O's game blog: Orioles are 11-3 against the Rays in 2016

The Orioles today are looking for their first three-game road sweep of this season and first three-game sweep at Tropicana Field since May 6-8, 2014.

Now one game out of first place in the American League East and leading the second wild card by one game, the Orioles (76-62) have won four of five and six of their last nine. A win today would improve them to .500 at 26-26 since the All-Star break.

O's starting pitchers have allowed five runs and seven hits in 14 innings in this series. The rotation ERA is 2.67 over the last nine games. The O's bullpen pitchers have allowed one unearned run over 14 1/3 innings the past five games.

On the mound today, rookie right-hander Dylan Bundy (8-5, 3.47 ERA) faces Tampa Bay lefty Drew Smyly (6-11, 4.94 ERA).

Bundy is making his 11th start and is 6-4 with a 3.76 ERA, allowing two runs or fewer six times as a starter. He made his first start on July 17 at Tampa Bay. Over 3 1/3 innings he gave up five hits and four runs and gave up three home runs.

Smyly has made 26 starts for the Rays. Over his last three he has an ERA of 5.60 and has yielded five homers over 17 2/3 innings. In 12 home starts, he is 3-6 with a 4.22 ERA.

In his lone 2016 start against the Orioles he got hammered for 10 hits and eight runs over five innings on June 26 in Baltimore. In nine career games (six starts) versus Baltimore, he is 4-1 with a 3.22 ERA.

Manny Machado hit a grand slam, his third of this season, on Tuesday and drove in five runs in the Orioles' 11-2 win. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Machado's three grand slams ties the second-most by an Oriole in a single season. Four other Orioles have hit at least three slams in a season: Jim Gentile (five in 1961), Reggie Jackson (three in 1976), Eddie Murray (three in 1985), and Chris Hoiles (three in 1998).

Since the 2000 season, the only other players in the majors to hit three grand slams in a season prior to turning 25 are Ben Grieve (2000), Hank Blalock (2004) and Matt Kemp (2009).

The Orioles are 11-3 against Tampa Bay. They have outscored the Rays 72-38 in the season series, pitching to an ERA of 2.63 in those games. Rays batters are hitting just .217 off O's pitching in 2016.