O's game blog: Jordan Lyles faces Yankees

The Orioles will play their third series of the season and second versus an American League East opponent starting tonight. They host the New York Yankees at Oriole Park to start a three-game weekend series before a West Coast road trip.

The Orioles (1-5) lost 4-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday and lost the final two games of that series. The O’s are 1-4 in games decided by two runs or less against two 2021 playoff teams in the Tampa Bay Rays and Brewers.

The Baltimore offense has produced just 12 runs on 39 hits this season and the Orioles have gone 5-for-55 (.091) with runners in scoring position with 28 strikeouts.

The Orioles have hit three home runs to rank last among the 15 teams in the AL, but the club has drawn 24 ranks to rate third in the AL.

In the season-opening series against Tampa Bay, the Orioles scored four runs on 21 hits in the three games, going 2-for-24 with RISP. Against Milwaukee, the O’s scored eight runs on 18 hits, going 3-for-31 with RISP.

Right-hander Jordan Lyles (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will make his second Baltimore start in the series opener. Last Saturday at Tropicana Field, he allowed seven hits and five runs over five innings in a 5-3 loss to the Rays.

Lyles went 10-13 with a 5.15 ERA in 2021 for Texas. He threw 180 innings last season, among the most for any pitcher in the majors, and recorded a career-high 13 quality starts.

Lyles went 3-2 with a 2.87 ERA in five September starts, and the Rangers were 13-17 in his 30 starts over the season.

He used his fastball 49 percent of the time in 2021 with an average velocity of 92.8 mph, while using his slider 26 percent, curveball 18 percent and changeup 7 percent.

Lyles has made one career start versus the Yankees and it was a good one last May 17 at Texas. Over six innings, he allowed six hits and one run on 85 pitches.

Lefty Jordan Montgomery (0-0, 8.10 ERA) will make his second start of the 2022 season for New York. On Sunday, he took a no-decision versus Boston. Over 3 1/3 innings, he yielded four hits and three runs, throwing 58 pitches, 38 for strikes.

The 29-year-old Montgomery made 30 starts last season for the Yankees, going 6-7 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.278 WHIP. In 13 starts in the second half, he was 3-3 with a 3.36 ERA.

In five 2021 starts against the Orioles, he was 1-0 with a 3.33 ERA and 1.397 WHIP. Over 24 1/3 innings, he allowed 28 hits, but just two homers, with six walks to 29 strikeouts. In 12 career starts, he is 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA in 61 1/3 innings with a 10.6 strikeout rate against Baltimore batters.

New York (4-3) is in a three-way tie for first in the AL East with Tampa Bay and Toronto. The Yankees won two of three to start the season versus Boston, then they split four games against Toronto at home, winning 3-0 last night in a game delayed 90 minutes at the start by rain.

The Yankees have pitched very well thus far, with two shutouts in the last three games against Toronto. They’ve allowed 20 runs on the year and sport a team ERA of 2.49, which is second in the AL, and bullpen ERA of 1.30. That is the best bullpen ERA in the AL, with the Orioles third at 2.45.