O's game blog: Looking for two in a row at Fenway Park

After a 4-1 win on Friday night, the Orioles play the second game of their series in Boston today and game No. 161 for the season. The O's won last night when Asher Wojciechowski threw six scoreless innings and Renato Núñez hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs.

Lefty John Means (11-11, 3.54 ERA) today makes his 27th start. For the year, he's thrown 150 innings, allowing 133 hits with 36 walks and 116 strikeouts. He holds a WHIP of 1.127 and allows 8.0 hits per nine innings, with 1.3 homers, 2.2 walks and 7.0 strikeouts.

Means allowed just one run over seven innings in his last start versus Seattle. He has given up two earned runs or less in six of his past seven games, going 3-3 with a 3.02 ERA and .210 average against. In 44 2/3 innings in that span, he has walked six and fanned 32.

This will be Means' fourth career start (fifth appearance) against Boston. He made his major league debut at Fenway Park on Sept. 26, 2018, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief. He owns a career 2-1 record with a 3.76 ERA against Boston, with the Red Sox hitting .245 (24-for-98) against him.

Means is making his 15th appearance and 11th start against an American League East foe this season. He has gone 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA in his first 14 games against the division and 2-2 with a 4.29 ERA in five road games.

Right-hander Jhoulys Chacín (3-11, 5.81 ERA) will start against the Orioles. Boston signed him on Aug. 31 after he was released by the Milwaukee Brewers. In five games for Boston, he is 0-1 with an ERA of 6.00. Over 12 innings, he has allowed 11 hits and eight runs with six walks and 18 strikeouts. Over his past two games against the Giants and Rays, he has allowed eight runs over 6 1/3 innings.

Following Núñez's 30th home run Friday, the O's now have a pair of teammates with at least 30 and at least 85 RBIs for the ninth time in club history. Núñez (30 homers, 89 RBIs) and Trey Mancini (34 homers, 94 RBIs) are the first such O's teammates since 2017, when Manny Machado (35 homers, 95 RBIs) and Jonathan Schoop (32 homers, 105 RBIs) did so.

Mancini has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games at Fenway Park (since May 19, 2018), hitting .327 (16-for-49) during this stretch. For his career, Mancini is a .362/.436/.606 (34-for-94) hitter with 10 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 19 runs and 18 RBIs in 25 games at Fenway Park. His 1.043 career OPS at Fenway Park leads all active players (minimum 100 plate appearances). In 17 games this season against Boston, he is batting .369/.474/.708 (24-for-65) with 10 doubles, four homers, 16 runs and 10 RBIs, and his 24 hits and 14 extra-base hits against Boston each lead the majors.

Boston (83-77) had scored 27 runs the previous three games before being held to one run and six hits last night. The Red Sox are 37-42 at home, 34-40 versus the AL East and 10-14 this month.