Gausman going for the elusive complete game (O's lead 2-0)

As Kevin Gausman takes the mound tonight, he's probably unaware of the two-year anniversary that relates to the Orioles rotation.

On this date in 2014, Miguel Gonzalez tossed a four-hit shutout to beat the Reds at Camden Yards. He walked one batter, struck out eight and recorded the final out on his 117th pitch, with Ryan Ludwick grounding out after Jay Bruce's two-out single.

It's worthy of commemoration because it's the last complete game thrown by an Oriole, and the man responsible currently is pitching at Triple-A Charlotte on an injury rehab assignment.

A grand total of 320 games have passed since Gonzalez's gem, a streak surpassed only by the Marlins.

This isn't a hot topic inside the Orioles clubhouse, but we got a lot of mileage out of it on today's "Wall to Wall Baseball" show on MASN, with WJZ's Mark Viviano handling the research.

This is the longest stretch without a complete game in club history. And if you need further proof that times have changed, consider that the 1971 Orioles recorded 71 of them.

Think that's going to happen again?

The Orioles had four 20-game winners in Mike Cueller (21 complete games), Jim Palmer (20), Pat Dobson (18) and Dave McNally (11). Also not likely to happen again.

Dave Leonhard accounted for the other complete game among his six starts. He also had a save. Just not in the same game, of course.

I'd love to see a list of the pitchers with a complete game and a save in the same season.

Palmer, the greatest pitcher in franchise history, totaled 211 complete games in 521 starts. A ridiculous percentage. Hard to wrap your head around that one.

The evolution of the bullpen, the emphasis on pitch counts and the money invested in starters are just three of the factors in the reduced number of complete games. Theories abound.

Gausman owns one complete game in his career, but it was a rain-shortened five-inning start against the Yankees on July 13, 2014. He threw 98 pitches in eight innings in the second game of a Sept. 30, 2015 doubleheader against the Blue Jays, allowing one run and striking out 10 batters, but Mychal Givens worked the ninth.

Earlier this season, Gausman shut out the Yankees on three hits over eight innings in a May 5 start. His pitch count again stood at 98. But Darren O'Day replaced him in the ninth and Zach Britton earned the win in the 10th.

Here's one more stat for you to consider while watching Gausman take on the Yankees: Sidney Ponson recorded 29 complete games in his 12-year major league career, including six with the Orioles in 2000.

It can be done.

Update: Gausman is at 101 pitches in five scoreless innings. No complete game tonight. But he leads 1-0 after the Orioles scored an unearned run in the fourth on Mark Trumbo's leadoff double, Chris Davis' out-out single and right fielder Aaron Judge's error.

Gausman has struck out eight batters.

Update II: Adam Jones homered with two outs in the fifth, his 25th, to expand the lead to 2-0.