A look at today's pitchers and some O's hitter notes (Hunter Harvey update)

Yes it was very strange seeing Miguel Gonzalez give up 15 runs over his last two starts. Especially considering he had given up 11 runs total in four June starts and 11 runs total in five starts in July. But Gonzalez gave up a career high nine runs (four earned) in his last start against Houston. Over his last two starts he has pitched 8 1/3 innings allowing 17 hits, 15 runs (10 earned). That has raised his ERA from 3.34 to 3.88. Before that, Gonzalez recorded eight consecutive quality starts, pitching to an ERA of 2.35. With the consistency he has shown for most of the last two seasons, you have to expect him to return to form and have a good outing today, but we'll see. In 10 road starts in 2013, Gonzalez is 3-4 with a 3.60 ERA and seven quality starts. Gonzalez has given up just three homers in 60 innings away from Camden Yards. The Orioles are 22-12 when Gonzalez starts over the past two seasons and today he is facing the Padres for the first time ever. His mound opponent this afternoon is lefty Eric Stults, who is 8-10 with a 3.55 ERA over 23 starts. In three post All-Star Game starts, he is 0-3 with an ERA of 4.58. Stults has been quite good on the year at Petco Park, going 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA over 10 starts. In his last eight home starts - since May 7 - he is 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA and .196 batting average against. Stults has only given up nine homers over 144 2/3 innings on the year and has yielded just four in 69 innings at Petco Park. Left-handed batters hit just .188 against him while right-handed hitters are batting .288 vs. Stults. A look at some O's hitters recently: * Adam Jones is 9-for-19 (.474) with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs over his last five games. * Manny Machado is 7-for-21 (.333) during a five-game batting streak, but is batting just .188 over his past 21 games. * Matt Wieters is just 2-for-31 (.065) over his last 10 games. In the five games preceeding that he went 11-for-21. * Nate McLouth is 20-for-63 for an average of .317 over his past 16 games with four doubles, three triples and a homer. * Nick Markakis has gone 16 games without an extra-base hit and 36 games without a homer since June 24. In the GCL today: Orioles first round pick, right-hander Hunter Harvey pitched four scoreless innings today as the Gulf Coast League Orioles beat the Twins, 2-1. Harvey gave up two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. He pitched one inning in his first outing, then two, three and today went four for the first time. This was his first game since he fanned eight over three innings last Thursday. In 10 innings so far, Harvey has allowed six hits and two runs with two walks and 12 strikeouts. Right-handed batters are just 1-for-19 with nine strikeouts against Harvey. There is a chance we could see him moved to short-season, Single-A Aberdeen before the minor league season comes to an end.