O's game blog: They don't want to leave this series sweepless in Seattle

Against a Seattle Mariners team that ranks 13^th in the American League and 27^th in the majors scoring 3.78 runs per game, the Orioles have allowed just one run in two games.

They have 2-0 and 4-1 victories at T-Mobile Park and can complete a three-game sweep today against the AL West leaders.

The Orioles look for their sixth series sweep of the year of three games or more. They swept four at Chicago versus the White Sox from May 23-26. They won four straight in Florida against the Rays from June 7-10. They have three-game sweeps over Boston, Minnesota, and Cincinnati.

They look for the sweep against a Mariners team (47-41) that has scored just five runs during a four-game losing streak. Seattle has lost seven of nine and 10 of its past 13 games. The M’s first-place lead is down to two games over the Houston Astros.

In these two games, Baltimore pitchers have allowed just seven hits in 18 innings with six walks and 24 strikeouts against the team that has struck out more than any in the majors. Seattle batters have fanned 901 times.

O’s starting pitchers Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer combined to throw 11 1/3 scoreless on four hits in this series.

Since losing five in a row the Orioles are 6-1. In this span, where they allowed 11 runs in one game to the Rangers, they have allowed two runs or fewer five times with four quality starts. The team ERA is 3.00 during the seven games with a .212 batting average against.

In winning just three of its past 13 games, Seattle is averaging 2.8 runs per game. The Mariners team batting line in this span is .183/.265/.297/.562.

Despite losing two games this series, Seattle is 20-10 in its last 30 games at home.

Ryan O’Hearn extended his career-best on-base streak to 15 games Wednesday with a 2-for-3 performance. He drove in three runs with a two-run double and a solo homer.

During that 15-game span, he has hit .340 (18-for-53) with four doubles, two home runs, 13 RBIs and eight runs. His on-base streak is the third-best by an Orioles player this season, trailing Adley Rutschman (16 games, June 12-29) and Gunnar Henderson (36 games, May 22-June 29).

Closer Craig Kimbrel recorded his second save in two games. He has now gone five straight relief appearances over five innings without allowing a hit or an earned run.

Kimbrel has recorded 21 saves on the year to rank second in the AL and tied for fourth in the majors. He recorded his 438^th career save and that now ranks fourth-most all-time as he passed Francisco Rodriguez.

In 20 games since May 10, Kimbrel is 2-1 with 13 saves in 14 chances and an ERA of 0.47 with a WHIP of 0.53. In this stretch, he has allowed five hits and one run over 19 innings with five walks to 27 strikeouts with an opponent average of .082 and OPS of .287. Yep, dominant.

Right now the playoff teams in the AL are the Orioles, Cleveland, Seattle, the Yankees, Twins and Royals. The Orioles are 17-7 (.708) against those five teams winning seven of their eight series.

Right-hander Corbin Burnes (9-3, 2.28 ERA) will make his 18th start. He has 11 quality starts in his past 12 outings with an ERA of 2.09. He has pitched seven innings five times in this stretch. For the year Burnes ranks second the AL in ERA (third in MLB), he is fifth in innings (106 2/3) and tied for fifth in the AL in opponent OPS (.592) and his 13 quality starts is tied for third and one off the AL lead.

In two career starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA versus the Mariners.

Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller (6-7, 3.88 ERA) will face Baltimore in the series finale. Over his last five starts, he has had games allowing six and seven runs and has an ERA of 5.74 in this span.