O's game blog: Looking for a series win over Yankees

The Orioles (42-92), after Saturday's 4-3 win at Yankee Stadium, can end this two-city road trip with a series win in the Bronx if they win this afternoon versus the Yankees. The O's lost 4-3 in 11 innings Friday night and won by the same score yesterday when they broke a 3-3 tie in the ninth against lefty closer Aroldis Chapman.

Ryan Mountcastle led off the ninth and reached on a strikeout and wild pitch. Austin Hays singled and Trey Mancini walked to load the bases. Mancini went 3-for-3 with two walks on the day. With one out, a sac fly to left by Pedro Severino scored Mountcastle as the O's went ahead 4-3. The Orioles held a 3-0 lead late in the game, but a two-run homer in the Yankees eighth by Joey Gallo tied it at 3-3.

The Orioles have now played three straight one-run games, going 1-2, and four straight decided by two runs or less, going 2-2. Five of their past seven games have been decided by two runs or less and they are 2-3 in those games.

The Orioles are now 15-44 versus American League East teams, but just 2-18 over the last 20. They are 6-9 against the Yankees for the season and 3-5 at Yankee Stadium. A win today would give them their first series victory at that ballpark since March 28-31, 2019.

The O's have pitched well in this series, allowing nine hits and seven runs (four earned) over 19 innings.

Birds batters have scored four runs or less in seven of their past eight games, scoring 32 total in the eight games.

Mancini tied his career high by reaching base five times on Saturday. He also did that Sept. 24, 2019 at Toronto, Sept. 19, 2019 versus Toronto, April 8, 2019 versus Oakland and in Game 2 on Aug. 11, 2018 against Boston. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, batting .358/.404/.472 (19-for-53) with three doubles, a homer, four RBIs and 11 walks over that span. Mancini has recorded multiple hits in three of five games, four of eight and six of 13.

O's center fielder Cedric Mullins hit an RBI double in the seventh inning, going 2-for-5 Saturday. In 16 games versus the Yankees in 2021, Mullins is hitting .306 (19-for-62) with 11 runs, four homers and six RBIs.

Hays had two hits and an RBI yesterday. He has now hit safely in a career-high 11 straight games, batting .385/.415/.615 (15-for-39) with four doubles, a triple, a homer and seven RBIs.

Lefty Keegan Akin (2-8, 6.90 ERA) gets the start in today's series finale. Akin was winless over his first 18 games and 11 starts this year. But now has been the winning pitcher in back-to-back games. In those outings against the Angels and Blue Jays, Akin has thrown 12 innings, allowing five hits and two runs with five walks and 11 strikeouts.

Akin allowed one run on Danny Jansen's solo homer over five innings Tuesday at Rogers Centre. He threw 85 pitches including using his four-seam fastball 59 percent and it topped at 95 mph, with his changeup 26 percent.

Right-hander Corey Kluber (4-3, 3.61 ERA) gets the start against Baltimore. He allowed five runs over four innings on Monday versus the Angels. It was his first start since May 25, as he was out with a strained right shoulder. On May 19, Kluber pitched the 12th no-hitter in Yankees history against the Texas Rangers.

New York (78-57) has won 15 of 20 and 27 of 37 games. The Yankees are 40-25 at home, but had an eight-game home win streak snapped Saturday.

The Orioles will play their major league-leading 72nd road game today. They have three remaining road series left this season at Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto. The Orioles have gone 9-22 on the road against the AL East, with their lone division road series win coming back during the opening series of the season in Boston (April 2-4).