For starters: Right now, Blue Jays rotation trumps O's starting five

TORONTO - The Orioles need a win today to avoid a sweep, keep this from being a completely lost weekend in Toronto and keep from falling 1 1/2 games out of first place.

There is one stark difference between these teams this year - starting pitching. While Toronto's rotation ERA of 3.72 is second best in the American League, the Orioles' is second-worst at 5.02

We've seen that play out in this series. O's starters Kevin Gausman and Yovani Gallardo have combined to allow 11 runs and four homers in 7 1/3 innings for an ERA of 13.50 this weekend. Toronto's Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ have allowed four earned runs over 13 innings for an ERA of 2.77.

During their current five-game losing streak, O's starters have pitched to an ERA of of 8.22, allowing 21 earned runs in 23 innings. This comes after a stretch where it looked like the O's rotation had taken a turn for the better. In the 13 games before this losing streak, O's starters pitched to an ERA of 2.88.

But it starts with the starters and Toronto has the much better rotation. The Orioles today will see Aaron Sanchez, who is 11-1 with an AL-leading 2.72 ERA. The three starters the Orioles are facing this weekend are all in the top eight of the ERA leaders in the AL.

Toronto's rotation leads the AL with 66 quality starts and Blue Jays starters have allowed opponents three earned runs or fewer in 77 of 104 games.

Not your everyday leadoff guys: Orioles manager Buck Showalter has said often that there are so few traditional leadoff hitters in the game anymore. Sometimes you see players who can hit in the middle of the order batting leadoff. We have two doing that in this series, with the Orioles' Adam Jones and Toronto's Jose Bautista both hitting first in the order.

In making out a lineup, old traditions don't always fit in the current game.

"I look at all things, computer-generated and analytics-generated," Showalter said of making out his lineup. "One of the things I do agree with is take some of your best hitters and try to get them up there as many times as you can. I don't know if it's because of necessity or it's better for a team.

"They (true leadoff types) are hard to find. But it's about run production, especially if you have enough lineup that you can put somebody in the nine-hole that is handling the bat well. J.J. (Hardy) is hot right now. You are only assured of leading off one time."

Power outage: While the Orioles are not getting much offense from many players right now, there is a current power outage in the middle of their lineup, as both Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis are slumping.

Trumbo has had a big year with big hits - including a two-run double Friday night - but r he is just 2-for-26 his last seven games and 7-for-52 his past 14. Davis is 3-for-39 the last 11 games. Over his past 20 games, he is 9-for-73 with 33 strikeouts. He's batting .148 with a .538 OPS this month.

Milestone win coming: The next win for Showalter will be a milestone victory for the O's skipper. It will be his 517th victory as O's manager and that will tie him with Paul Richards for second-most in team history behind Earl Weaver at 1,480. The next win will also be career victory No. 1,399 for Showalter and that will tie him with Wilbert Robinson for 28th most all-time.