O's game blog: Can Corbin Burnes get back on track?

LOS ANGELES – With a 3-2 win secured in the opener, the Orioles could secure a series victory if they can win tonight at Dodger Stadium.

Ryan O'Hearn hit a solo homer and Ramón Urías added a two-run go-ahead shot. Then the O's pitching made it stand up in a victory Tuesday night in front of the 15th sellout of the year of 52,382 at Los Angeles.

After lefty Cole Irvin allowed five hits and two runs over 4 1/3 innings, the Baltimore bullpen took it from there. Matt Bowman, Cionel Pérez, Yennier Cano and Seranthony Domínguez pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Dodgers hitters went 2-for-16 versus the 'pen, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The previously struggling bullpen has now pitched scoreless ball in four of the last five O's games with an ERA of 0.98 (two earned runs in 18 1/3 innings) in that span.

The Orioles (77-56) have won three of four and five of nine games. They are trying to get on a late-season roll and Irvin believes they will. 

“I think we're in a prime position to get hot," he said. "Got some good ballclubs that we're facing here to end this month and we're just trying to take care of business one day at a time. But we've seen it, being on the other end, this is a good time to get hot. So I think we're pretty excited about the group we have in here and what we can bring to the table every night.”

Six of the past nine O's game have been decided by one or two runs and they are 4-2 in those six.

The Baltimore offense is still not producing big numbers. They have scored nine runs the last three games (going 2-1), 19 in the last six and 36 runs in the past 10 games. In that 10-game span, O's batters are hitting .176/.254/.330/.594 and they are 5-5.

Urías gave the O's a 3-2 lead with his two-run shot to left in the fifth inning, his 10th. The O's now have nine players with 10 or more homers to lead the major leagues.

Over his past 16 games, Urías is batting .304 and slugging .696 with five homers, 15 RBIs and a 1.061 OPS.

Los Angeles (78-54) is now tied with Philadelphia for the best record in baseball. The Dodgers lead the National League West by three games over both the Diamondbacks and Padres.

The Orioles are 8-11 all-time against the Dodgers and are now 3-4 at Dodger Stadium.

Tonight, a recently struggling Corbin Burnes (12-6, 3.28 ERA) will make his 27th start. In his last four starts, he is 1-2 with an 8.71 ERA and .849 OPS against. His ERA has jumped from 2.47 and is now eighth in the American League.

Thursday against the Astros, Burnes allowed six runs (five earned) in 5 2/3 innings. The Orioles are 17-9 when he gets the ball.

In seven career games versus the Dodgers, he is 2-2 with a 6.12 ERA and 1.520 WHIP.

Righty Walker Buehler (1-4, 6.09 ERA) will make his 11th start for the home team. Buehler missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was on the injured list this year from June 19-Aug. 14 with a right hip injury. In two starts since returning, he has allowed seven runs and 11 hits in 7 1/3.

In his only career start versus the Orioles in Baltimore on Sept. 10, 2019, Buehler pitched seven scoreless with 11 strikeouts.

The Orioles are second in the major leagues with 201 home runs behind the Yankees' 206. The Dodgers rank third with 179. The O's have hit 200 home runs in a season for the 13th time in team history and for the first time since 2019  with 213. Baltimore is averaging 1.51 homers per game this season, which would be the third-best mark in team history behind 1996 (1.58) and 2016 (1.56).

The Nationals beat the Yankees again tonight. So an O's win would create a tie atop the AL East with both Baltimore and New York at 78-56.