Showalter on Gausman, Schoop and the rotation

SEATTLE - The Orioles began this series Thursday night at Safeco Field coming off a series at San Diego where they scored 23 runs in winning two games. They had scored 82 runs in their last 10 games and were averaging 6.74 runs per game over the last 27 games. They had scored six runs or more in 16 of those 27 games.

That pace was going to eventually slow a bit and it has the last two nights against the Mariners. The O's have scored five runs on 13 hits with one double and two homers in the series.

Friday's 5-2 loss to Seattle was much more about a lack of offense than pitching. But manager Buck Showalter answered several postgame questions about right-hander Kevin Gausman, who took the loss to fall to 1-6 with a 3.97 ERA.

Gausman gave up three runs over six innings. That would be good enough to win many nights. But it had to bother the Orioles that Kyle Seager's two-run homer off Gausman in the sixth inning came on an 0-2 pitch.

Some of the Orioles' young pitchers have had issues the third time through the order and in the middle innings, as Gausman did last night.

"Those things are usually the last thing to come," Showalter said. "Usually, it's a two- or three-year process with young pitchers. Kevin, to me, is ahead of the curve. We've just got to stay the course and develop. Unfortunately, you're cutting your teeth in the American League with nine hitters. Every division's tough. We don't have a corner on tough competition in our division."

Showalter said that despite his won-loss record, Gausman has stepped up for the most part for a rotation that needs pitchers to start pitching better.

"Chris (Tillman) has won 10 ballgames for us," Showalter said. "(Yovani) Gallardo's finally back and throwing the ball well, Gaus is going to be there for us. He's equipped to go all the way through the season, as long as it'll take us. We've got some other things we're kind of waiting on, seeing them develop. Tyler (Wilson's) been OK, and Ubaldo (Jimenez) had two good outings in a row so we're hoping that continues.

"We just take each game, we don't say it one at a time. Here's the game ahead of us tomorrow, we grind it and see where it takes us. The game doesn't always follow some conventional line. We've kind of skirted with conventionality for quite some time now. Not just this season, but through the years."

Gausman does not have a road win since Aug. 22, 2014. This year he is 0-5 with a 5.02 ERA in eight road starts and has allowed nine homers in 43 innings.

O's pitchers have allowed five runs or more in six consecutive games, giving up 34 runs and 10 homers in that span.

On offense, second baseman Jonathan Schoop continues to swing a hot bat. Over his last 13 games, he is batting .463 (25-for-54) with seven doubles, three homers and 10 RBIs.

"Jon doesn't let anything snowball," Showalter said. "He's got a really good routine that bodes well. It's fun to see young players develop, especially young hitters. I think his routine at batting practice, you see guys who have a lot of confidence when they don't have to go out there and play home run derby in BP to get their chest puffed up. Jon knows what he's capable of and he stays within himself. When he gets out of whack, he gets right back in. That's why he's been so consistent the past couple weeks."

Seattle (41-39) is now 4-1 versus the Orioles, outscoring Baltimore 29-12 and outhomering the Orioles 9-4 in the season series. The Mariners are 11-6 versus American League East teams and 5-0 at home against the AL East.