O's game blog: Looking for another series victory as O's host the Mets

The Orioles returned home and kept winning last night. And in the last week or so some of their wins have been coming by bigger margins. Friday night James McCann tied his career high with five RBIs and Jordan Westburg hit a three-run homer in a 10-3 romp over the New York Mets.

McCann had a two-run single, two-run double, an RBI single and a walk. His five-RBI game tied his career high from Aug. 12, 2017 for Detroit.

Westburg’s second big league homer was a three-run blast to center, hit 424 feet on a 96 mph fastball in the last of the seventh. Westburg went 2-for-3 with two walks and is hitting .276 with a .785 OPS.

The Baltimore offense has produced 30 runs the last four games and 43 in the past six games. In their last 26 games, the Orioles have scored five runs or more 14 times, and they are 14-0 in those games.

Since playing on "Sunday Night Baseball," the Orioles' wins have come by 9-3, 4-2, 13-3, 6-1 and 10-3 margins. They are 5-1 the last six games with a plus-27 run differential.

Now 68-42, the Orioles are a season-best 26 games over the .500 mark. And they lead Tampa Bay at this hour by 2 1/2 games atop the American League East. They have won five of six, nine of 13 and 19 of the last 26 games, playing .731 ball in those 26 games.

The Orioles' AL East lead would grow to three games if they win tonight after Tampa Bay's 4-2 loss to Detroit this afternoon. 

The Orioles are now 33-21 at home, 14-7 in the second half, 25-11 in series-opening games and 16-14 versus National League teams.

This will be the 75^th straight series dating to last May in which they have not been swept. It is the fifth-longest such streak in major league history. Next on the list is the 1922-24 New York Yankees, at 83 in a row. 

Right-hander Kyle Gibson (10-6, 4.53 ERA) will make his 24^th start and the Orioles are 13-10 in the first 23. He has produced three straight quality starts and done that in four of his past five starts.

His ERA is 3.00 those past three games and he is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA his last five games. In 30 1/3 innings he has walked seven and fanned 30 while allowing a .233 batting average and .599 OPS in that span.

Gibson has allowed two earned runs or fewer 10 times on the season and has 12 quality starts.

With 133 innings pitched, he ranks fifth in the AL and 12^th in the majors in innings.

Righty Tylor Megill (6-4, 5.17 ERA) gets the start for the Mets, his 16^th. New York is 7-8 in his outings. He has struggled lately, going 1-2 with a 7.56 ERA his last five starts, allowing a .339 batting average and .906 OPS.

For the year, over 71 1/3 innings he has allowed 80 hits, 39 walks and 1.668 WHIP while recording 58 strikeouts.

Baltimore is 33-21 (.611) at Oriole Park this season, the third-best home record in the AL and fifth-best in the big leagues. The Birds are 78-57 (.578) at home since the beginning of 2022, the fourth-best home record in the AL and seventh-best in the majors during that time.