The timing doesn’t really matter to Orioles manager Craig Albernaz. The days leading up to the All-Star break or the days that follow. He can recite the record and where his team sits in the standings.

“We’ve got to win as many games as possible,” he said earlier today.

“Our guys know that.”

Two consecutive games might not constitute a streak, but the Orioles won again tonight, 5-3, over the Royals before an announced crowd of 26,993 at Camden Yards. They have a chance to creep within five of .500 by Sunday.

Samuel Basallo broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a left-on-left, two-run homer off Matt Strahm. He stood at the plate and made certain that the ball stayed fair, chucked his bat and began his trip around the bases.

Basallo’s 15th homer, clocked at 105.9 mph, followed Pete Alonso’s leadoff single.

Andrew Kittredge was handed the ninth inning again and notched his third save. Michael Massey’s one-out double created some tension.

Brandon Young carried a 3-2 lead into the eighth inning, but Isaac Collins hit a leadoff homer on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Young bent over as the ball cleared the center field fence, and Albernaz popped out of the dugout.

Young began the seventh at 72 pitches and needed only five to retire the side in order, making it easy for Albernaz to stick with him. He allowed three runs and eight hits, and his ERA went from 3.38 to 3.42.

The Orioles parlayed four singles into a couple of runs in the second inning and lost the lead before Blaze Alexander got it back in the fourth with a tie-breaking solo home run.

Alexander has registered a career-high 29 RBIs and is batting .306 with a .791 OPS. His 436-foot shot to left field off Luinder Avila was the longest of the 14 that he’s hit in the majors.  

A contribution also was made in the field. Jac Caglianone led off the sixth with a single and Lane Thomas grounded to Alexander at 105.3 mph. Alexander made the clean pickup and started the double play.

Jackson Holliday had an RBI single in the second that scored Dylan Beavers, and Alexander came home on Gunnar Henderson’s single into center field at 105.9 mph.

Henderson was 0-for-11 before another hard-hit ball finally did more than frustrate him. He flied to the right field fence in the fourth, a 48-degree launch angle delaying the outcome and seeming almost cruel.

Holliday reached base for the seventh time in a row. He went 4-for-4 Wednesday and walked twice coming off the bench Thursday. His ground ball into right field was only 74.6 mph, but it did the job.

Young struck out two batters in the first inning on a 94.9 mph four-seam fastball and 95.3 mph sinker. Bobby Witt Jr. doubled with one out.

The Orioles turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the second inning after Salvador Perez singled and Josh Rojas reached on an infield hit. Caglianone led off the fourth with his 15th home run, and Rojas had an RBI double with two outs.  

The Royals tried to rally again in the fifth on Collins’ leadoff single, but Beavers threw him out going for the double. Collins came off the bag and Henderson kept the glove on him.

Collins made sure that the Orioles didn’t keep their 3-2 lead.

Basallo made sure that they didn’t lose.

Down on the farm

Single-A Delmarva center fielder Jaiden Lo Re was removed from Game 1 of a doubleheader after a collision on the bases while sliding into second base in the bottom of the third inning.

Lo Re was drafted last year in the fifth round out of Corona del Sol High School in Tempe. He’s batting .333 with a .917 OPS for the Shorebirds.

Stephen Still allowed two unearned runs and two hits in five innings.

High-A Frederick’s Twine Palmer allowed one run and three hits with eight strikeouts in six innings.