O's game blog: Corbin Burnes faces the Red Sox in Game 2 of series

For the Orioles recently, the three-game win streak has been elusive. They last won three straight from July 14-20 when they ended the first half by beating the Yankees and started the second half with two in a row over the Rangers.

Since then the Orioles have won back-to-back games four times, but each time lost the next game. 

But after beating Washington 4-1 Wednesday and Boston 5-1 last night, the O's with a victory tonight will have a three-game win streak. Their last four-game streak was June 26-30.

Right-hander Zach Eflin allowed five hits and one run over six innings last night, and the Baltimore bullpen pitched three scoreless as the Orioles improved to 2-1 on this six-game homestand against the Nats and Red Sox.

The Orioles have allowed two runs or fewer in two straight games for the first time since July 2-3 at Seattle, when they gave up zero and one run.

Tonight, ace right-hander Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.71 ERA) will take the mound against Boston, making his 25^th start. Burnes has been remarkably consistent for the Orioles, allowing three runs or fewer 22 times, four runs once and five runs one time.

Burnes has 19 quality starts to tie for the major league lead. He has thrown quality starts in six of his past seven games, going 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA. He has a QS in 17 of his last 19 games, going 9-4 with a 2.69 ERA and .607 opponent OPS since April 26.

Burnes has been outstanding this year in American League East games, going 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA in eight starts within the division. Division batters have hit just .171 off Burnes with a .486 OPS this year.

He has made two starts versus Boston, going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA. On April 9, Burnes gave up one run over seven innings at Fenway Park. On May 29, Burnes went seven again versus Boston, allowing an unearned run.  

Lefty Brennan Bernardino (4-3, 3.79 ERA) gets the start for Boston. And as he mostly pitches one inning or less in relief, would not be expected to go much into this game, innings-wise. For the year, he has thrown 40 1/3 innings, allowing 40 hits with a 1.413 WHIP. He's recorded 3.8 walks and 8.9 strikeouts per nine.

Thursday's win improved the Orioles to 27-13 (.675) in AL East games and to 6-1 against Boston. They have won 11 of the last 15 games between the two clubs.

Boston (63-57) is in third in the division, eight games behind the co-leading Orioles and Yankees at 72-50 with 40 games remaining. New York has won three of four and is 12-5 its last 17 games and plays at Detroit tonight.

The Orioles seem to be slowly trending up, with four wins in the last six games, seven in the past 11 and an 11-7 mark their past 18 games.

Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson blasted his 31^st home run of the season, a 403-foot, go-ahead shot in the fourth inning in the series opener. He has homered in back-to-back games after homering once in his previous 23 games. This was his first time homering in consecutive games since doing so June 25-26 versus Cleveland, and the seventh time in his career going deep in at least two straight games.

Center fielder Cedric Mullins lined a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning, his 13^th of the season, and has homered twice in his last four starts. He also stole second in the third inning for his 20^th stolen base of the year. Mullins becomes the ninth Oriole in team history with three separate seasons with 20 or more stolen bases, and the first since Corey Patterson did so in 2006, 2007, and 2010.