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

The Orioles' latest win on their road trip allowed them to maintain a four-game lead atop the American League East with 22 to play. At 89-51 they are now closing in on a 90-win season and need to go 11-11 or better the rest of the way to record 100 wins or more for the first time since 1980.

Right-hander Kyle Bradish improved to 11-6 with a 3.03 ERA last night, giving up two runs over six innings. Bradish has an ERA of 2.08 in his past six starts and 2.33 in his last 15. The Orioles are now 18-8 in his outings this year.

The Orioles improved to 53-15 (.779) when scoring first this year, the best record in MLB and the 53 such wins are tied for fifth-most. Baltimore has recorded 10+ hits in six consecutive games, its longest such streak since Sept. 19 (G2)-24, 2011 (also six). The last time the Orioles did so in seven straight games was May 14-21, 2011.

Bradish is the third Orioles' pitcher with at least 11 wins this season along with Kyle Gibson (14) and Dean Kremer (12) and this marks the first time the Birds have had three pitchers with 11+ wins since Wei-Yin Chen (11), Ubaldo Jiménez (12), and Chris Tillman (11) in 2015. 

The Orioles are 6-1 on their road trip with six straight wins by a 47-20 score. In the six games, the team is batting .319 with an OPS of .883 and is 27-for-76 (.355) when hitting with runners in scoring position.

Over the last 19 games, the Orioles are 15-4 and have scored 128 runs for 6.74 per game in that span. Their team batting average is .302 in the 19 games, raising the season average from .250 to .258, which is tied for fifth in the AL and tied for eighth in MLB.

Gunnar Henderson leads AL rookies with 5.0 bWAR, 3.5 fWAR, 83 runs, 71 RBIs, seven triples, 55 extra-base hits, 228 total bases, and nine game-winning RBIs. He also ranks here among AL rookie leaders: In home runs (T-1st, 23), hits (2nd, 120), doubles (2nd, 25), and walks (3rd, 50). According to STATS, he ranks among qualified AL rookies in on-base percentage (3rd, .328), slugging percentage (3rd, .483), and OPS (3rd, .811).

His 5.0 bWAR ranks second by a rookie in O's history behind only Adley Rutschman (5.2) last year. He's the third rookie in team history to record 20+ doubles, 5+ triples, and 20+ homers, joining Cal Ripken, Jr. (1982) and Ron Hansen (1960), both of whom won AL Rookie of the Year.

Winners of eight of 10, 12 of 15, 15 of 19 and 26 of the last 36 games, the Orioles are now 35-16 (.656) in the second half.

With an 11-2 victory Friday, they scored 11 runs or more for the 10th time in 2023.

Right-hander Jack Flaherty (8-8, 4.84 ERA) will make his 26th start of the year and his sixth with the Orioles. He is 1-2 with a 6.66 ERA as an Oriole. Since giving up one run in six innings in his first O's start on Aug. 3, he is 0-2 with an 8.35 ERA in his last four starts. 

Flaherty, who is 2-3 with a 6.10 ERA in the second half, has never pitched against Boston.

Lefty Chris Sale (6-3, 4.46 ERA) starts for Boston and they are 11-5 in his outings this season. He pitched five scoreless his last time out against Kansas City. But in two starts this year against Baltimore he is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA, allowing 12 earned runs and 16 hits over eight innings.