O's game blog: Orioles are 12-5 against Rays

The Orioles host Tampa Bay tonight in the third game of this four-game series and 11-game homestand. The Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks will follow the Rays to Camden Yards during this final homestand of the regular season.

The Orioles, 81-66 overall and 30-30 in the second half, are tied with Toronto with both teams 2 1/2 games behind Boston for first in the American League East. The Red Sox (84-64) rallied from 5-2 down to beat the New York Yankees 6-5 this afternoon. The Orioles need to win tonight to move two games back of Boston.

The Orioles the Blue Jays are also tied for both AL wild card spots, leading Detroit and Seattle by three games, leading Houston by four games and New York by 4 1/2 games.

The Orioles and Rays have split one-run decisions with Tampa Bay winning 7-6 on Thursday night. The Orioles rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 last night with the game ending as the Rays' Mikie Mahtook was tagged out at the plate trying to score from first base on a base hit into the left field corner.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Orioles won a game that ended with the tying run being thrown out at home on a ball hit to the outfield was on May 10, 2013 against the Seattle Mariners. That 6-5 victory ended with Josh Wilson being thrown out at home by Corey Patterson while trying to score from second on a single by Ichiro Suzuki.

The Orioles overcame a 4-0 deficit in the 5-4 win on Friday. It marked the fifth time this season that the O's won a game after trailing by four or more runs. According to Elias, the Orioles are tied with St. Louis for the third-most in the majors behind San Francisco and Seattle with six each.

The Orioles have won three of four, five of seven, nine of 14 and 11 of their past 18 games. They are 46-26 at home and 35-29 versus AL East opponents.

On the mound tonight right-hander Chris Tillman (16-5, 3.68 ERA) pitches against right-hander Matt Andriese (7-7, 4.46 ERA)

Tillman returned from the disabled list due to right shoulder bursitis and pitched Sunday at Detroit. In his first start since Aug. 20, he went six strong innings allowing four hits and one run on 105 pitches.

Tillman is 8-2 with a 4.34 ERA in 14 home starts. The Orioles are 21-6 in his 27 starts this season. And Tillman is 3-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four 2016 starts versus Tampa Bay.

Andriese was the winning pitcher Sunday at New York, allowing six hits and one run over five innings. It was his first win since June 15 and he had gone 17 games (eight starts) between victories.

This season against the Orioles, Andriese is 0-2 with an ERA of 8.38, allowing nine runs and 14 hits over 9 2.3 innings. In five career games (two starts) versus Baltimore, he is 0-3 with a 9.24 ERA. In three career games (one start) at Camden Yards he is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA.

The Orioles are 12-5 against Tampa Bay on the year, including a mark of 7-1 at home. The Orioles have won 10 of the last 13 games between the teams.