O's game blog: Yefry Ramírez pitches series opener in Bronx

After a rather busy day off the field, the Orioles will be on the field tonight at Yankee Stadium. They are starting a two-game series and six-game road trip that continues with a four-game series beginning Thursday night at Texas.

The Orioles (32-74) have won three in a row and can tie their season-high win streak tonight. In the last three wins over Tampa Bay, they scored 37 runs. Over the last five games, they've scored 47 runs, and in nine games since the All-Star break, the Orioles have scored 62 runs.

Right-hander Yefry Ramírez (1-3, 3.49 ERA) tonight will make his seventh appearance and sixth start. The Orioles acquired him from the Yankees exactly one year ago today for international signing bonus slots. Ramírez has allowed 23 hits over 28 1/3 innings with 10 walks and 30 strikeouts along with a .221 average against.

On July 9 against New York, Ramírez gave up nine hits and four runs over four innings. In three games versus Boston and New York, he has an ERA of 6.75. In his other three games against Seattle, Philadelphia and Texas, Ramirez has an ERA of 0.60, allowing one earned run and six hits in 15 innings.

Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (8-2, 4.09 ERA) will make his 17th start for New York. On Tuesday at Tampa Bay, he pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts on 105 pitches. It was his third career shutout. He has eight quality starts and the Yankees are 11-5 in his outings.

Tanaka is unbeaten in his last 12 starts, including two against the Orioles, going 6-0 with a 3.47 ERA. In five home starts, he is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA.

Tanaka has made three starts this season against Baltimore, going 1-1 with a 5.63 ERA, allowing five homers over 16 innings. In 11 career starts, he is 3-3 with a 4.04 ERA.

The Yankees (67-37) have the second-best record in the majors, but the team with the best record leads them atop the American League East. Boston begins play tonight six games ahead of New York.

The Yankees are 3-1 on a six-game homestand and 36-15 in home games for the year. They are an major league-best 41-6 when their starter goes at least six innings. New York has lost just four of its past 30 series, going 21-4-5. The Orioles and Yankees have split 10 meetings this season, even though the Orioles have been outscored 60-42 in those games.