O's game blog: Shooting for a series win at Boston

The Orioles (1-1) and Boston Red Sox (1-1) wrap up their season-opening three-game series this afternoon at Fenway Park. Monday night the Orioles start a two-game series at Miami. They open their home season Wednesday against the Marlins.

After allowing 13 runs and 17 hits on Friday as Boston went 10-for-19 with runners in scoring position, the O's pitchers came up big in Saturday's 7-2 win. They allowed nine hits and no walks and Boston went 1-for-7 with RISP.

On their way to 108 losses last year, the Orioles did start the season 4-1 and won their first two series. A win today at Boston followed by a two-game sweep at Miami would give the O's another 4-1 record.

Left-hander Wade LeBlanc is on the mound today, making his Orioles debut. For Seattle last year, LeBlanc went 6-7 with a 5.71 ERA in 26 games with eight starts. Over 121 1/3 innings he allowed 145 hits with 31 walks and 92 strikeouts. He gave up 10.8 hits per every nine innings with a 2.1 homer rate to go with 2.3 walks per nine and 6.8 strikeouts.

LeBlanc, 35, pitched 13 times as the bulk innings pitcher last year - a pitcher that followed an opener but did not start the game. In those games he pitched to a 4.09 ERA. He pitched five games out of the 'pen in which he went six innings or more and allowed one earned run or none. That was the most such games in the majors since Boston's Bob Stanley did that five times in 1982.

Against lefty batters last year, LeBlanc allowed a .276 batting average with a .906 OPS against. Those numbers were .296 and .856 against right-handed hitters. LeBlanc made one 2019 start against Boston, allowing seven hits and six runs (four earned) over 5 1/3 innings. In five career games, all starts, he is 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.463 WHIP.

Right-hander Ryan Weber is set to start for Boston. Last season he went 2-4 with a 5.09 ERA in 18 games, making three starts for the Sox. In 40 2/3 innings he yielded 48 hits and five homers with eight walks to 29 strikeouts. He recorded 10.6 hits per nine with 1.1 homers, 1.8 walks and 6.4 strikeouts.

Signed as a free agent by Boston in December 2018, Weber gave up an average of .317 with a .970 OPS against versus lefty batters. Against righties those numbers are .253/.614. Lefties also hit well against him in his career, with an .290 average and .881 OPS.

In two games out of the bullpen in 2019 against Baltimore, Weber allowed two earned runs over 7 2/3 innings for a 2.35 ERA. Those are also his career numbers against the Orioles.

O's pitchers fanned 11 without a walk Saturday. The club had only four games last season in which their pitchers didn't walk a batter. The last was Aug. 24 versus Tampa Bay. They went 3-1 in such games in 2019. Saturday was the first time since April 14, 2017 at Toronto in which Orioles pitchers struck out at least 11 while not issuing a walk. Since 2010, O's pitchers have had only 11 such games.

The Orioles and Red Sox begin today in a five-way tie for first place in the American League East, with all the clubs at 1-1. In fact, 13 of 15 AL teams are 1-1. So close to having an entire league 1-1 after two games. Three entire divisions are 1-1: the AL East and Central and NL East.

More signings: The O's today announced officially the signings of eight non-drafted college players. Here is the list.

* TT Bowens, 1B from Central Connecticut State University

* Shane Davis, RHP from North Carolina Central University

* Thomas Girard, RHP from Duke University

* Dylan Harris, CF from University of North Carolina

* Isaiah Kearns, RHP from University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (PA)

* J.D. Mundy, 1B from Radford University (VA)

* Ryan Watson, RHP from Auburn University

* Brandon Young, RHP from University of Louisiana at Lafayette