O's game blog: Kevin Gausman faces the Tigers

DETROIT - Just 17 games into a new season, the Orioles need to win this afternoon in Detroit or they will already have their second five-game losing streak of 2018.

It has been a miserable road trip for the Orioles. Bad weather and bad baseball. Not a good combo. They are 0-4 in Boston and Detroit and have been outscored 24-9. Since winning a big series at Yankee Stadium, the Orioles are 1-6 and they have scored 16 runs total in that span. The Orioles are already a full 9 1/2 games behind American League East-leading Boston.

The Orioles have scored just three runs the past two games and nine runs during the road trip, going 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. They are not even hitting the longball, with just two homers their past six games.

They have won just one of five series and are 3-8 on the road. They are 1-11 when scoring three or fewer runs.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-1, 6.60 ERA) will try to pitch his team to victory today. Gausman allowed six runs in his first start but has permitted just five in 11 innings his last two games. The O's are 2-1 in his three starts.

For the season he has thrown 15 innings, allowing 18 hits and 11 runs with six walks to 15 strikeouts. Lefty batters are hitting .346 against him and right-handed batters are hitting .243.

Left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-1, 1.38 ERA) will make his third start for the Tigers. On April 3 he gave up one run over six innings versus Kansas City. In his next game, on April 10, he allowed one run over seven versus Cleveland.

Lefty batters are 1-for-16 (.063) against him and righty batters are 6-for-28 (.214). He has not allowed a hit in four at-bats when pitching with runners in scoring position.

Boyd has pitched two strong games to begin his season. Can the Orioles end his little run here today and finally get their bats going?