Kevin Gausman gets the win as Orioles beat Texas 3-2

Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman followed up Dylan Bundy's scoreless outing last night with a strong outing of his own tonight. Although it didn't start out that way.

Gausman recovered from early trouble to allow two runs over seven frames as the Orioles beat Texas and southpaw Cole Hamels 3-2 tonight at Camden Yards.

Darren O'Day pitched a scoreless eighth on seven pitches and Zach Britton a shutout ninth. Britton is now 33-for-33 in save chances. According to STATS, LLC, Britton sets a major league record for most consecutive saves to start a year by a left-hander. He had been tied with Willie Hernandez of the 1984 Tigers with 32 in a row.

Over seven innings, Gausman gave up seven hits and two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts. He improves to 3-8 with an ERA of 4.08. He threw 108 pitches, 74 for strikes. Over his past four home starts, Gausman has an ERA of 0.98 and this is his fifth quality start over his last seven outings. Gausman needed 50 pitches to pitch the first two innings tonight and then threw just 58 pitches over the next five innings.

But for the second game in a row, Gausman allowed a home run in the first inning. While Toronto hit three off him in the first inning on Friday, Texas got just one on a solo shot with two outs by Carlos Beltran. It was his first with his new team, the 23rd he's hit this year and the 415th of his career for the 1-0 lead.

Gausman has allowed nine homers in the first inning this year and 11 in all other innings. He has not allowed more than three in any other single inning.

The Orioles quickly took the lead in the last of the first against Hamels. Jonathan Schoop singled with one out and raced to third when Manny Machado's soft liner went off the glove of first baseman Mitch Moreland for a double. Machado then was out at third while Schoop scored on Mark Trumbo's 6-5 fielder's choice grounder. Two walks followed to load the bases before Matt Wieters' two-out, two-run single to center made it a 3-1 Orioles lead. Wieters entered tonight hitting just .127 with three RBIs since July 1.

Texas got a run back against Gausman in the second. Rougned Odor led off with a double and scored on Jonathan Lucroy's single on a 1-2 pitch. But then the right-hander settled and pitched the Orioles to a win that gives them a series victory with one game to go.

Hamels allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings to take the loss to fall to 12-3 with an ERA of 2.89. On Sunday, the Orioles won a game started by American League ERA leader Aaron Sanchez of Toronto. Tonight they won one starter by Hamels, who is second in the league in ERA.

The Orioles are 61-45 overall and have won three in a row since ending a five-game losing streak. They are 39-16 at home where they have won 22 of their last 28. AL Central-leading Texas falls to 62-46.

In the series finale on Thursday night, lefty Wade Miley (7-8, 4.98 ERA) makes his Orioles debut against Texas right-hander A.J. Griffin (4-1, 3.99 ERA).