O's game blog: O's host Braves as series continues

After being swept in New York, the Orioles began their last homestand of the 2020 season in impressive fashion last night. They produced a season-high 14 runs and their biggest win margin of this year, beating Atlanta, 14-1.

In the first five innings the top four in the O's order - Cedric Mullins, José Iglesias, DJ Stewart and Ryan Mountcastle - went a combined 11-for-15 with three homers and 13 RBIs as the O's built a 13-0 lead.

The win snapped a run of five straight losses. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the win marked the second-largest margin of victory in Orioles history that ended a losing streak of at least five games. The only larger margin occurred when the 1967 Orioles routed the New York Yankees 14-0, ending a six-game skid. The O's tied a season high with four home runs and improved the club to 10-8 in interleague play.

According to STATS, the Orioles became the first team in American League history to score one run or none in four straight games and then score at least 14 runs in their next game. And the team's nine-run third inning marked the first time they scored at least nine runs in an inning since April 15, 2016, when they scored nine in the top of the seventh at Texas in an 11-5 win.

Iglesias went 4-for-4 while driving in four runs. According to Elias, he became the first Orioles starting shortstop to be perfect at the plate with at least four RBIs in a regular-season game since Aug. 16, 1969, when Chico Salmon went 4-for-4 and knocked in six runs in the O's 15-3 victory over the Seattle Pilots. Kiko Garcia also accomplished the feat after going 4-for-4 with four RBIs during Baltimore's Game 3 win in the 1979 World Series.

The Orioles (21-26) are now 11-15 at home, 6-11 in series-opening games and 12-20 in night games.

Right-hander Jorge López got the win, becoming the first O's starter with an outing of seven innings or more. He is 2-0 with a 3.80 ERA in four starts for the Orioles.

O's starting pitchers have allowed just three runs in 18 innings the past three games. Those starters have allowed one earned run or none in three in a row and seven of the last 10 games. The rotation ERA is 3.44 in the 10 games.

Right-hander Thomas Eshelman (3-0, 3.96 ERA) gets the start tonight. He last pitched Friday in the opener of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium and gave up one run over two innings. In his three O's starts this season, he is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA, and the Orioles are 2-1 in those games.

Right-hander Huascar Ynoa (0-0, 6.75 ERA) gets the ball for Atlanta. On the season, he has thrown 14 2/3 innings, allowing 16 hits and 11 runs with 12 walks and 11 strikeouts. He has a 1.909 WHIP. His last game was Thursday at Washington, when he allowed one run in three innings. Lefty batters hit .304 off him and right-handers .265.

Atlanta (28-20) is leading the National League East by 2 1/2 games over Miami and by four games over Philadelphia. The Braves loss Monday was their biggest defeat of the season and the club's worst loss since dropping a 17-2 game to Colorado on Aug. 16, 2017.

The Braves walked a season-high nine, allowed 15 hits and committed one error. The 25 baserunners allowed were the most against the Braves since the Mets had 27 baserunners reach on Aug. 15, 2019. Atlanta also went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, grounded into two double plays and allowed four home runs.