O's game blog: Looking for two in a row against the Rangers

After mashing four more home runs, to lead the majors with 153, the Orioles opened the second-half with a 9-1 romp over Texas last night. They improved to 59-38 and could open a two-game lead atop the American East with another win tonight.

Lefty Nestor Cortes allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings this afternoon as the New York Yankees (59-41) lost 9-1 to Tampa Bay. The Yankees are now 17-20 in AL East games. They have lost 9 of 14 games and are 9-19 since June 15.

The Orioles ended the first half going 1-5 on a homestand and had lost five of six, six of eight and seven of 10 heading into the Texas series. Now they are 10-13 since June 21 with Friday's win.

Anthony Santander hit two of their four homers, driving in five runs. With his first home run last night, Santander reached 25 home runs and he's the ninth player in O's history to do so in at least three straight seasons. He matches Frank Robinson (1969-71), Lee May (1976-78), and Manny Machado (2015-17), and trails Eddie Murray (1982-85) and Rafael Palmeiro (1995-98), who did so in four consecutive years, Chris Davis (2012-17) and Cal Ripken, Jr. (1982-87), who had six, and Adam Jones (2011-17), who hit at least 25 homers in seven straight years. He now has 15 multi-homer games, eighth-most in club history.

Since the start of June, Santander is slashing .280/.322/.640 (45-for-161) with five doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 24 runs, 34 RBIs, and 11 walks across 41 games. His 17 homers and 103 total bases are the most in MLB during that span, while his 23 extra-base hits are tied with teammate Gunnar Henderson for the most in the AL in that time.

The O's have 13 more homers than the next closest team New York with 140 and 23 more than the third-place club, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The O's are on a pace to hit 256 home runs - the club record was 257 in 1996.

MLB leaders, homers per game:

1.58 - Baltimore Orioles
1.41 - New York Yankees
1.33 - Los Angeles Dodgers
1.28 - New York Mets

The Orioles' four homers last night tied their season high, done eight times and they are 6-2 in those games. They are 39-8 (.830) when hitting two or more homers.

Henderson and Santander are the only teammates in the majors with 25 or more homers with Henderson at 28 and Santander 26. This marks the third time an O's team has had multiple players with 25+ homers through the first 100 games of a season, joining Brady Anderson (31) and Rafael Palmeiro (25) in 1996, and Boog Powell (27) and Frank Robinson (25) in 1969.

With nine runs last night, the O's are now third in MLB, scoring 4.98 runs per game and they are just behind both the Yankees and Phillies at 4.99.

With last night's win, the O's take the season series from Texas, leading now 4-1 with two games left. 

Tonight, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (11-4, 3.88 ERA) will make his 18th start. He is tied for the AL lead with 11 wins and is two behind Chris Sale of Atlanta, the MLB leader with 13.

Last night Corbin Burnes picked up his 10th win and he is among seven pitchers tied for fifth in the majors with 10. He also moved into the AL ERA lead at 2.38 after allowing one run over six innings to beat the Rangers.

Rodriguez is coming off a poor outing when he allowed six runs in five innings to the Yankees. But he has allowed two earned runs or less 12 times and has nine quality starts.

He has not faced Texas since allowing five runs and six hits in 1 2/3 as the losing pitcher in October in Baltimore in Game 2 of the AL Division Series.

Tonight the O's face righty Max Scherzer (1-2, 2.96 ERA), who is making his sixth start of his season which did not begin until June 23. Scherzer spent a lot of time on the injured list this year after December back surgery and also dealing with a nerve problem in his right arm in April.

But the three-time Cy Young winner and eight-time All-Star faced the O's on June 28 in his second start and gave up two runs over 5 1/3 innings. In 15 career starts versus the O's, he is 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA.

Since the start of 2021, the O's are 17-7 in the regular season against Texas. They are 8-2 all-time at Globe Life Field since it opened in 2020. That is the best record by any Rangers AL opponent.