Close losses, Machado doubles up and tonight's matchup

HOUSTON - The Orioles used to be a team that won the close games. They had a knack, but now it's a knock against them.

Eleven of their last 12 losses have been by two runs or fewer. They were 8-1 in one-run games, but now are 8-8. And they're no longer in second place, with the Red Sox passing them last night.

In their last 15 road games, the Orioles have gone 4-11 to lower their record to 10-14 away from home.

The stretch of 11 losses in their last 14 games began with the disastrous ninth inning at Nationals Park on May 10. They just haven't been the same team.

This is the second series in a row when the Orioles on paper should have won the opening game. When they needed to win it. Kyle Gibson with the Twins, followed by Ervin Santanta and José Berríos. Joe Musgrove with the Astros last night, followed by Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr.

They battered Gibson and still lost. They jabbed at Musgrove, but never landed a solid blow.

Manny Machado stepped to the plate in the top of the first inning last night and saw three pitches from Musgrove. He took a strike on a 94 mph four-seam fastball, laid off a sinker out of the strike zone and flied out on another 94 mph fastball

His average was down to .217. Everyone kept wondering what was up with him.

As if a switch had been flipped, Machado suddenly became a doubles machine again like the good old days. He found the left field corner in the fourth on a changeup and the left-center field gap in the seventh on a 93 mph fastball.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, Machado swung at the first pitch from reliever Chris Devenski and flied to the warning track in right-center field. A few more feet and it's a grand slam and a 4-2 lead.

I asked manager Buck Showalter during our afternoon taping of his pregame segment on 105.7 The Fan what he was seeing from Machado. The answer took him back to early batting practice with the roof open at Minute Maid Park.

"I see a guy out here today in 90-degree heat hitting. I see a guy that wants it sometimes too much, and I would basically say to trust him," Showalter said.

"Things will happen. He'll seek his level, and we know that level is pretty good. But he's played solid defense throughout and has been a good teammate. It's tough on him because when you have that much ability and you go through a period where they're not coming to you as easily, it's a challenge, but he'll come through it."

Machado extended his hitting streak against the Astros to nine games. He's batting .324 (11-for-34) with five doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs.

Last night marked Machado's first multi-double game since May 27, 2016 in Cleveland.

The challenges keep piling up for Machado and the Orioles. They're expected to get Keuchel tonight after he's activated from the disabled list. The Astros just want to make certain that he wakes up this morning without a return of the pinched nerve in his neck that landed him on the disabled list.

Maybe he should sleep standing up. He is, after all, a workhorse.

Keuchel is 7-0 with a 1.84 ERA and 0.864 WHIP in nine starts over 63 2/3 innings. He's allowed three runs in 28 2/3 innings in four starts at Minute Maid Park.

Left-handers are batting .119 against Keuchel, as you'd probably expect. But right-handers are hitting .201. I'm not sure if there's a third choice for Showalter.

Keuchel is 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.059 WHIP in five career starts against the Orioles over 34 innings. The current group is batting .296 (32-for-108) against him.

Mark Trumbo is 6-for-15 with a double, two triples and three home runs. Machado is 5-for-15, Seth Smith is 4-for-13 with a double and two home runs, and Welington Castillo is 4-for-10 with a double.

Chris Davis is 2-for-12.

Smith doesn't normally start against left-handers. He's a career .206 hitter versus southpaws, but is 3-for-7 with a home run this year.

Smith struck out in all four at-bats last night. The bottom of the order was much better, with Hyun Soo Kim, Jonathan Schoop and J.J. Hardy a combined 5-for-9 with two doubles.

Left-hander Wade Miley will try to build off his last start on May 21 against the Blue Jays, when he allowed three unearned runs over seven innings and walked only one batter in a 3-1 loss. He's averaging 5.2 walks per nine innings.

Let's revisit his totals: seven, none, one, six, five, none (in two-thirds of an inning), four, four, one.

Miley still hasn't been victorious since April 14 in Toronto, if you place any importance on a pitcher's won-loss record. Run a lap if you do.

Miley is 2-1 with a 3.99 ERA and 1.409 WHIP in seven career starts against the Astros over 38 1/3 innings and 1-1 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.416 WHIP in five starts in Houston spanning 29 2/3 innings.

Jose Altuve is 12-for-20 (.600) with four doubles and a home run against him. Evan Gattis is 6-for-14 with two doubles, Marwin Gonzalez is 5-for-13 with two doubles and a home run, George Springer is 3-for-8 with double and two home runs and Nori Aoki is 5-for-16 with a double and triple.

Catcher Brian McCann is expected to come off the disabled list today. He's 5-for-13 with a double and home run against Miley.