O's game blog: Looking to even the series against New York

Can a team struggling to score runs get them today against a pitcher they hit hard less than a month ago?

We're going to find out as the Orioles again face Yankees right-hander Luis Gil (9-5, 3.27 ERA), who is making his 19th start of the season.

When Gil faced the Orioles May 1, he pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings on just two hits. But the rematch June 20 at New York was very different. The righty entered that game with a 2.03 ERA.

He allowed eight hits and seven runs - both season highs - in just 1 1/3 innings as the Orioles won 17-5 to take that series.

They scored in the first inning that night on Ryan O'Hearn's single to lead 1-0 and knocked Gil out by scoring six runs in the second inning. An inning that featured Cedric Mullins' two-run homer and Ryan Mountcastle's bases-clearing, three-run double.

For the year, Gil has allowed just 57 hits in 96 1/3 innings for an American League-leading opponent batting average of .168, but that day the Orioles went 8-for-12 against him with two doubles and a home run. It was a career high in hits and runs allowed.

Today he faces an O's team on a four-game losing streak and one trying to avoid its second five-game losing streak in less than a month.

The O's have been outscored 25-3 in losing four on this homestand and are 25-for-131 (.191) in those games. They have no homers in three games and scored just one run the last 33 innings. They are 1-for-26 with runners in scoring position over the four games.

So yes, room for improvement.

The Orioles begin play today with a one-game lead atop the AL East over New York, and they are 5 1/2 games up on third-place Boston.

A loss today would drop the O's back into a first-place tie with the Yankees, although they would technically lead the East by percentage points. It also would end the O's run of 22 straight AL East series without losing one.

Since April 7-9, 2023, when they lost a series to New York, the O's have gone 16-0-6 in 22 series within the division, going 49-24 (.671) over 73 games.

Before winning last night, New York (57-39) had lost three of four and seven of nine games and was 6-17 with a team ERA of 5.91 over the previous 23 games.

In AL East games for the year, the Orioles are now 19-8 (.704) and the Yankees are 15-18 (.455).

Aaron Judge hit a solo homer and walked four times in New York's win. He had gone eight straight games without an extra-base hit, going 4-for-31, before connecting in the third off Cade Povich. Judge has hit 41 homers with 89 RBIs in 102 career games versus the Orioles, batting .309/.442/.705/1.146.

O's right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (11-3, 3.52 ERA) will try to pitch the Orioles to a win today. He has thrown 94 2/3 innings on the year, allowing 85 hits and 1.215 WHIP. He's posted a 2.9 walk rate and 10.0 strikeout rate.

Over his past three starts he has a 2.33 ERA while allowing a .191 batting average and .572 OPS over 19 1/3 innings. In seven home starts, he is 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA.

He has faced New York once this season, on April 29 at Oriole Park, and threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings on five hits, needing 101 pitches.

In five 2024 starts versus AL East teams, he is 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA and .636 opponent OPS.