Looking ahead and back

The Orioles were supposed to face veteran David Price this afternoon in the series finale against the Tigers that leads into a three-city West Coast trip.

They're getting a left-hander. It's just a different one.

Price was traded to the Blue Jays for a package that included elite pitching prospect Daniel Norris, who takes the mound today at Camden Yards.

Norris is 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA in 10 major league games over two seasons, including six starts. He's 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five starts this year.

Left-handers are 6-for-16 against Norris this season. Right-handers are batting .243.

Norris has faced the Orioles once in relief, allowing one run and two hits, with one walk, in one inning at Camden Yards. Jonathan Schoop and J.J. Hardy are 1-for-1 against him and Ryan Flaherty has the walk.

Flaherty is in an 0-for-26 slump.

Ubaldo Jimenez allowed seven runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings on July 17 in Detroit. However, he tossed six scoreless and hitless innings in his last start against the Braves after surrendering two runs in the first.

Jimenez is 5-for-10 with a 5.33 ERA in 18 career starts against the Tigers. Victor Martinez is 9-for-27 with a double, four home runs and 11 RBIs. J.D. Martinez is 1-for-7 with a home run. He's day-to-day after fouling a ball off his left knee last night and leaving the game with a contusion.

The Orioles are 15-8 against left-handers and 20-14 in the final game of a series. They can move four games above .500 today for the first time since being 43-39 on July 5.

Glancing back at last night, Kevin Gausman is proving the Orioles right by handing him the ball every fifth day. He may hit a few more bumps along the way, but this is the correct decision. No more restrictions, no more trips to the minors. Let him pitch.

I'm still debating whether Manny Machado should be lowered to second in the order, considering how he's thriving as the leadoff hitter. Forget the third slot, where manager Buck Showalter noted that Machado was getting "too big." Meaning his approach at the plate, not his ego.

Machado is drawing walks, stealing bases and still hitting home runs from the leadoff spot. He could do the same as the No. 2 hitter, with Gerardo Parra batting first, but leave Nos. 3 and 4 to Adam Jones and Chris Davis.

You think Parra's initial impression of the Orioles is a favorable one? Sellout crowd at Camden Yards gives him a huge ovation in his first at-bat and the team wins again.

"I want to say first thank you to the fans," he said. "You made me welcome. I feel happy. I feel like this is my house, too."

Matt Wieters was so good at first base that I kept forgetting Matt Wieters was playing first base. It dawned on me again around the eighth inning.

Wieters didn't make any spectacular plays, but he seemed comfortable and competent. The Orioles will take it.

Hardy's 15-game hitting streak is his longest since a 16-game stretch back in 2008. It's the longest by an Oriole this season.

Tigers left fielder Rajai Davis stole third base with two outs in the eighth inning and his team behind 6-2. In a related story, I sat there scratching my head.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "O's Xtra" that airs at 1 p.m. on MASN.