NEW YORK – Albert Suárez walked into the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium this afternoon, turned left and stopped. His eyes did a quick scan of the lockers. His name was nowhere to be found.

Suárez casually spun in the other direction and smiled. He was in a row straight ahead with a bunch of the other pitchers.

He had worked through his first jam.

More would come later, and controlling the Yankees was much harder than locating his uniform.

Suárez didn’t make it out of the fourth inning, Jordan Westburg injured his left hip and the Orioles lost to the Yankees 4-0 before an announced sellout crowd of 47,429. Exactly how they did not want to begin an important series.

The Orioles are tied with the Phillies for the second-best record in baseball after winning 101 games last season, and they’re getting noticed again by fans.

The first update in All-Star Game voting finds Adley Rutschman leading all catchers in the American League and Gunnar Henderson leading the shortstops. They were the Orioles’ first two selections in the 2019 draft.

Ryan Mountcastle is second to Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. among first basemen and Jordan Westburg is second to Cleveland’s José Ramirez among third basemen. Jorge Mateo and Ryan O’Hearn are fourth among second basemen and designated hitters, respectively.

Three Orioles outfielders show up in the results, as well: Anthony Santander is fifth, Colton Cowser is seventh and Cedric Mullins is 11^th.

In addition, Corbin Burnes has an excellent chance of making the AL team and could be named the starter.

The Orioles continue to hold their own and most of the time do better than that against other winning clubs. Will this bode well for the rest of the year? Will it mean something come October?

Again, great questions. October is a whole other story, and we'll get there when we get there. But the way the O's play against quality opponents has to bode well for where they will be after 162 games have been played.

Against teams that are over .500 as of the end of their game Sunday, the Orioles record is now 22-9 (.710) and they are 9-1 in series. They have won series against the Yankees, Minnesota, Seattle, Philadelphia and Atlanta losing to Milwaukee. They have won two series each against Boston and Kansas City.

Those numbers could change as Boston was one game over (36-35) going into its Sunday night baseball game. Also St. Louis, which went 3-0 versus the Orioles, was 35-35 as of last night.

But the O's are doing quite well and against current division leaders they are 8-5, going 3-1 versus the Yankees, 2-1 against Seattle and Philly and 1-2 against Milwaukee. 

Though it’s true that Corbin Burnes warms up to the Garth Brooks tune “Friends in Low Places,” the ace right-hander also keeps gaining admirers with every start. And some of them are high in the ranks in the Orioles organization.

He’s become so popular that teammates are willing to beat up Zack Wheeler for him.

Burnes registered his 10^th quality start in a row, Gunnar Henderson hit his eighth leadoff home run of the season, and Colton Cowser, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg also went deep within the first five innings in a 8-3 win over the Phillies before an announced sellout crowd of 44,525 that pushed the weekend total at Camden Yards to 133,067.

Burnes allowed two runs in six innings and the Orioles headed into their lone off-day of the month at 47-24 and two games behind the first-place Yankees, who play tonight in Boston. They lost the series opener in the 11th and won back-to-back games against the team with the best record in the National League.

Henderson has 22 home runs on the season, and he really had to work for today’s. He got the count full against Wheeler, fouled off three pitches and dropped a sinker into the Orioles’ bullpen at 419 feet – the ninth pitch of the at-bat producing his 10^th career leadoff shot. His most recent before today came Monday at Tropicana Field.

Craig Kimbrel was unaware of his exact proximity to Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith on one of baseball’s all-time lists until after his most recent appearance.

Kimbrel notched his 16^th save Wednesday by retiring the side in order in the ninth inning. He got a called third strike on Atlanta’s Jarred Kelenic, sandwiched by a ground ball and lineout.

Smith ranks third in saves with 478, followed by Francisco Rodríguez with 437 and Kimbrel with 433. But that wasn’t the specific chase.

Kimbrel and Smith were tied for third-most strikeouts by a reliever with 1,225 until an 0-2 heater froze Kelenic.

“Yeah, actually I found out afterward,” Kimbrel said. “Kind of wish I knew before. I would have probably saved the ball.”

Austin Hays is in left field again tonight after collecting three hits in the series opener against the Braves.

Hays is slashing .347/.377/.592 (17-for-49) since returning from the injured list on May 13. He has 10 hits in his last 21 at-bats.

Jorge Mateo is batting .353 when ahead in the count this season. He’s at second base again and Ramón Urías is at third. Jordan Westburg goes to the bench.

Cedric Mullins is in center field, putting Colton Cowser on the bench. Ryan O’Hearn is in right field and batting cleanup.

Anthony Santander is serving as the designated hitter.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Anthony Santander made loud contact, paused to watch the ball begin its flight toward the right field seats, and heard the ovation as he rounded the bases with his 13^th home run. Orioles fans packed the area behind the visiting dugout at Tropicana Field tonight, the usual turnout that makes the road venue feel like home – except for the catwalks, of course.

They stayed patient as the Rays fought back to tie and erupted again after Ryan Mountcastle broke it with a two-run shot in the fifth. And again after Jordan Westburg joined the double-digit home run club in the eighth.

And finally, when Ramón Urías squeezed a popup to end it.

Santander hit his fourth homer in the last seven games, Mountcastle bagged his fifth in the last seven, and the Orioles defeated the Rays 6-3 before an announced crowd of 17,822.

Westburg’s two-run shot to right field after Ryan O’Hearn’s leadoff double gave him 10 and made it easier for the Orioles to post their 40^th victory. They also knocked the Rays (31-32) below .500 again.

Jordan Westburg is starting at second base tonight and Connor Norby is out of the lineup after homering last night for his first major league hit.

Norby is the 12^th player in club history whose first hit is a home run.

Ramón Urías is playing third base. Kyle Stowers is in left field, Cedric Mullins is in center and Ryan O’Hearn is in right.

Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.

Ryan Mountcastle homered twice last night and is 29-for-91 (.319) with seven doubles, eight home runs, 26 RBIs and a 1.044 OPS in 24 career games at Rogers Centre.

TORONTO – Maybe this had nothing to do with the Orioles getting swept three straight in St. Louis and is just about the ups and downs of the season. And the Orioles offense is having an up for a stretch right now.

But since losing those three games and scoring eight total runs at Busch Stadium, the Orioles are 9-2 and scoring 5.9 runs per game.

The team in the last 11 games has scored five or more runs seven times, with 21 doubles, 19 homers, a .282 batting average and .833 OPS.

Last night they tied a season high with four homers in beating Toronto 7-2. They are 25-3 this year when hitting two or more homers.

For the Orioles, homers lead to runs and runs lead to wins.

Austin Hays is in left field this afternoon as the Orioles close out the series against the Rays and their homestand.

Cedric Mullins is in center and Anthony Santander is in right. Just like the old days.

Jordan Westburg is the third baseman and Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter.

Colton Cowser has posted a 1.009 OPS when batting seventh and a .676 OPS anywhere else in the lineup. He’s out of today’s lineup.

Ryan Mountcastle’s hot bat stays. He’s slashing .459/.500/.757 (17-for-37) with five doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, three walks and eight runs scored in the last 10 games since May 21.

The second batter that Kyle Bradish faced today singled into right field, the ball glancing off Jorge Mateo’s glove as he attempted to make a sliding stop. A cleaner single followed. The no-hit stuff and the breaks were left back in Chicago.

Bradish lasted only 2 2/3 innings after losing his command and issuing three consecutive walks, the last with the bases loaded that broke a 4-4 tie. But a game was won again.

Hitting four home runs and getting strong work out of the bullpen made it happen. This is a team that will find a way.

Ryan Mountcastle cleared the center field fence twice within the first four innings, going back-to-back with Anthony Santander in the first, Jacob Webb came to the rescue with 2 1/3 scoreless, and the Orioles claimed another series against a division opponent with a 9-5 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 36,958 at Camden Yards.

Jordan Westburg marked his return to the lineup by homering in the second inning, and the Orioles moved a season-high 18 games above .500 at 37-19. They’re 14-0-5 in their last 19 series against the American League East and go for the sweep Sunday before flying to Toronto.

Jordan Westburg returns to the Orioles’ lineup today after missing the past two games with a sore right hand.

Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins are on the bench, with Kyle Stowers in left field and Colton Cowser in center. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.

Anthony Santander, who’s in right field, has posted a .333 average and .762 slugging percentage in plate appearances ending on the first pitch, according to STATS.

Kyle Bradish is back on the mound after his seven hitless innings in Chicago. He brings a 1.75 ERA and 1.052 WHIP in five starts and hasn’t surrendered a home run.

Bradish is 1-3 with a 6.18 ERA and 1.410 WHIP in five career starts against the Rays. Yandy Díaz is 6-for-14 with a double, Randy Arozarena is 4-for-14 with a triple and two home runs, and Harold Ramírez is 5-for-13 with a double.

To understand and appreciate Jordan Westburg's advanced approach to hitting, rewind to Tuesday night in the bottom of the first inning.

The Orioles were down 2-1 and had the bases loaded. Red Sox starter Brayan Bello got ahead two strikes, threw a third consecutive sinker and watched it roll into right field. Ryan O’Hearn and Colton Cowser raced home and Bello’s lead was gone.

That’s Westburg, in only his first full season in the majors.

Gunnar Henderson was the American League’s Rookie of the Year last season and is an early favorite to follow in the footsteps of Cal Ripken Jr., who won the award in 1982 and was chosen Most Valuable Player in ’83. But the low-key Westburg is ranking highly on the club’s statistical lists, placing second in average (.291), on-base percentage (.351), slugging percentage (.508) and OPS (.859) heading into last night. His 34 RBIs were third.

His 12 multi-RBI games led the team.

The 95.5 mph sinker that crashed into Jordan Westburg’s right-hand last night threw a scare into the Orioles. He didn't toss him onto the injured list.

Westburg is out of tonight’s lineup to give him an extra day to heal. X-rays came back negative, and Thursday’s off-day should improve his chances of playing Friday night against the Rays at Camden Yards.

“I think we really caught a break and got lucky,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “He’s sore, but feels a lot better than he did last night. It squared him up pretty good on the hand.”

Brayan Bello drilled Westburg in the sixth, and the infielder crouched on his way to first base as Hyde and athletic trainer Mark Shires rushed onto the field. Westburg stayed in the game, the Orioles loaded the bases with no outs, and they didn’t score.

Adley Rutschman also is out of the lineup but he’s healthy. Hyde is making concessions to the brutal schedule that includes only one open date in June.

X-rays on Jordan Westburg’s right hand and wrist came back negative after he was hit last night by a pitch. However, he’s out of tonight’s lineup against the Red Sox.

Westburg leads the club with 12 multi-RBI games.

James McCann is catching and batting ninth. Adley Rutschman is on the bench.

Ramón Urías gets the start at third base. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter. Colton Cowser is in left field again and batting cleanup.

O’Hearn is hitting .325 against fastballs in Baltimore this season compared to just .167 on the road.

CHICAGO – Get the rain delay out of the way first, this one lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes. Send Kyle Bradish to the mound. Try to complete the first four-game sweep against the White Sox since 1995.

Try to do it before the weather takes another nasty turn.

Who knew that Bradish would be nastier?

Bradish didn’t allow a hit for seven innings, but the combined attempt at history failed when Danny Mendick came off the bench in the eighth and belted a leadoff home run against Danny Coulombe.

The Orioles didn’t get their seventh no-hitter. No matter. They left town with a 4-1 victory over the White Sox before an announced crowd of 14,992 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

After the Orioles had been swept three straight and lost their sweepless streak in St. Louis, they were hoping things would turn for the better in Chicago. They have but the Orioles have had to work hard to get three wins, each by two runs, against a team with a poor record. 

But by posting wins by 8-6, 6-4 and then 5-3 yesterday, the Orioles (32-18) can complete a four-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox (15-38) today at Guaranteed Rate Field.

After scoring just eight runs in the losses at St. Louis, the Orioles have scored 19 runs on 29 hits and hit six homers against the White Sox.

The O's were behind 3-0 going to the top of the eighth Saturday when they hit three homers in a span of five batters. The homer explosion put them in front and they won the game. 

Ryan O'Hearn's two-run shot was his seventh and allowed the O's to avoid the shutout. But the next two home run balls allowed them to avoid a loss. Anthony Santander's two-run shot gave them a 4-3 lead and Jordan Westburg's eighth homer, a solo blast, gave them an insurance run.

CHICAGO - Dillon Tate sat at his locker this morning wearing a black hoodie, his head covered, his body turned away from the clubhouse. He was relaxed and not looking for any attention. Probably wishing that he could avoid it altogether, given his low-key personality and preference that others bask in the spotlight.

Here’s the conflict: You retire all seven batters you face in your longest relief outing in three years, setting up the rally in the eighth inning that produced a 5-3 win, and you’re going to be praised and asked about it.

Tate earned the win with 2 1/3 spotless frames and four strikeouts. The Orioles hit three homers and scored five runs in the eighth.

“It was good to be back out there, sharing the field with my guys,” said Tate, who was optioned April 29 and recalled on Friday. “Happy to get that win. We needed that.”

Team first, as usual with Tate.

CHICAGO – The Orioles are trying today to complete their first four-game sweep on the White Sox’s home field since 1995.

The forecast might not allow the teams to play. Rain is supposed to pelt the area through the afternoon, leaving to the question of how long they’ll wait with the Orioles traveling home for Monday’s day game.

Jordan Westburg is leading off today, with Gunnar Henderson in the cleanup spot in the Orioles’ mostly right-handed lineup.

Austin Hays is in left field and Colton Cowser stays in center. Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter.

Ryan O’Hearn is on the bench against left-hander Garrett Crochet. He homered yesterday and is batting .294/.364/.521 with four doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 18 RBIs against right-handers this season.

CHICAGO – With two relief appearances in the past four days, Albert Suárez was put on a starter’s leash this afternoon that didn’t measure an exact length. Manager Brandon Hyde planned on checking with him after each inning. Maybe he’d go three, maybe four.

Suárez fielded a grounder and started a double play to end the third and leave him at 60 pitches. And he wasn’t done. Hyde sent him back out for the fourth and was rewarded with another scoreless inning.

Hyde wasn’t pushing Suárez beyond the 80 pitches thrown, and a scoreless game was passed to reliever Keegan Akin, who surrendered a two-out, bases-loaded triple to Gavin Sheets in the fifth. A death blow for some teams. A wake-up call for the Orioles, who hit three homers in the eighth in a 5-3 victory over the White Sox before an announced crowd of 22,283 at sunny Guaranteed Rate Field.

They can strike quickly, and less-than-ideal circumstances heading into a game don't faze them. An emergency starter, a sputtering offense, a short bullpen, whatever.

"That was a fun inning," Hyde said. "That game offensively for us sucked for seven. We didn't do anything offensively."