O's game blog: Tyler Wells faces Kansas City as series continues

The Orioles have lost the first two games of this road trip and now will need to win the next two just to split this series with the Royals before they head to Toronto.

The Orioles (24-35) have fallen a season-high 11 games under the .500 mark with 7-5 and 8-1 losses at Kauffman Stadium. Their starting pitchers gave up 13 runs and 18 hits in 9 2/3 combined innings the past two nights. O’s starting pitchers have gone nine straight games without a quality start with an ERA of 7.78 in that span. And Baltimore starters have just four quality starts in the past 29 games.

For the year, the O’s team ERA is now up to 4.20 to rank 13^th in the American League and their rotation ERA is up to 5.27 to rank 14^th. But the bullpen continues to thrive, posting an ERA of 3.07 for the year which is fifth-best in the league. In this series, the O’s bullpen has allowed just one earned run over 6 1/3 innings. And the Baltimore bullpen has an ERA of 1.64 over the last eight games.

The Orioles have lost three of their last four and five of their last seven games. The O’s current .407 win percentage projects to a final record of 66-96. The Orioles are 15-15 at home but just 9-20 in road games.

Kansas City (20-37) has won three straight for just the second time this season and the first time since April 16-20, going 12-32 in 44 games in-between. The Royals recorded eight extra-base hits Friday, which is their most in a single game since collecting eight on April 3, 2021 versus the Rangers. They have recorded 19 extra-base hits in their last three games (11 doubles, three triples and five home runs) after recording none in their previous two games.

Kansas City’s three home runs last night are tied for its most in a single game this season, done four other times and most recently May 23 in Arizona. With one more win this weekend, the Royals would clinch their first season series win against the Orioles since 2018.

Kansas City’s Salvador Perez blasted a two-run homer 436 feet off O’s lefty Bruce Zimmermann in the first inning, his second-longest homer of the season behind a 441-foot blast on April 12. That marked his third home run in his last seven games, on the heels of a stretch in which he hit just one in 28 games from April 23-June 3.

The Orioles' Anthony Santander broke up the shutout bid with a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning and that marked his team-leading 10th home run of the season and his first since May 30 in Boston. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games since May 30, hitting .308 (12-for-39) with six RBIs.

On the mound today for the Orioles is right-hander Tyler Wells (2-4, 3.78 ERA). For the year, he has thrown 47 2/3 innings allowing 42 hits with nine walks and 29 strikeouts to go with a WHIP of 1.070. Wells is approaching his 2021 season innings total of 57.

Over his last three starts, he has an ERA of 2.40, allowing four earned runs in 15 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Wells has given up two earned runs or less eight times, and the Orioles are 4-7 in his 11 starts for the year.

Lefty Daniel Lynch (2-5, 5.36 ERA) will be making his 11^th start and the Royals are 4-6 in the first 10. He lost his last two starts, allowing 12 runs, 15 hits and four homers over a combined 9 2/3 innings in those games. He has thrown five innings or less six times.