O's game blog: The series opener against the New York Mets

The Orioles enjoyed their trek to Toronto, taking three of four from a Blue Jays team that had won 21 of 28 games heading into that series. The Orioles outscored the Blue Jays 24-10 in the series. 

They left Canada with a 67-42 record and have now won four of five, eight of 12 and 18 of the last 25 games. They are 13-7 in the second half.

Tonight the Orioles play the New York Mets, and the Birds have lost their past two series against National League teams. They went 1-2 versus the Dodgers and Phillies, but they began the second half with a three-game sweep of Miami.

The Orioles are just 15-14 (.517) against NL teams but they are 52-28 (.650) against American League teams.

The Orioles pitched well at Rogers Centre, with their starting pitchers recording a 2.92 ERA in the four-game series while the bullpen allowed just one run in 10 1/3 innings. Over 35 innings at Toronto, Baltimore pitchers allowed 18 hits and 10 runs with 13 walks and 41 strikeouts.

The Orioles' last two series were against AL East clubs, and they went 5-2 against the Yankees and Jays. The Orioles are 24-14 for the season against AL East teams.

Best records, AL East vs. AL East:

.632 – Orioles (24-14)

.593 – Boston (16-11)

.588 – Tampa Bay (20-14)

.417 – New York (15-21)

.258 – Toronto (8-23)

The Orioles begin play this weekend with a two-game lead atop the division over Tampa Bay. They are 7 1/2 ahead of Toronto, 9 1/2 up on Boston and 10 games ahead of the last-place Yankees. All five AL East clubs would be in first place in the AL Central.

With another division series win the Orioles are now 8-0-2 in their past 10 AL East series, going 22-10 in those 10 series. The Orioles, who went 0-10 at Rogers Centre in 2018, are 6-1 in that ballpark this season.

According to STATS, The Orioles have the best record in MLB when leading at any point in the game. 

.788 – Orioles (67-18)

.776 – Tampa Bay Rays (66-19)

.766 – Philadelphia Phillies (59-18)

.763 – San Francisco Giants (61-19)

.760 – Boston Red Sox (57-18)

The New York Mets (50-58) are in fourth place in the NL East and 20 1/2 games out of first place. They are 7 1/2 games back of the last NL wild card spot.

The Mets just got swept by the Kansas City Royals, outscored 20-8 in that series. They have lost seven of 11 games and 12 of 20. The Mets are 24-35 in road games.

The Orioles are just 3-9-6 in all-time series versus the Mets.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, right-hander Jack Flaherty became the second pitcher since the O's moved to Baltimore in 1954 to retire 15 straight batters at any point in his debut with the team, joining Dave McNally, who set down 17 in a row in his MLB debut on Sept. 26 (G1), 1962 vs. Kansas City. McNally went on to throw a shutout, scattering two hits and three walks while striking out four. Flaherty's eight strikeouts yesterday are tied for the fourth-most by a pitcher in his O's debut in club history; the last hurler to accomplish the feat for Baltimore was Bud Norris (8 Ks) on Aug. 1, 2013 vs. Houston. Flaherty's 19 swings and misses yesterday are tied for the second-most by an Orioles pitcher in a game this season, trailing Kyle Gibson's 22 on July 9 at Minnesota.

The O's Ryan Mountcastle had games in Toronto of two, three, two and four hits, and he went 11-for-13 in the series. He also produced four doubles, five runs scored, six RBIs, three walks and one stolen base during the four-game set. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11 hits are tied with Merv Rettenmund (Sept. 24-26, 1971 at Cleveland) for the most in a four-game series in club history.