O's game blog: The Orioles-Yankees series begins in the Bronx

The Orioles hold second-place in the American League East as their last road trip before the All-Star break begins tonight. They will play four games at the New York Yankees and three this weekend at Minnesota leading into the break. 

The Orioles (49-33) are 5.5 games behind Tampa Bay for the division lead, and hold a four-game lead on New York (46-38) for second place as they begin this series in the Bronx tonight.

For the season, the Orioles are 14-9 in AL East games. But since losing their first two AL East series of this year, they are 5-0-1 in the last six, going 12-5 in that span. The Orioles have also won two straight series at Yankee Stadium, going 2-1 there late last year, and 2-1 there this season from May 23-25. In going 4-2 in those games, the O’s went 3-1 versus the Yankees in games decided by one or two runs in the two series.

According to Stats Perform, the Orioles have won three or more straight road series against the Yankees only three times. From 1964-68, they won 11 consecutive series in the Bronx. They won four in a row over the 1976 and 1977 seasons. They won three in a row during the 2012 season. A series win this week would take the current streak to three series wins in a row in New York.

The Orioles have won their last two games at Yankee Stadium. The last time they won three straight at Yankee Stadium was three games spanning 2017 and 2018.

The Yankees are 25-19 at home and they are 11-15 in AL East games.

New York ended a 3-3 road trip on Sunday. They won two of three at Oakland, and dropped two of three at St. Louis over the weekend. The Yankees have won five of their past eight and seven of 12 games. But they are 7-9 over the last 16.

The Yankees were 30-20 on May 23, but are 16-18 since that point.

Tonight the Orioles face right-hander Domingo Germán (5-5, 4.54 ERA), a pitcher who in his last game became the 24^th in MLB history to throw a perfect game. He did that last Wednesday in a 11-0 win at Oakland, and had nine strikeouts throwing 99 pitches, 72 for strikes.

Remarkably, in his start before that one he gave up 10 runs over 3 1/3 innings, and in the two games before the perfect game he allowed 17 runs (15 earned) in 5 1/3 innings as his ERA jumped from 3.49 to 5.10.

Then he pitched the first perfect game in the majors since Seattle’s Félix Hernández versus Tampa Bay on Aug. 15, 2012. It was the fourth by a Yankee, joining a group that includes David Cone, David Wells and Don Larsen.

Germán, in nine games and seven starts in his career against the Orioles, is 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA. He has allowed two earned runs or less in all seven starts.

O's right-hander Tyler Wells (6-4, 3.21 ERA) is the Baltimore starter for the series opener. He allowed two runs and four hits over six innings Tuesday, throwing 99 pitches versus Cincinnati. 

Wells has allowed two earned runs or less in six straight starts, going 3-3 with a 2.78 ERA in that span, where he has walked eight and fanned 41 in 35 2/3 innings.

In two career starts against New York, he is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA, allowing five homers in 11 innings.