Gausman bounces back, offense blows it open in rout of Texas

So this series has been very different. The Orioles pitching staff got bounced around over the weekend by the Chicago Cubs, but they have turned the tables against Texas. For the second night in a row, the offense joined in the act.

Right-hander Kevin Gausman produced the third straight quality start for the Orioles tonight as they beat Texas 10-2 at Oriole Park. They have taken the first three in this four-game series and broke this game open late with a seven-run seventh inning.

Gausman's pitching set the tone though. Over six innings, he allowed four hits and one run with two walks and eight strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches, 58 for strikes, and got 16 swings and misses. That ties for his third-best mark of the year in that category.

Gausman improved to 6-7 with an ERA of 6.11, producing his sixth quality start in 21 games. It was a nice reversal from his past two starts when he gave up 14 runs over seven combined innings. Just last Friday he allowed a career-high four homers and gave up eight runs in three innings against the Cubs.

The struggling Orioles rotation has now recorded three consecutive quality starts for the first time since May 19-21. In that stretch, they've pitched 18 innings allowing 10 hits and three runs.

The Orioles are 28-19 at home and 45-49 for the season. Texas falls to 45-49.

The Orioles' seventh leadoff homer of the year provided them the early lead tonight. Adam Jones homered onto the flag court in right field for the 1-0 lead, his 16th of the season on a 1-1 pitch from lefty Martín Pérez. It was Jones' first leadoff homer of the year and sixth of his career.

The lead grew to 3-0 two innings later. With two outs, Jones and Manny Machado walked. Then Jonathan Schoop's double to right-center scored both runners. A Joey Gallo solo homer in the fifth got Texas on the board.

But the Orioles used a seven-run, six-hit last of the seventh to turn a two-run lead into a 10-1 game. The run that made it 4-1 scored on an error and three RBI singles followed from Jones on a liner to right, Machado on a bloop to left and Schoop on a hit to left. Trey Mancini provided the capper with a bases-loaded triple to deep right for the 10-1 edge. Mancini smoked a liner 110 mph off the bat for his second triple of the year.

Jones went 3-for-5, his first three-hit game since June 23. Schoop went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and is 5-for-11 with 6 RBIs in the series. Joseph went 2-for-4 and is 15-for-32 (.469) his last 11 games. The Orioles had 11 hits and went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They have scored 10 or more in two straight games for the first time in the 2017 season.

The Orioles were outscored 27-11 in the series against the Cubs, but have outscored Texas 25-4 in this series. In the series finale on Thursday night, left-hander Wade Miley (4-8, 5.40 ERA) pitches against lefty Cole Hamels (4-0, 3.05 ERA).