O's game blog: Tyler Wilson makes his fourth MLB start in series finale

Right-hander Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.72 ERA) makes his fourth major league start for the Orioles this afternoon and pitches against right-hander Tanner Roark (4-6, 4.78 ERA) in the series finale against Washington at Nats Park.

On Friday at Tampa Bay, Wilson gave up six runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in his last start. He had allowed four runs in 13 2/3 innings in his first two MLB starts. Wilson made his major league debut May 20, pitching a scoreless ninth inning against Seattle.

At that time, he was the 994th player to play for the Orioles since the club moved to Baltimore in 1954. According to baseball-reference.com, he became the 22nd player drafted out of the University of Virginia to make his big league debut.

Roark gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings in his last start Thursday versus Miami. He has made 37 appearances this season and nine as a starter. In his starts only, Roark is 3-3, with a 5.66 ERA and .313 batting average against, and has allowed nine homers over 47 2/3 innings. Roark is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in two career games (one start) against the Orioles. On July 10 at Camden Yards, he gave up a walk-off homer in the ninth against Jonathan Schoop.

The Orioles have posted 4-1 and 4-3 wins and can sweep this series today. They are 32-23 all-time against the Nationals and 13-6 since the 2012 season.

O's pitchers have allowed four runs and nine hits in the two games, with nine walks and 19 strikeouts. The Nationals have hit .145 (9-for-62) in the series. Bryce Harper is 0-for-3 but has drawn five walks. Meanwhile, Orioles starting pitchers have pitched six innings or more four consecutive games after doing that in just three of the previous 19 games.

The Orioles can get back to the .500 mark with a win today for the first time since they were 63-63 on Aug. 26. They are 75-76 overall, 4-2 on this road trip, and have won seven of their last 10 game, and 10 of their last 14. The Orioles are 4-0-1 their last five series, going 2-1 against the New York Yankees, Kansas City and Boston, 2-2 against Tampa Bay and 2-0 versus the Nationals.

O's third baseman Manny Machado hit his 30th home run last night. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Machado (23 years, 79 days old) became the second-youngest Oriole to hit 30. Boog Powell hit No. 30 at the age of 22 years, 360 days in 1964. Machado is the third player under the age of 24 to hit 30 home runs this season, joining Harper and Mike Trout. The last time three players hit 30 home runs prior to turning 24 years old in the same season was in 2001 (Eric Chavez, Albert Pujols and Aramis Ramirez).

Machado has hit 16 home runs at home and 14 on the road. He's hit seven versus left-handers and 23 against right-handed pitchers. He has hit 19 before the All-Star break and 11 in the second half.

Baseball America ranked the Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle today as the 15th-best prospect this year in the Gulf Coast League. The publication released its listing of the Top 20 GCL prospects.