Orioles hoping to continue success against Graveman

OAKLAND - I don't know whether Kevin Gausman vs. Kendall Graveman will be a good matchup tonight, but it does have a nice ring to it.

Graveman is aware that Manny Machado hit three home runs in the first three innings yesterday in Chicago. He knows that the Orioles totaled five homers in a 10-2 win. And no one knows Graveman's history with the Orioles better than the man himself.

In a May 8 game at Camden Yards, Graveman served up four home runs and was charged with six runs and five hits over 2 2/3 innings. He also walked three batters in an 11-3 loss.

Machado, Pedro Alvarez, Jonathan Schoop and Mark Trumbo connected off Graveman, and Machado hit a grand slam off J.B. Wendelken in the eighth inning to give him six RBIs.

Graveman made two starts against the Orioles in August 2015, allowing three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings in Oakland and six runs and eight hits over 3 1/3 innings in Baltimore, with Adam Jones and Gerardo Parra homering in the Orioles' 18-2 win.

Manager Buck Showalter took special interest in Graveman because the right-hander pitched at Mississippi State before the Blue Jays selected him in the eighth round of the 2013 draft. Graveman, in turn, would like to pretend that the Orioles never existed.

In five career games (three starts) against the Orioles, Graveman has gone 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA and 1.875 WHIP in 13 1/3 innings. He's allowed 15 runs and 20 hits, with five walks, 10 strikeouts, two hit batters, three wild pitches and six home runs.

The current group is 16-for-51 (.314) against him. Schoop is 3-for-4 with a double and home run, Trumbo is 3-for-5 with a home run, Chris Davis is 1-for-4 with two walks and three strikeouts, and Jones is 1-for-8 with a home run.

Graveman is making his 22nd start this season, a major accomplishment as the rest of the rotation seems to be falling apart. He's 7-7 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.413 WHIP in 121 innings.

Left-handers are batting .294 against Graveman and right-handers are hitting .272. He's 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA in eight home starts and 4-4 with a 5.64 ERA in 13 road starts.

Graveman went 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA and one complete game in five July starts. In his only start this month against the Angels, he allowed six runs and nine hits over four innings in Anaheim.

Sonny Gray went on the disabled list yesterday with soreness in his right forearm. He had been one of only two confirmed starters for this four-game series, but he won't be taking the ball Thursday afternoon.

The A's are listing right-hander Zach Neal on Tuesday and TBD Wednesday and Thursday.

Gray's removal from the 25-man roster enabled the A's to tie the franchise record by using the disabled list 25 times this season. It also happened in 2008. It won't be celebrated.

The A's have lost eight of their last nine games to fall a season-high 15 under .500. Their starters had gone fewer than six innings in seven consecutive games before yesterday, going 0-5 with a 11.44 ERA and .403 opponents batting average.

Gausman opposes Graveman tonight and he's turned in three quality starts in his last four outings. He's 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts against the A's, with six runs and 13 hits allowed over 11 innings. He's struck out 12.

Gausman's only start in Oakland came on July 20, 2014, when he surrendered five runs and nine hits in four innings. He's faced only three current A's. Coco Crisp is 3-for-5 with a home run, Stephen Vogt is 1-for-4 and Billy Butler has an RBI in one plate appearance.

Crisp began yesterday leading the majors with a .448 average with runners in scoring position. He started the season 0-for-9 with RISP but was 26-for-49 (.531) since then.

Schoop drew his 14th walk yesterday to eclipse his career high of 13 set in 2014, when he appeared in 137 games. Schoop was playing in his 110th game yesterday.

Steve Pearce won't play tonight after receiving a cortisone injection in his right forearm. He left yesterday's game in the fifth inning with right flexor mass soreness.

Showalter alluded to a physical issue with Pearce following the trade. The Orioles must not be too concerned if it didn't stop them from acquiring him.