O's game blog: Cashner against the Yankees in series opener

After Thursday's rainout, the Orioles and Yankees will begin their series tonight at Camden Yards. What was to be a four-game series is down to three at this point with the rained out game set to be made up on July 9 as part of a single-admission doubleheader.

On the mound tonight for the Orioles is right-hander Andrew Cashner (2-6, 5.07 ERA) who will be making his 12^th start. While he pitched to a 2.50 ERA in his first three starts, he is 1-5 with a 6.17 ERA over his last eight, allowing 58 hits in 42 1/3 innings. Cashner is 0-4 with a 5.35 ERA in six home starts.

But in four career starts versus New York, he is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA with six walks and 17 strikeouts over 26 innings and four quality starts. On April 5 in Yankee Stadium he got the win, allowing one run and two hits over six innings.

Cashner could use a few runs to work with but almost all Orioles pitchers could say that right?

But Cashner has received three-or-fewer runs of support in nine of his starts. His 2.69 run support average is the lowest in all of baseball. He has made 30 career starts in which he did not receive any run support. Cashner is 36-10 in 62 career starts when receiving three-or-more runs of support, as opposed to being 3-51 in 86 career starts in which he received two-or-fewer runs of support.

Cashner has allowed 11 homers this year. His 1.64 homers allowed for every nine innings average this season is the highest of his career and ranks eighth-highest in the American League. His career average is 0.92 HR/9. The most home runs he has allowed in a season is 19, done both in 2015 with San Diego and 2016 with San Diego and Miami.

Cashner has four quality starts for the season, but just one in his past seven games. He has thrown six innings or more five times and the Orioles are 3-8 in his starts.

For the Yankees, right-hander Sonny Gray (3-4, 5.98 ERA) gets the start. He has allowed five or more runs four times, has three quality starts and the team is 4-6 in his 10 outings. Lefty batters hit .240 off him and right-handers bat .318.

On April 7 he got the win over the Orioles, going six innings allowing four hits and three runs on 86 pitches. In seven career starts against Baltimore, he is 3-4 with a 5.15 ERA and 1.445 WHIP.

Gray is 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA in four road starts in 2018. In 10 road games since he was traded from Oakland to New York last July 31, he is 3-6 with a 2.97 ERA. He is 22-22 with a 3.27 ERA in 64 career road appearances.

On the farm: Triple-A Norfolk announced some roster moves today. As reported here this morning, outfielder Cedric Mullins was promoted from Double-A Bowie. He's in center field and batting leadoff tonight for the Tides. Lefty Jason Gurka was activated from the disabled list. Outfielder D'Arby Myers was transferred to Bowie. Infielder Luis Sardiñas ended his MLB rehab assignment. Left-hander Chris Lee was placed on the DL, retroactive to May 30, with a left shoulder injury. Lee is 0-2 with an ERA of 10.64 in five games. Over 11 innings he has given up 23 hits with 10 walks and eight strikeouts.

I think we know which O's farmhand will be named minor league Player of the Month for May. Single-A Frederick outfielder Ryan McKenna hit .397/.470/.586 during 28 games in the month with 11 doubles, a triple, three homers, 22 RBIs and an OPS of 1.056. The 21-year-old McKenna was a fourth-round pick in 2015 out a high school in New Hampshire. Right now the O's seemed inclined to leave him in Frederick and let him continue to learn and develop and enjoy a good season. He could be promoted later in the year.

On this date in O's history in 1960, right-hander Hal "Skinny" Brown allowed just one hit, a first-inning home run by New York's Mickey Mantle, and went on to a 4-1 win. The one-hitter gave the Orioles a three-game sweep of the Yankees and moved the Orioles into first place in the AL with a 27-15 record.