Sunday’s game against Texas ended a 22-game run for the Orioles against clubs with winning records. After playing a much softer schedule before this stretch, this span of games showed us the Orioles, who earlier beat some second-division clubs, can beat some good teams too.

With Sunday's 3-2 win over Texas the Orioles went 4-2-1 in the seven series and 13-9 in those 22 games against Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto, the New York Yankees and Texas.

Going 13-9 produced a .591 win percentage, which over a full season, would produce 96 wins. Playing that schedule at a 96-win pace is more than holding your own.

There was an impressive series win over the Tampa Bay Rays where they lost the first game. The 5-1 road trip to Toronto and New York. Even in losing the series at Atlanta to begin this run on May 5, they lost a pair of one-run games in that series, one that went 12 innings.

The Orioles showed the league and any remaining doubters, that they can play with good clubs and have set themselves up to contend for a playoff spot this year.

During an outstanding season when they have played .635 baseball and have the third-best record in the major leagues, the Orioles (33-19) have lost only four series. They have not been swept in any of them.

For the latter statement to remain true, they’ll have to beat the Texas Rangers (33-18) today. Texas has won the first two games of this series to move ahead of Baltimore for the second-best record in the major leagues and to have a chance for a sweep today.

The Orioles have not only not been swept in any series, they have not lost the first two games of any series until Texas beat them this weekend by 12-2 Friday and 5-3 yesterday.

The American League West leaders, Texas had lost eight of its last nine games versus the Orioles, going 0-6 in the season series last year, until its win on Friday night at Oriole Park. Per Elias Sports Bureau, this series is just the second time ever that the Orioles and Rangers have met with both teams at least 13 games over the .500 mark. The other time it happened was in August 2016.

With a series win this weekend, Texas is 7-1-1 in its last nine series and 11-2-1 in its last 14 series. Their series record for the season thus far is 12-4-1.

At age 27 and after two previous seasons seeing some big league time, it appears things are finally starting to click for right-hander Mike Baumann. He was drafted by the club in round three of the 2017 MLB Draft and has been ranked among the Orioles' top 30 prospects coming up through the minors.

He was ranked as high as Baltimore's No. 8 prospect by Baseball America in 2021 and has been ranked every year since 2018.

The debate, at least for now, as to whether he is a starter or reliever is over. The club made the call during spring training to move him into a bullpen role. And his last three outings, all on the Toronto-New York road trip, were scoreless.

He showed good life on his fastball and got some big outs against the Blue Jays and Yankees.

“It really just feels like everything is coming together,” Baumann said Friday in the O’s clubhouse. “Just feel a lot more comfortable in a spot where I can attack the hitters and be more aggressive. Really just not holding anything back. Trusting all the work I have been putting in and that makes it more fun.”

BARCS’ BFF Waggin’ will be at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29 for fans looking to adopt a dog or cat. The mobile adoption vehicle will be parked at Maryland Square, located near Gate A. 

Over the past week, BARCS has taken in more than 300 new animals, putting them in a state of emergency. In order to help these animals, BARCS is waiving all adoption fees, effective immediately. Fans with game tickets who adopt an animal can pick up their pet after the game. 

Early outs on the basepaths became a second obstacle for the Orioles today besides the team playing across from them.

The Rangers now have the second-best record in baseball. They don’t need any assistance.

The road trip rush is fading, with the Orioles losing again 5-3 before an announced crowd of 37,939 at Camden Yards.

Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías had back-to-back RBI doubles off Will Smith with two outs in the ninth to make it close.

Dean Kremer registered his fourth quality start after he was charged with three runs in 6 1/3 innings, leaving him with a 2.45 ERA in May. Manager Brandon Hyde removed him at 97 pitches after a one-out walk to Robbie Grossman, and Bryan Baker surrendered a double to Leody Taveras and two-run single to Marcus Semien.

After their worst loss of the year by margin - falling by 10 runs to Texas - the Orioles host the Rangers this afternoon looking to bounce back from Friday's 12-2 defeat. The previous biggest loss margin of the year was by 6-0 on May 3 at Kansas City. 

Through the season's first 50 games, the Orioles had played an MLB-high 46 games decided by four runs or fewer. Last night was a rare blowout game they were involved in and they were on the wrong end as Texas scored eight runs in the fourth off right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who was optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk after the game.

When the Orioles took two of three from Texas early last month on the road, they allowed just seven runs and 17 hits in three games. But a Rangers club that began the weekend leading MLB by scoring 6.33 runs per game, hit three homers and had 13 hits in last night's win. 

And now that runs per game average for the Rangers is up to 6.44 and they have scored 322 runs for the year. The Rangers have scored 10+ in an MLB-leading 13 games and have scored 5+ runs in an inning 15 times. They rank second in the majors with four or more runs scored in 36 games.

Texas leads MLB with 144 runs in May, along with a .286 BA and .812 OPS. The 322 runs scored are the most over the first 50 games of a season in franchise history, and is tied for 18th-most runs in a team's first 50 games of a season since 1901. The Rangers' season-best +122 run differential is tops in MLB.

Orioles reliever Austin Voth is a possibility to start Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Guardians at Camden Yards.

Voth will be unavailable for a few days after throwing 62 pitches last night in 3 2/3 innings. He saved the bullpen in a 12-2 loss but can’t be used for a while.

“Fortunately for us last night, Austin Voth was a savior for us,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “If I have to go through a couple more guys there, puts us in a terrible spot in a series here against a really good club, and then Cleveland. You want to minimize those types of starts just for the other guys, as well.

“Austin Voth really picked us up last night and saved me from having to use two other guys that we wouldn’t want to use, to then, hopefully be fresh as we can for these next two games.”

Asked about Voth pitching Wednesday, Hyde said, “Voth’s an option, yeah.”

Anthony Santander sits today as the Orioles resume their series against the Rangers at Camden Yards.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter against left-hander Andrew Heaney, and Ryan McKenna is playing right field.

Santander struck out twice last night and hit into a double play. He was 4-for-6 in his previous two games in New York.

Austin Hays moves up to third in the order. Ramón Urías returns to the lineup at third base with Gunnar Henderson on the bench.

Adam Frazier is the second baseman.

When Orioles executive vice president Mike Elias provided a media update for O’s reporters on Friday, of course, the trade deadline came up. And my question for Elias was are the Orioles well positioned to be aggressive at this deadline if they choose to be?

After all they do seem positioned very well, with the top-ranked farm system in the sport - one which is deep in top 100 prospects and other quality young talent. And a lower payroll creates flexibility to take on some salary should they choose to do that.

“We are definitely preparing all types of scenarios,” said Elias in the O’s dugout pregame Friday. “And they are buy scenarios. I just think the deadline, so much of it that is murky with me, is who the sellers will be? What will other teams try to do? What will the standings look like?

“These extra playoff spots seem to have really changed the landscape and dynamic and the balanced schedule (adds to that). You just see some weird stuff going on in each division compared to one another. So, it is really not clear to me what that is going to look like.

“So we’re just trying to get a clear sense of the type of players that might provide the biggest impact for us, where those players might be coming from. And trying to gauge any likelihood that any of these players might be on the market in some way, shape or form. And then working on the evaluations right now.

With a 12-7 record in a 22-game stretch against clubs with winning records, which includes series wins over the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees, the Orioles return home tonight as a club playing .660 ball through the season’s first 50 games.

It is a stunningly strong start to a season they hope ends with them in the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. If the season ended today, they would hold the first American League wild card spot and would indeed be a playoff club.

This challenging stretch started May 5 at Atlanta. The Orioles won the opener but then lost twice by a run to lose that series 2-1. They then went 2-1 versus Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh and 2-2 versus the Los Angeles Angels. They went 3-0 at Toronto and 2-1 at New York. They are playing .632 ball the past 19 games, going 4-1-1 in the six series against quality opponents.

When the stretch began they were 4 1/2 games back of Tampa Bay for the AL East lead, and today they begin play three games back. The AL East standings as the weekend begins:

Tampa Bay 37-15

Orioles infielder Ramón Urías has been out since a game May 8 against Tampa Bay, on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.

But he rejoined the active roster today after playing a couple of rehab games this week with High-A Aberdeen. He said he has passed every medical test and is ready to go.

“Very excited,” Urías said this afternoon in the Baltimore clubhouse. “It was a long two weeks, but the team is living a great moment and happy to join it. Glad we caught this in time and it wasn’t any worse.”

The best thing about his rehab games, he said, was just being healthy again.

“Was good to not be feeling any leg pain,” said Urías.

The Orioles today announced plans for the latest mural installations as part of the Birdland Murals series, powered by PNC Bank. The first mural will be unveiled at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Friday, May 26, as part of the Orioles City Connect campaign. The second mural, which is expected to be completed by late summer, will be located in downtown Baltimore. The collaboration will continue to honor Baltimore’s rich culture, storied history, unique neighborhoods, and incredible people, while allowing Orioles fans to experience the remarkable talents of several local artists.

“We are proud that we are able to utilize our partnership with PNC to continue to amplify Baltimore’s vibrant arts community and use it as another avenue to connect to our city and community, highlighting the people and things that make Baltimore so special,” said JENNIFER GRONDAHL, Orioles Senior Vice President, Community Development & Communications.

“PNC Bank is again honored to sponsor this important work for the benefit all Oriole baseball fans,” said LAURA GAMBLE, PNC Regional President for Greater Maryland. “The mural offers a visual connection into Baltimore’s remarkable community and celebrates the diversity of our great city.”

The Oriole Park mural, which will be located on the concourse behind home plate, was created by SHAN WALLACE, an award-winning visual artist, photographer, and educator from East Baltimore. The vinyl mural will depict scenes from Baltimore’s iconic neighborhoods, while blending in elements from the team’s City Connect uniforms.

Inspired by her day-to-day experiences in Baltimore, SHAN’s work is focused on demonstrating the cultural and political narratives of black life, confronting and challenging the ideas that surround existing collections, cultures, and archives of Blackness. Her artwork has received national attention from publications like The Daily Beast, Essence Magazine, Black Entertainment Television (BET), the Washington Post, VICE, and the New York Times. SHAN’s work has also been featured in public and private collections across the United States, including the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated INF Ramón Urías from the 10-day Injured List (left hamstring strain).
• Optioned INF Joey Ortiz to Triple-A Norfolk.

We probably might have believed the Orioles would be a good team this year and maybe even make a playoff run. But thinking they would play .660 ball the first 50 games or .632 ball the last 19 games against winning teams might have been a stretch.

But the Orioles are indeed 12-7 in the last 19 against Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles Angels, Toronto and New York. They are indeed 33-17 and that win percentage would produce 107 wins over the full season.

The Tampa Bay Rays are the only team that can keep them out of first-place right now.

But while they trail the Rays by three games, they are now four games better than the Yankees, seven ahead of Boston and 7.5 up on Toronto. They are two games better than Atlanta and 2.5 better than the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

They have won four straight AL East series for the first time since June and July of 2016. And they have won back-to-back series in the Bronx for the first time since the 2016 season. They are 9-3 in their last 12 AL East contests and 11-7 (.611) for the year within the division.

NEW YORK – The Orioles knew it.

Before they filed out of the clubhouse for more pregame stretching and throwing, before the anthem was played, they knew that the Rays won earlier today. Their own victory would be necessary to keep pace in the American League East.

Last night’s comeback, made possible by an eight-run seventh inning, prevented them from falling four games back.

Get used to it.

The stamp denoting their spectator status has faded. They’re fighting to avoid doing the same in the standings.

The Orioles and New York Yankees have split two games in this series and play the third and rubber match game tonight in the Bronx. For the Orioles, it’s the end of a six-game AL East road trip where they have gone 3-0 at Toronto and 1-1 in New York.

The Orioles lost two of their first three series this year but they have gone 10-1-1 in series play since, losing only to Atlanta and splitting four with the Los Angeles Angels. They are 3-0-1 in their past four series and 3-2 in AL East series, winning their last three.

The Birds are 10-7 on the year in AL East games and are 8-3 in their past 11 division games.

They are 4-3 this season in rubber match games, which breaks down this way:

* Lost 9-5 at Boston

NEW YORK – Cedric Mullins isn’t in tonight’s Orioles lineup for “personal reasons,” according to manager Brandon Hyde.

Hyde didn’t elaborate or confirm whether Mullins is at Yankee Stadium.

Mullins always plays against right-handed starters. And left-handed hitters are slashing .356/.430/.644 against Clarke Schmidt this season.

Not having Mullins atop the order tonight was bound to raise questions.

“It’s probably going to be one day,” Hyde said. “I’m not going to expand on that. It’s for personal reasons right now and we should see him back soon.”

NEW YORK – Bumps were forming on the Orioles’ road trip, which began with a three-game sweep in Toronto. The Yankees hit three home runs tonight off Tyler Wells and appeared in control heading into the seventh inning. A nice margin for Nestor Cortes. Another bad finish for his former team.

The 2023 Orioles don’t want to hear it. They just keep coming. Spitting water and breathing fire.

They sent 12 batters to the plate in the seventh and scored eight runs. Adam Frazier hit the foul pole with two runners on base, Gunnar Henderson came off the bench and drove in two with a double to give the Orioles a lead, and a sacrifice fly and two RBI singles followed. Fans booed. It began to rain again.

A club that trailed by four runs suddenly led by four.

It won by three, 9-6, before an announced crowd of 39,455 at Yankee Stadium. It keeps accomplishing what isn’t supposed to happen.

NEW YORK – The Orioles have a chance tonight to win their 12th series in 2023 after posting their 19^th comeback victory last night.

Cedric Mullins is out of the lineup, an unusual occurrence against a right-hander. Ryan McKenna is in center field and Adam Frazier is leading off for the first time this season, but the 387^th of his career.

Frazier will try to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 18 games.

Gunnar Henderson is starting at third base after delivering a pinch-hit, two-run double last night in the seventh inning. He’s batting .306/.324/.611 (11-for-36) in his last 11 games.

Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base and Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter.

Start spreading the news – the Orioles scored eight runs in the seventh inning to stun the Yankees in the Bronx. The night before they had a 4-0 lead and lost. On this night they trailed by four in the seventh and won.

The eight-run inning was their most in any inning this year, topping the seven in the seventh on May 5 at Atlanta. It is their most in an inning since scoring nine in the eighth inning on Sept, 8, 2021 versus Kansas City. And this was their most runs in any inning in a road game since scoring nine in the seventh inning on April 4, 2016, at Texas.

According to Elias, the Sports Bureau, not the executive vice president, this was tied for the most runs scored in a single inning at the current or original Yankee Stadium in Baltimore team history. They also got eight in the third inning on June 5, 1989.

At 32-17, the Orioles remain three games behind Tampa Bay for the AL East lead, but they also moved back to three games ahead of the Yankees for second in the division.

The Orioles are now 4-12 when trailing after six innings.