O's game blog: O's play Pirates in the season's first road game

The Orioles begin a weekend series in Pittsburgh this afternoon. The Pirates (6-1) are playing their home opener at PNC Park.

The Orioles have gone 2-1 in each series at home against the Angels and Royals. They scored 25 runs in the first three games versus the Angels. They scored just 11 runs in the series with K.C, but produced walk-off wins in games one and three of that series.

The Orioles (4-2) have scored 34 runs in their four wins and just two runs over the two losses. After scoring 24 runs in the first two games of the year, they have scored just 12 runs on 21 hits in the last four games. In that span, they are 6-for-24 batting with runners in scoring position.

Through six games, their team batting line is .232/.298/.397/.695 as the Orioles rank tied for 17^th in the major leagues in team batting average, tied for 21^st in on-base percentage, and 16^th each in slugging and OPS.

Their team ERA is 3.33, which is 12^th-best in the majors. Baltimore pitching has allowed three, four, four, four, four and three runs. The O’s bullpen has allowed just two earned runs in 14 innings the past four games.

Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will make his second start of the year and first road game start. Last Saturday in a 13-4 win over the Angels, he went six innings and gave up four hits and one run with one walk and nine strikeouts. The nine Ks tied his career-best, first set April 29, 2023 in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Detroit.

In that previous start, his fastball averaged 97.1 mph and topped at 99. He threw his fastball 46 percent of the time and used his changeup 27 percent. He got 15 whiffs on 40 swings against his fastball and got nine whiffs on 15 swings versus his changeup.

In his last seven regular season starts dating to late last year, Rodriguez is 5-1 with a 1.76 ERA. In his last 14 regular season games, he is 6-2 with a 2.50 ERA. In that time, Rodriguez has allowed just a .224 batting average, a .588 OPS and only four homers over 82 2/3 innings. His WHIP is 1.08 and he has eight quality starts over those 14 outings.

The Pirates are leading the National League Central, where every team is playing .500 ball or better to date. They lead the Brewers (4-1) by one game with the Cubs and Reds next at 4-2, and Cardinals is 4-4.

Pittsburgh opened the season with a four-game sweep at Miami and then went 2-1 at Washington. They had a 5-0 start for the first time since 1983. The season-opening four-game series sweep on the road was their first time doing so since in 1903 in Cincinnati.

On Opening Day in Pittsburgh, Jim Leyland throws out the ceremonial first pitch, in honor of his upcoming induction into Cooperstown. Leyland began his major league managerial career with the Pirates in 1986 and led the Bucs to three straight division titles from 1990-92 while amassing 851 victories in his 11 seasons with the club.

The current club has scored 49 runs in seven games and ranks fifth in the majors with a team average of .283 and first in OBP at .381. The Pirates are 10th in slugging at .428 and sixth with an .809 OPS.

Pittsburgh ranks second in the majors scoring 7.0 runs per game and the Orioles rank seventh at 6.00 rpg.

The Pirates bullpen is 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA with eight walks to 34 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings. Their 'pen leads the majors with a 0.82 WHIP.

Right-hander Jared Jones (1-0, 4.76 ERA) will make his second big league start today. He was ranked as baseball's No. 59 prospect last year and is No. 74 now. He gets 70 grades for his fastball and 60 for his slider.

Saturday at Miami he allowed three runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts. He got a whopping 22 swings and misses in that game with a fastball that averaged 97.1 mph and topped at 99.9. Lefty batters went 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts against him. 

The Orioles are 13-7 versus the Pirates since the 2010 season. That is Pittsburgh's third-worst record against any club in that span.