O's game blog: O's look for a series win against the Boston Red Sox

After one comeback from four runs down that led to a win and one from seven behind that fell short, the Orioles (15-8) host the Boston Red Sox (13-12) today in the final game of a three-game series and six-game homestand.

Baltimore is 4-1 this homestand after a series sweep of Detroit followed by Monday’s 5-4 win at Oriole Park and last night’s 8-6 loss. The O’s were behind 7-0 in the third inning to Boston on Tuesday and 8-1 heading to the last of the ninth. But then Gunnar Henderson hit a solo home run, Cedric Mullins added a grand slam, and they pulled within the final two-run margin.

The Orioles are 2-3 this year against Boston. Their pitching staff has allowed 9, 9. 9, 4 and 8 runs in those games, yielding 39 runs with an ERA of 7.42 and 1.626 WHIP. Boston batters are hitting .307 with an OPS of .888 versus O’s pitching in 2023.

"We haven't pitched very well against the Red Sox this year," O's manager Brandon Hyde said this morning. "That is a good offensive club. Always been a big Justin Turner fan, that is a big add for them and (Rafael) Devers is one of the best hitters in our game, top three to five, super dangerous. They have a real balanced lineup with a lot of lefties that makes it challenging. But I just think we haven't pitched very well against them. Won't see them again until September, little different this year."

Baltimore’s starters in this series – Dean Kremer and Kyle Bradish – have combined to allow 15 hits and 11 runs over eight innings. And O’s pitching has allowed eight runs or more six times this season – four times versus Boston.

But the Baltimore bullpen continues to pitch well and allowed just one run over 6 2/3 last night and has given up just six earned runs in 41 1/3 innings the past 11 games.

The top bullpens in the majors right now by ERA

2.61 – New York Yankees

2.66 – Tampa Bay Rays

2.88 – Baltimore Orioles

2.89 – Milwaukee Brewers

3.04 – Houston Astros

On the mound for the Birds in today’s series finale will be right-hander Tyler Wells (0-1, 2.70 ERA). He will be making his fifth appearance, coming off seven scoreless innings on three hits last Friday at Detroit on 95 pitches. It was his first quality start and second outing of six innings or more. The O’s are 2-1 in his three starts this year.

Wells has allowed just 14 hits and two walks with 16 strikeouts over 23 1/3 innings. He begins play today with the best WHIP in all of MLB at 0.686. Wells is second in MLB and first in the AL in walks per nine at 0.8 and his ERA ranks ninth-best in the AL and is 17^th in MLB.

Lefty batters are hitting just .161 with an OPS of .419 versus Wells and right-handers are at .177/.521. He has allowed four hits in six at-bats when pitching with runners in scoring position, including one homer.

Wells, who has not faced Boston this season, went 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA over 14 innings against the Red Sox last year, making six appearances and one start. For his career, in 33 games (12 starts) he is 3-7 with a 5.06 ERA versus Boston batters, allowing a .230 batting average and .718 OPS.

Right-hander Tanner Houck (3-0, 4.29 ERA) will make his fifth start for Boston. The Red Sox are 4-0 in his starts previously where he has given up 18 hits in 21 innings with a 1.238 WHIP, a 3.4 walk rate and 9.4 strikeout rate.

He faced the Orioles April 2 at Fenway Park, allowing three runs and five hits over five innings. In six games against the Orioles last year he went 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA and .664 OPS. In 22 career games (10 starts) versus AL East teams, Houck has gone 5-4 with a 2.62 ERA.

The 26-year-old yields a .250 batting average and .863 OPS versus lefty batters and those numbers are .212/.492 against righties.

The O's have won nine of their last 11 games and 11 of their last 14. Their 15-8 start to the season is tied for the sixth-best in team history and is the best start since the 2017 O's also went 15-8 to open the year. Entering today's games, Baltimore owns the second-best record in the AL, trailing only Tampa Bay (20-4); the O's .652 winning percentage is the fourth-best in MLB behind Tampa Bay (.833) and Atlanta and Pittsburgh (.667).