Can O's take Boston sweep and run with it to October?

Heading into their series with the Orioles starting Friday night, the Red Sox had gone 16-5 over the previous 21 games. They were 40-22 at home with 10 wins in the previous 12 games at Fenway Park. They were 8-3 in their last 11 games versus American League East teams. They were averaging 6.05 runs per game their previous 21 games.

But then they got beat three games in a row by the Orioles, and were outscored 25-4 and outhit 36-18 in a stunning Baltimore sweep over the weekend. O's pitching allowed three earned runs in three wins. Their starters pitched to an ERA of 1.37, allowing three earned runs over 19 2/3 innings. The Orioles bullpen recorded 7 1/3 scoreless innings on three hits.

O's pitchers kept getting out of jams in Sunday's 2-1 win as the Red Sox went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 13 runners on base. For the weekend, the Red Sox went 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position (.043) while the Orioles went 13-for-28 (.464).

With four wins in a row and five in the last six games, maybe the Orioles are starting a run that will lead them to a playoff berth for the fourth time in six seasons. They have pumped some life back into a season where they have spent most of it just trying to get to the .500 mark.

They got there Sunday and now are 65-65. They are at .500 for the first time since Aug. 7. Should they win tonight, they will be over .500 for the first time since June 11 when they were 31-30.

With the sweep, the Orioles are 10-6 against the Red Sox this season with three games to play. They have won the season series for the fifth time in six years. The Orioles are 64-46 (.582) against the Red Sox since the 2012 season. This year, the Orioles have won two and tied three series against the Red Sox. So the AL East leaders have not taken one series against the Orioles this year.

Once a Red Sox doormat, the Orioles lost the season series against Boston every year but one from 1999-2009. In 2009, the Orioles went 2-16 versus the Red Sox. Starting with the 2010 season through this year, the Orioles have gone 9-9, 8-10, 13-5, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11 and 10-6.

On Sunday, during an afternoon where O's pitchers got big out after big out, maybe the biggest one came in the last of the sixth. Right-hander Miguel Castro faced Mookie Betts with the bases loaded and Boston with a run in but down 2-1. The count went to 3-2 and Castro got Betts looking on the pitch, although he probably went too far on a checked swing anyway. Castro threw a 97 mph fastball and got a huge out. Castro has pitched to a 2.64 ERA through 30 appearances. He has thrown four straight scoreless outings of a combined 10 innings.

Last season, Betts hit .408/.477/.816 with nine homers and 21 RBIs versus Orioles pitchers. This year, he is batting .222/.300/.317 with one homer and six RBIs.

Orioles catcher Welington Castillo got a big out on the bases when he got Rajai Davis trying to steal second in the fourth. Castillo is 22-for-44 throwing out runners and the 50 percent caught-stealing rate is the best in the AL. Talk about a stat that has flown under the radar this year. Castillo, with the help of the pitchers, throwing out 50 percent has gotten little notice.

The Orioles had quite a weekend in Boston. Will it be a turning point for a season that had disappointment written all over it for months? There are 32 games left for us to find out.