Game 5 of their six-game homestand.

The Orioles (72-51) are 2-2 on the homestand, but had fallen one game behind the New York Yankees (73-50) for the AL East lead through Friday. Boston (64-57) is in third place, eight games back of the division leaders.

The Orioles are now 1/2 game back of New York after thier 4-0 loss to Detroit this afternoon as they were held to four hits in falling to 73-51. The O's can tie for first with a win tonight.

The Orioles beat the Red Sox 5-1 Thursday to open this series, as Zach Eflin and four relievers teamed on a seven-hitter with 10 strikeouts. But the O’s staff allowed 14 hits and four homers in last night’s 12-10 loss.

Boston hit four doubles, and added those four homers and scored two or more runs in four different innings. It was the third-most runs the Orioles have allowed in a game this season. They lost 19-8 at Oakland July 6 and 14-11 at Houston June 21.

Since their last three-game win streak, overlapping the All-Star game from July 14-20, the Orioles have had five chances for another three-game streak. But they have gone 0-5 in those games.

Lefty Cade Povich (1-5, 6.27 ERA) was officially recalled from Triple-A today to make tonight’s start with reliever Bryan Baker optioned back to Norfolk.

Povich earlier was called up between June 6-July 12 and also for one day on June 29 as the 27^th man for a doubleheader with Toronto.

That was the date of his last O's start and he gave seven hits and six runs (three earned) over 4 1/3 to the Blue Jays on 94 pitches.

In two starts since his return to the farm, he went 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA for Norfolk, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 14 innings. In 15 games for the year he is 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA at Triple-A while averaging 3.1 walks and 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Orioles are 3-5 in Povich’s MLB starts and over 37 1/3 innings, he has allowed 40 hits with 23 walks and 25 strikeouts. He has walked four or more in four of his eight games.

In five home starts, Povich is 1-3 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.519 WHIP.

Boston's starter is right-hander Brayan Bello (10-5, 4.97 ERA). The Red Sox are 15-7 in his 22 starts winning his last four and seven of his previous eight. His ERA is 3.68 over his past four games.

Lefty batters have an OPS of .856 off the 25-year-old Bello and right-handers produce a .713 OPS. The first time through an order this year he yields a .870 OPS, followed by .653 the second time through and .852 the third.

This year against the Orioles, he is 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA in two games. In four career games, Bello is 2-2 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.307 WHIP against the Orioles. 

When it comes to the AL wild-card standings, the Orioles right now are the first team in (the fourth seed) and Boston is the first team out, trailing sixth-seed Kansas City by 2.5 games. There are seven games separating the Orioles and Boston.

The Red Sox are 3-2 in their last five games, following a season-high-tying four-game losing streak from. They're 9-8 in their last 17 games and 11-15 in 26 games following the All-Star break. The Sox are 35-28 (.556) since the start of June, the AL's third-best record in that span behind Houston (40-23; .635) and Minnesota (37-28; .569).

The Orioles are 6-2 this year versus Boston and are 27-14 in AL East games. They are also 8-2 versus Tampa Bay, 6-4 against the Yankees and 7-6 against Toronto.

The O's are 12-4 their last 16 games against the Red Sox, beginning April 26, 2023. Since the start of 2021, the Sox are 3-4-2 in series at Camden Yards (15-15 in games during that span).