O's game blog: O's looking to even the three-game series with a win over Oakland

After letting a one-run lead in the ninth get away in last night’s 3-2 loss in 10 innings to Oakland, the Orioles (16-9) host the Athletics (11-16) today in the second of a three-game series.

Oakland has scored three runs or less in eight straight games, scoring 21 in that span. They have also homered in each of the eight games and this is now the longest such streak in MLB history.

Overall, the A’s have homered in 11 consecutive games (15 home runs total), which is the longest such streak by an A’s team over the last three seasons. The last longer streak was a 13-game streak from Aug. 1-16, 2021.

After Friday’s win, the Athletics are 6-5 in one-run games. The 11 one-run decisions are tied with the Yankees for the most in the majors. However, four of their losses have been by eight or more runs so Oakland has a run differential of -37, which is the fourth lowest in the majors.

Going into Friday’s series opener, the Orioles had scored at least seven runs in four straight games against the A’s. Baltimore has never scored 7+ runs in five consecutive games against Oakland and won’t in this run after being held to two runs Friday. The Orioles are 0-5 when scoring two runs or less.

Over their past four games, the Orioles have nine hits or fewer each game, scoring 16 runs on 29 hits and batting .213 as a team in that span. In the four games, the Orioles are batting just .162 (6-for-37) with runners in scoring position.

The Orioles lost last night for just the second time in the last six games and they have won eight of their past 11 and 11 of the last 16 games. They are 8-5 at home.

The Orioles have several players near the top of the batting average race in the AL:

* Adley Rutschman is fifth at .327.

* Ryan Mountcastle is 10^th at .301.

* Jordan Westburg is 11^th at .295.

* Gunnar Henderson is 13^th at .294.

The Orioles lead MLB with 38 home runs, the second-most homers through the first 25 games in O's history, behind 39 by the 2005 team; the most homers through Baltimore's first 26 games of a season is also 39 by the 2020 and 2005 teams.

The Orioles are one of two MLB teams (also Los Angeles-NL) with four players who've hit at least five home runs: Henderson (8), Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins (6), and Westburg (5).

The Orioles lead the AL and are second in MLB with a 90.3 mph team average exit velocity, per Statcast. The O's lead the AL and rank second in MLB with 66 barrels, and also lead in the AL and are third in MLB with 302 hard-hit balls (95+ mph). Henderson ranks second among all hitters with a 95.6 mph average exit velocity.

The O’s lead the AL and rank sixth in MLB with 138 runs scored. Their +28 run differential is third in the AL, while their 5.52 runs per game leads the AL and ranks third in MLB.

Lefty Cole Irvin (1-1, 4.64 ERA) will make his fifth start today, coming off a scoreless outing Sunday at Kansas City. He gave up four hits over 6 2/3 innings on 93 pitches with two walks and two strikeouts. His fastball velocity was down but his results were good and his ERA is 1.59 his past two starts.

At Kauffman Stadium he threw 46 fastballs (29 two-seamers), 30 curveballs and 11 changeups. He averages 90.8 mph on his four-seamer and 90.6 on the two-seam. 

Irvin was with the Oakland A's in 2021-2022, going 19-28 with a 4.11 ERA in 359 1/3 innings. In two career starts versus Oakland, he is 0-0 with an ERA of 7.00 in nine innings. He was acquired by the Orioles along with right-hander Kyle Virbitsky from the A's for infielder Darell Hernaiz on Jan. 26, 2023.

Lefty JP Sears (1-1, 3.38 ERA) goes for Oakland. He had an ERA of 8.68 in his first two starts and it is 0.52 in his last three starts, with Sears allowing just one run and six hits over 17 1/3 innings. His batting average in those three games is .109 and OPS against is .319. On Monday at Yankee Stadium, he pitched six scoreless on three hits. 

The Jim Henneman press box: Earlier this year, the Orioles named the press box at Oriole Park at Camden Yards the Jim Henneman Press Box in honor of longtime Baltimore sportswriter and official scorer Jim Henneman, who has covered Baltimore sports for eight decades. Today the press box was dedicated and to celebrate this recognition, “Henny” threw out the ceremonial first pitch, which was caught by Orioles Head Athletic Trainer Brian Ebel.

In a brief press box ceremony, Jim spoke through a few tears and with much appreciation and emotion earlier.

“We’re in the best press box in baseball, in the park that forever changed the game and my name is on it. I can only hope that each and every one of you someday can have something like this kind of feeling that I have right now. And seeing all these people that have been around me for a good part of this career journey, it means the world to me," he said.

The current group and I would say it's safe to say all groups of reporters covering the O's over the years are proud to call Henny a friend. For me, he's been a mentor, a friend and he's a Baltimore legend. Blessed to know him. What a day.

Check out some tweets from the day here, here and here.