O's game blog: Notes on Parmelee, the 'pen and more before series finale

So Chris Parmelee's first two games with the Orioles have gone pretty well. He is 5-for-9 with five runs, three homers and three RBIs. That works out to a slugging percentage of 1.556 and an OPS of 2.156.

Parmelee has homered in consecutive games for the fourth time in his career and and for the first time since June 1-3, 2013. Parmelee became the seventh player to homer in consecutive games to begin his career with the Orioles and first since Nelson Cruz, March 31-April 2, 2014.

Last night on "O's Xtra" on MASN, a graphic listed the five players that have homered three or more times in their first two games with a team since 1920:

* Joe Cunningham, Cardinals in 1954
* Jim Marshall, Cubs in 1958
* Fred McGriff, Braves in 1993
* Calvin Pickering, Royals in 2004
* Chris Parmelee, Orioles in 2015

MASN's telecast last night also provided the exit speed on Parmelee's first-inning homer via Statcast technology. The homer was recorded at 101 mph off the bat and the Major League Baseball average this year is 77 mph.

The latest Orioles bullpen stats look almost too good to be true, but they are. The 'pen pitchers have recorded 18 2/3 scoreless innings over their last six games and have allowed just one run in 30 2/3 innings over the last nine games for an ERA of 0.29.

The great run by the bullpen has reduced its ERA for the season to 2.83 and that now ranks third-best in the American League behind only Kansas City and Houston. The O's team ERA for the year is 3.73 and that is now fifth-best.

On the mound this afternoon, as the Orioles look for their 10th win in 11 games, Bud Norris (2-4, 8.29) makes his ninth start against right-hander Sean O'Sullivan (1-5, 5.08 ERA), who makes his 10th.

Even with that high ERA, the Orioles are 4-4 when Norris starts this year and 30-15 in his starts since he was traded to the team July 31, 2013.

O'Sullivan is 0-2 with a 6.94 ERA in his last four starts and has allowed nine homers this year over 51 1/3 innings. Can he keep the ball in the park today against an O's team that has homered 10 times in two games and 19 times in the last seven games?

O'Sullivan gives up an average against of .359 with an OPS of 1.119 versus left-handed batters on the season. The Orioles have five that bat left in today's lineup.

In the the last three games against the Phillies, the Orioles offense has produced 29 runs on 30 hits with five doubles and 11 homers. They have hit .462 (12-for-26) with runners in scoring position.