O's game blog: Looking to snap a four-game losing streak

With a record of 0-2 in this series and 0-4 on this road trip, the Orioles play the Toronto Blue Jays again today in Buffalo. The Blue Jays shut out Baltimore 5-0 yesterday as O's hitters went 5-for-32 with just one extra-base hit, a double. During a four-game losing streak the Orioles have scored just nine runs.

An offense that averaged 5.35 runs per game while going 12-8 its first 20 games has slowed. The Birds are scoring 3.42 runs per game the last 12 games while going 2-10.

Perhaps today they can put up a big number against Toronto right-hander Tanner Roark (2-1, 4.91 ERA). Those are respectable numbers, but his WHIP is 1.727 and he allows 10.2 hits and 2.0 home runs per nine innings. His walk rate is 5.3 and his strikeout rate is 7.0.

Roark, a right-hander, does not have good numbers against right-handed batters. They hit .353 with a 1.007 OPS against him. Lefties bat .250/.881. Also, Roark does not have good career numbers against the Orioles, going 1-3 with a 5.73 ERA and 1.636 WHIP.

His mound opponent today is O's right-hander Jorge López (0-0, 8.38 ERA). López last worked on Tuesday, when he threw a scoreless inning on 14 pitches against Tampa Bay.

The 27-year-old López was acquired via waivers from Kansas City on Aug. 9. In his career he has made 63 appearances and 27 starts, going 7-15 with a 6.02 ERA in 199 innings. His last start was in the 2019 season finale for the Royals, and he gave up four runs over six innings against Minnesota.

Obviously, he does not have good career stats, but the O's like his arm, which can throw a mid-90s fastball, and feel there is potential to tap into. A second-round draft pick of Milwaukee in 2011, López was a top 30 prospect six times with the Brewers. He was ranked as high as their No. 2 prospect after 2016, when he was a national top 100 prospect, rated No. 59 by Baseball America. He pitched in the 2014 Futures Game and was the 2015 Double-A Southern League Pitcher of the Year.

Toronto (17-14) is just half a game in back of the second-place Yankees in the American League East with New York trailing division-leading Tampa Bay by four games. The Orioles are 3 1/2 games behind Toronto for the No. 8 AL playoff spot. Toronto is 5-0 versus the Orioles and 10-3 in its last 13 games.

A few O's player hitting notes:

* Hanser Alberto is 9-for-20 (.450) during a five-game hitting streak. All nine hits are singles. Alberto had 11 doubles over his first 20 games and has just one his last 11 games. He leads the club with 14 multi-hit games.

* Anthony Santander is 3-for-16 in four games since the end of his 18-game hitting streak. He leads the club with nine multi-RBI games. Santander ranks tied for seventh in the AL with 10 homers and is fifth with 28 RBIs. His .924 OPS ranks 13th in the league.

* Cedric Mullins is 13-for-41 (.317) over his last 12 games and leads the majors with six bunt hits.

* Over his past 16 games, Pedro Severino is batting .345 (20-for-58) with three doubles, three homers and 16 RBIs.

* Renato Núñez has two homers over his last four games after going 14 games without a home run.

* Rio Ruiz is 0-for-13 over his past four games and 5-for-44 (.114) his last 14 games as his batting average has dropped to .183 for the season.

Recapping today's trades:

* O's trade lefty Tommy Milone to Atlanta for two players to be named later.

* O's deal right-hander Mychal Givens to Colorado for infielders Tyler Nevin and Terrin Vavra, plus a player to be named later. They acquired two top 20 prospects here. Nevin is rated No. 13 by Baseball America and No. 14 by MLBPipeline.com. Vavra is No. 7 by MLBPipeline.com and No. 17 by Baseball America.

Vavra, 23, in 146 career games, playing as high as A ball, has hit .313/.405/.483. In his career he has made 56 starts at second base and 81 at shortstop.

Nevin, 23, has played in 366 career games as high as Double-A, batting .286/.362/.411. Taken No. 38 overall by Colorado in the 2015 draft, he has played 196 career games at first base, 101 at third and 10 in the outfield.

Milone and Givens have been replaced on the big league roster by Keegan Akin, recalled from the Bowie site, and Hunter Harvey, activated off the injured list.