O's game blog: Orioles face Eduardo Rodriguez in Fenway finale

When the Orioles play their third and deciding game of the series this afternoon at Boston, they'll need a win to post a fourth straight American League East division series win.

They are 8-3 in that time in AL East games and are 23-20 in the division for the season. The Orioles are 37-34 overall with six wins in the last nine games and 14 in their last 19. They are 7-4 in their last 11 road games.

On the mound today, Miguel Gonzalez (5-4, 3.33 ERA) pitches against Eduardo Rodriguez (3-1, 3.13 ERA).

Gonzalez comes off the disabled list to make his first start since June 9 when he faced Rodriguez and went 4 1/3 scoreless innings before leaving with a right groin strain. Mychal Givens was optioned back to Double-A Bowie to make roster room for Gonzalez.

Over his last three starts, Gonzalez has pitched to an ERA of 1.89, allowing 11 hits in 19 innings with two walks and 15 strikeouts.

In three 2015 starts against Boston, he is 1-0 with a 4.11 ERA. In 11 career games versus Boston, he is 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA. In six career games, four starts, at Fenway Park, Gonzalez is 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA.

Rodriguez is the 22-year-old left-hander the Orioles traded to Boston last July to get reliever Andrew Miller. He went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.44 in his first three major league starts before he gave up nine runs in 4 2/3 innings against Toronto on June 14. But he rebounded to allow one run in six innings last Friday at Kansas City.

He pitched six scoreless innings on three hits in that June 9 game at Camden Yards, throwing 102 pitches and getting a no-decision in a game the Orioles won 1-0.

The Orioles signed Rodriguez for $175,000 at age 17 out of Valencia, Venezuela. He was signed by former O's pitcher Calvin Maduro and, on the O's watch, became a top 100 ranked prospect. He was No. 65 by Baseball America at the end of the 2013 season and No. 59 after last year after the trade.

Through five big league starts, left-handed batters are hitting .192 off him and right-handed batters are hitting .193. In 31 2/3 innings, he has allowed 22 hits with 11 walks and 27 strikeouts.

The Orioles are 8-4 against Boston on the season and had a six-game winning streak against the Sox snapped last night. They are 22-12 at Fenway Park since the 2012 season.

A look at a few O's hitters this year against Boston:

* Chris Davis is 14-for-43 (.326) with three doubles, three homers, nine RBIs and a .997 OPS.

* Ryan Flaherty is 10-for-24 (.417) with three doubles, a homer, four RBIs and an OPS of 1.131.

* Jimmy Paredes is 18-for-41 (.439) with four doubles, a triple, two homers, eight RBIs and an OPS of 1.171.

Flaherty, a Maine native, is batting .394 (26-for-66) in 19 career games at Fenway Park, with seven doubles, a triple, a homer and 10 RBIs. He has a .576 slugging percentage and OPS of 1.014 at that ballpark.

Orioles minor league pitcher Zach Davies has been named to the Team USA roster for the Futures Game. Davies is 3-4 with an ERA of 2.94 for Triple-A Norfolk.