O's game blog: Looking for a victory in the series and homestand finale

The Orioles (42-25) host the Blue Jays (38-31) today to wrap up a three-game series and a six-game homestand. The homestand began with the Orioles sweeping Kansas City and now they have split the first two games of this series.

Baltimore scored 11 runs each on Sunday and Tuesday, but where held to just six hits - all singles - last night in a 3-1 loss to Toronto. That result ended the Orioles' win streak at five in a row, two short of their season high. They fall to 4-1 this year against Toronto and to 13-11 versus the Blue Jays since the beginning of the 2022 season.

Toronto, which has won nine of 13 of and is 12-6 its past 18 games, is now 18-8 in its past 26 games at Oriole Park.

The Orioles are 6-4 in rubber match games and 3-2 when that game is against an AL East opponent. They have won three in a row within the division with rubber match wins over Boston, Tampa Bay and New York.

In their first four games this season against Toronto, Baltimore batters had produced 31 runs. But last night the Orioles were held without an extra-base hit for the third time this season. That also happened April 8 against the Yankees and June 7 against the Brewers.

O's left fielder Austin Hays has hit in eight of the last nine games, slashing .306/.333/.500 (11-for-36) with four doubles, one homer, six runs scored, five RBIs, two walks, and a stolen base since June 4.

Baltimore right fielder Ryan O’Hearn singled and scored in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to four games, one shy of his season high. He has scored in a season-high three straight games and is batting .500/.563/1.000 (7-for-14) with one double, two home runs, six runs scored, four RBIs, and two walks during his current four-game hitting streak since June 10.

Third baseman Ramón Urías was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season in the sixth inning, most on the O’s. He also singled in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to a season-high-tying three games.

Center fielder Aaron Hicks singled in the ninth and has reached base safely in his first 12 games with the Orioles; marks the longest on-base streak to begin a stint with the team since Jorge Mateo reached in his first 14 games from Aug. 6-20, 2021.

O's right-hander Tyler Wells (5-2, 3.24 ERA) will make his 13th start today and the Orioles are 8-4 in his first 12. Wells has thrown three straight games allowing two runs or less with two quality starts. He has an ERA of 2.50 and OPS of .544 in those games.

This year he allows left batters to hit just .198 with a .628 OPS and right-handers bat .166/.572. In his career he is 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA against Toronto.

Blue Jays lefty Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 4.34 ERA) will make his 14th start. For the yeare he has thrown 66 1/3 innings with a 1.342 WHIP, 2.8 walk rate and 8.7 K rate.

Kikuchi, who has thrown three consecutive outings allowing two runs over five innings each time, gave up three runs over 4 2/3 on May 19 against the Orioles. In nine career games, he is 3-5 with a 6.29 ERA versus the O's.