O's game blog: Looking for a series win at the Trop

After right-hander Zach Eflin pitched the Orioles past the Rays with a 4-1 win Friday night, the O's will look for another victory tonight. If they get it they will have another American League East series win.

Colton Cowser led off Friday's affair with his 18th homer in the first. Cowser has homered in back-to-back games and he's hit four longballs his last 11 games. Cedric Mullins hit the O's second solo shot of the night, his 12th in the sixth inning. 

The Orioles are 7-1 this season against the Rays and 5-0 at the Trop where they have outscored the Tampa 29-8. Baltimore is 15-5 its last 20 games against Tampa Bay and 24-13 in the last 37.

The O's are now 25-12 versus AL East opponents and 13-5 in AL East road games.

The Orioles send ace righty Corbin Burnes (12-4, 2.63 ERA) to the mound tonight in Game 2 of this three-game series.

Burnes has put together a great run of success this year in his seven AL East starts. In division games only, he is 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA, allowing a .172 batting average and .486 OPS. He has allowed just seven earned runs in the seven games. In his only previous start this year against the Rays on June 10 he gave up two runs (no earned runs) and five hits over seven innings at the Trop.

Burnes is often pitching well at the outset of his games. His ERA in the first, second and third innings of his starts is 1.96 each and his ERA is 0.78 in the fourth innings of his games.

Since April 26, Burnes has recorded 16 quality starts in an 18-start span, going 9-4 with a 2.60 ERA. He has given up an OPS of .613 in this stretch.

In just two starts this year Burnes has allowed four or more runs and he gave up a season-high five runs (four earned) over five innings his last time out on Sunday at Cleveland.

But Burnes has allowed three runs or less in 21 of his 23 starts, two earned runs or less 16 times, one earned or zero 10 times. He has not had a scoreless start this season but has had three games not allowing any earned runs.

The Orioles are 16-7 when Burnes takes the ball and they have won his last four outings.

Burnes allows an OPS of .601 his first time through the batting order, .534 his second time through and .696 the third time.

When Tampa Bay's Dylan Carlson homered in the ninth Friday night the Orioles were denied their eighth shutout of 2024.

The Orioles have now gone 37 straight AL East series without being swept and that is four more their their previous best from 1989-90.

In winning seven of eight games so far this year in the season series against the Rays, the O's have outhomered Tampa Bay 16-4. Baltimore batters score 5.50 runs per game and bat .303/.352/.534/.886 this season against Tampa Bay. Their pitchers have allowed 15 earned runs in the season series for a 1.88 ERA and .555 OPS against.

The O's have scored 7.17 runs per game this year versus Boston, 5.77 against Toronto and 4.70 versus the Yankees.