O's game blog: John Means faces Tampa Bay

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

August 24, 2019, 3:02pm

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The Orioles' John Means (8-9, 3.75 ERA) has shown signs recently of putting together a strong game from start to finish. The Orioles would love to see it happen tonight as they host the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards.

Means is 1-5 with a 7.48 ERA in six second-half starts, allowing an opponent OPS of .885. He's allowed seven homers over 27 2/3 innings in this span. The Orioles are 1-5 in those games, losing four in a row.

Means was named to the 2019 American League All-Star team on June 30, making him the first homegrown Orioles starter to make the All-Star team since Hall of Famer Mike Mussina. Mussina made five All-Star appearances with the Orioles, the last in 1999. Means went 7-4 with a 2.50 ERA in 18 games in the first half.

Tonight, Means is making his 14th appearance and 10th start against an American League East foe this season. He is 5-4 with a 4.18 ERA in his first 13 games against the division, and 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA in eight home games (six starts) against the AL East. His five wins against the AL East are his most against any division.

Means ranks in the top 10 (minimum 110 innings) among rookie pitchers in: opponents batting average (3rd - .241), opponents OPS (3rd - .717), WHIP (3rd - 1.21), ERA (4th - 3.75), wins (4th - eight), winning percentage (4th - .471), opponents slugging (5th - .416), home runs per nine innings (5th, 1.31), strikeout-to-walk ratio (5th - 2.75), strikeouts per nine innings (6th - 7.18), quality starts (9th - 6), and strikeouts (10th - 88). He received votes from the media in April and May for AL Rookie of the Month.

The Orioles (41-88) are 2-3 on this homestand and have lost 10 of their past 12 games. They lost the last two nights to Tampa Bay by 5-2 and 7-1 scores. They have just 10 hits in this series and have gone 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Over the last eight games, the O's are 8-for-57 (.140) with RISP.

Tampa Bay (76-54) is 10-4 the last 14 games and 17-6 over the past 23. The Rays are 11-1 in their last 12 road games, outscoring the opposition 75-49. The Rays' 42-23 (.646) road record is the best in the majors. They are 10-4 against the Orioles in 2019, winning the last four games between these teams while allowing just eight total runs.

On the farm: In the first game of a doubleheader today in Hagerstown, Single-A Delmarva's Adley Rutschman is catching right-hander Grayson Rodriguez for the first time. Rodriguez is out of the game now - charged with four runs over 4 2/3. But he fanned the first batter he faced tonight.