O's game blog: Looking for another win against the Angels at Camden Yards

With their latest victory and walk-off win now a day behind them, the Orioles try to extend their longest win streak in two years this afternoon as they again host the Los Angeles Angels at Camden Yards. The Orioles are 5-0 on this seven-game homestand that ends Sunday.

Baltimore (41-44) has a six-game win streak for the first time since Aug. 7-13, 2020. The six wins have produced three walk-off wins, two in extra innings, four by a single run and six victories by just nine total runs. The team has not won seven in a row since Aug. 23-30, 2017.

The Orioles have put themselves into contention for the sixth and final playoff spot in the American League. That spot is now held by Toronto (45-40), which is two games ahead of Seattle, three up on Cleveland and four ahead of the Orioles for that spot.

The Orioles have won 11 of 16 and 17 of their past 26 games. They are 20-14 since June 1 and 34-30 since May 1. The Orioles improved to 23-17 at home with Friday’s win and they are 10-3 their last 13 home games.

More notes on Friday’s amazing win, which came in the last of the ninth with two outs and none on and Los Angeles leading 4-2 before the Orioles recorded four straight hits and all the batters had two strikes on them:

* The game marked Baltimore's eighth walk-off victory, second-most in MLB. Of those eight walk-offs, the Orioles have had seven different batters at the plate for them - Rougned Odor (2x), Ramón Urías, Anthony Santander, Robinson Chirinos, Jorge Mateo, Cedric Mullins and Trey Mancini.

* Friday night was the second win by the O's when trailing after eight innings, joining May 22 versus Tampa Bay when they trailed 6-4 entering the ninth inning, tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning on a two-run single by Austin Hays and later walked it off on an Odor fielder's choice in the 11th inning.

* The Orioles became the fourth team in the last 20 seasons to win three straight games in which they trailed in the ninth inning or later (also July 4 and 5 against Texas), per ESPN Stats and Info.

* Baltimore has won six of the last seven games against the Angels and five of the last six between the teams at Oriole Park.

* The O's secured their 41st win of the season in game 85; the Orioles did not win their 41st game last season until game 131 on Aug. 31 (41-90).

* Baltimore is three games under .500 for the first time since April 23 when it was 6-9.

* Last night was the team's 23rd victory in 40 home games this season; the Orioles did not reach 23 home wins in 2021 until their 74th home game on Sept. 16.

* Right-hander Dillon Tate won his first game since Sept. 5, 2020 after going 103 games without a victory, which was the second-longest active streak in MLB.

Right-hander Dean Kremer (2-1, 2.48 ERA) is on the mound for the Orioles today, making his seventh start. He had a shutout into the 5th his last time out and then allowed five runs on Monday versus Texas, including a three-run homer by Mitch Garver. In the three previous games he had allowed zero runs over 18 2/3 innings. In 32 2/3 innings for the season, Kremer has allowed just two homers with nine walks, 23 strikeouts, a 1.286 WHIP, 2.5 walk rate and 6.3 strikeout rate.

Lefty Patrick Sandoval (3-3, 3.09 ERA) gets the start against the Orioles. The Angels are 7-6 in his outings and he has allowed two earned runs or less in nine of his 13 games. But he gave up five runs in five innings in his last outing versus Houston on Saturday.