O's game blog: Orioles look for their second three-game sweep of the year

Last July the Orioles swept a three-game series at Texas. Now, less than a year later, they can do it again. After 8-3 and 6-5 wins the last two days, the O's look for their second three-game sweep of 2014 tonight. They swept Tampa Bay on the road from May 6-8. The Orioles have a four-game win streak and offense has been a big reason. Over the four games the team average is .340 with 27 runs on seven doubles and seven homers. The O's are 13-for-37 (.351) with runners in scoring position. A win tonight and the O's would match their season high with a five-game streak. The Orioles have won seven in a row against Texas. A nice reversal of fortune from the 2011-12 seasons when they went 3-10 against the Rangers. This is their longest win streak versus the Rangers since taking nine in a row over the 2003-04 seasons. Chris Tillman (5-2, 4.63 ERA) gets the start tonight. Over his last four starts he has allowed zero, eight, six and one runs. Tillman has not lost on the road this year despite a high ERA. He is 5-0 with a 5.51 ERA in eight road starts. Right-hander Colby Lewis (4-4, 5.44 ERA) goes for Texas. He has not pitched well this year, allowing a batting average against of .340. Lewis had a 5.85 ERA in six May starts and has a 7.52 ERA in four home starts. Nelson Cruz had three more hits last night. Over his last 15 games, Cruz is batting .462 with six doubles, nine homers and 18 RBIs. He has hit 11 homers in his last 20 games and 19 in his past 41 contests. Adrian Beltre homered twice last night and has hit nine homers in his last 10 games against the Orioles. He's hitting .380 with 13 homers while plating 29 runs over his last 22 meetings with the Orioles and is 3-for-8 with a double and homer off Tillman. In this series, Beltre is 5-for-8 with three homers and six RBIs. Toronto beat Detroit again today to complete the three-game sweep. The Blue Jays now have sweeps recently against the other AL first-place teams, sweeping the A's and Tigers. They are 19-4 since beginning the year 18-20 and the Orioles will need a win tonight to stay 4 1/2 games back.