O's game blog: O's play series and road trip finale at Oakland

In the final game of a three-game series and six-game road trip, the Orioles (56-33) play at Oakland (34-57) today. The O's won the series-opener 3-2 Friday and lost 19-8 on Saturday. 

That game produced season-highs or really lows for the Orioles.

* It was the most runs they have allowed this season, topping the 14 from June 21 at Houston.

* It is the most runs the Orioles have allowed since a 22-7 loss on Sept. 12, 2021 against Toronto.

* The Orioles also allowed season highs in hits with 18 (the previous most was 15) and homers, allowing five, one more than the four they gave up to Texas on June 29.

* The 11-run loss margin is a season-worst. The previous was a 10-run loss by 11-1 to Milwaukee on April 12.

* Is it the most runs the Athletics ever scored versus the Orioles and their first game against Baltimore with 10 or more runs since a 16-2 win on June 18, 2019.

* Cade Povich allowed eight runs in one inning plus. The first O's starter to allow at least eight runs in an inning or less since Chris Tillman in 2014.

The Orioles trailed 10-0 in the second inning, 12-0 in the third and 14-1 after the fourth.

The team has allowed double-digits in runs four times since June 21, giving up 14 to Houston, 10 versus Cleveland, 11 to Texas and 19 versus Oakland.

In the three wins on this road trip, Baltimore pitchers allowed zero, one and two runs. In the two losses, they've allowed seven and 19 runs.

Trying to pitch the O's to a series win today, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (10-3, 3.45 ERA) will make his 16th start. For the year over 88 2/3 innings he has allowed 79 hits with a 1.218 WHIP, a 2.9 walk rate and 9.8 strikeout rate.

The Orioles are 11-4 in his starts and he is coming off a 6 1/3 innings scoreless outing at Seattle where he allowed just two hits. The Orioles are 5-1 his last six starts.

Right-hander Mitch Spence (5-4, 4.15 ERA) gets the start for Oakland. He has made 20 appearances on the year with nine starts. He's thrown 73 2/3 innings allowing 75 hits and seven homers with 17 walks and 61 strikeouts with a 1.249 WHIP.

Spence, a 10th-round draft pick of the Yankees in 2019, gave up one run over 5 1/3 in his most recent start versus the Los Angeles Angels. But over his past six starts, his ERA is 4.84 and he has given up a .303 batting average and .801 OPS.

The A's are 2-7 in Spence's previous starts. In 11 games and five starts at home, he is 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA. 

Spence faced the Orioles once this year, in relief on April 26 and he pitched three hitless and scoreless innings on 43 pitches. 

Oakland which swept the Angels ahead of their series with the Orioles, have won four of the last five games but they are 8-18 (.308) over the last 26 contests. The Athletics are 17-40 (.298) dating back to May 5, which is the lowest winning percentage in the majors. Oakland is 34-57 (.374) overall, which is fourth lowest win percentage in MLB. The A's were 25-66 after 91 games last year and 31-60 in 2022.

The A’s pitching staff had a six-game streak without allowing a home run snapped yesterday, when Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle connected. That was the longest such streak by an A’s team since June 22-28, 2011 when they also went six straight games.