The Orioles are 0-4 since the All-Star break and have lost three of those games by two runs or fewer. Tonight they host the first-place Boston Red Sox in the second game of this series and of a seven-game homestand that continues through Sunday.
Boston (71-31) has the best record in the majors and has opened a six-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees. Boston last held a lead of bigger than 5 1/2 games atop the American League East in 2016. They were a season-best six games ahead of Toronto at the end of play on Sept. 26.
Boston is 15-2 since July 2 and is 20-4 over its past 24 games and 41-16 in the last 57. The Red Sox are 33-13 against AL East teams and 37-18 on the road.
The Orioles won the season series against Boston five times in six years between 2012 and 2017. But this year they are 1-10 against Boston. The Red Sox have won 13 of the last 14 between these teams and nine in a row over Baltimore at Camden Yards.
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop doubled in the third inning Monday night and homered in the eighth for his 21st multi-hit game. His homer was his 13th of the season and his first non-solo home run this year. It was Schoop's eighth multi-RBI game. He has homered in back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 29-30, 2017. Schoop extended his current hit streak to seven games during which he's batting .333 (10-for-30) and he is now batting .360 (27-for-75) in 19 games in July.
Left fielder Trey Mancini recorded his 14th double of the season in the second inning. He has hit safely in eight of 11 games against the Red Sox this year, averaging .227 (10-for-44) with two doubles and four runs scored. Mancini owns a career average of .307 (35-for-114) with five home runs, nine doubles, 18 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 30 career games against Boston.
On the mound tonight, right-hander Yefry RamÃrez (0-3, 3.09 ERA) will make his fifth career major league start. His first was against Boston on June 13. Over 4 1/3 innings he allowed four hits and three runs. In his most recent start, before the All-Star Game on July 14 against Texas, he pitched five scoreless on two hits with seven strikeouts. Lefty batters have hit .263 off RamÃrez and right-handed batters have hit .191. He has allowed just two hits in 21 at-bats (.095) when pitching with runners in scoring position.
Lefty Drew Pomeranz (1-3, 6.81 ERA) will make his ninth start for Boston. It will be his first big league start since May 31, when he allowed four runs in five innings against Houston. June 5 he went on the disabled list witih left biceps tendinitis.
In six minor league rehab starts with five at Triple-A, Pomeranz went 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA and he allowed eight homers over 25 innings. On May 18 against the Orioles he went four innings, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned). In nine career games with six starts versus Baltimore, Pomeranz is 2-4 with a 4.01 ERA.