O's game blog: Corbin Burnes gets the start in the Boston series finale

The last time the Orioles lost an AL East series was April 9, 2023 when they dropped two of three at home to the New York Yankees. They will need a win tonight to keep that run going after splitting the first two games against Boston. 

Since that result with New York, the Orioles have played 17 consecutive AL East series without losing one, going 12-0-5 in those series. That is the longest such streak in team history since divisions were introduced in 1969, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

During this run, five times the O’s needed to win the third and final game of a series, or win the last two games of a four-game series to split it. The most recent such occasion was mid September last year when they lost the first two of a four-game set at home with Tampa Bay and then won the last two games.

They have played the Red Sox four series during this run, going 3-0-1 in those four sets.

During the 17 series, the Orioles are playing .667 ball (38-19) within the division. Last year they went 32-20 in the AL East and this year they are 8-3. That is a combined record of 40-23 (.635) since the start of last season within the division.

AL East this year vs. the AL East:

.727 – Orioles (8-3)
.500 – New York (8-8)
.467 – Toronto (7-8)
.450 – Tampa Bay (9-11)
.416 – Boston (5-7)

There is a strong pitching matchup for tonight’s rubber match game with right-hander Corbin Burnes (4-2, 2.60 ERA) facing Boston righty Kutter Crawford (2-3, 2.89 ERA). Burnes ranks eighth in the AL in ERA while Crawford is 12^th. And while Burnes ranks sixth in the AL in home ERA, Crawford is fifth in road ERA.

Burnes has thrown 65 2/3 innings this year allowing 53 hits with 17 walks, 66 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.066.

He has pitched six straight quality starts, going 1-2 with a 2.48 ERA in this span, allowing a .230 average and .604 OPS.

On April 9 at Fenway Park, Burnes beat Boston allowing one run and two hits over seven innings on 90 pitches. He is 2-1 with a 1.99 ERA in seven home starts.

Crawford, who has made 11 starts, is 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in five road games. As well as he has thrown, Boston is just 3-8 in his 2024 outings.

He has allowed two earned runs or less eight times this year, allowing one or less six times and has five quality starts.

On April 10 in that series in Boston, he pitched five scoreless on two hits against the Orioles, throwing 86 pitches. In four career games, he is 0-1 wit a 6.75 ERA and 1.364 WHIP versus Baltimore.

O's starters have a 3.10 ERA the third-best rotation ERA in the AL and fourth-best in MLB, behind the Phillies (2.73), Yankees (2.73), and Royals (3.08). The Orioles have a 2.90 ERA in their last 26 games since April 29, the third-best mark in MLB behind the Yankees (2.48) and Phillies (2.85).

Baltimore outfielder Cedric Mullins ranks eighth in team history with 104 career stolen bases; next on the list is Don Baylor (118). Jorge Mateo is tied with Melvin Mora for 13th in club history with 82 steals as an Oriole; next on the list is Don Buford (85).

The Orioles are one of five teams with multiple players with double-digit stolen bases this year, along with the Nationals, Phillies, and Royals (3), and the Reds (2). Since the start of the 2022 season, the Orioles are the only team in MLB with multiple players with 60+ stolen bases as Mateo has 77 and Mullins has 64.

Beginning play tonight, Gunnar Henderson has 49 career home runs and Burnes has 49 career wins. Henderson's 17 home runs this year are tied with the Yankees Aaron Judge for second in MLB, trailing Houston's Kyle Tucker (18).