Kevin Gausman allows four runs tonight at Bowie (updated)

BOWIE, Md. - Wearing a white No. 18 home jersey, Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman is making his second rehab start tonight, this time for the Double-A Bowie Baysox at home against Binghamton.

If he needed a reminder that Double-A hitters can hit well too, he got one after he had retired the first five hitters. Mets first basmen Aderlin Rodriguez turned on a first-pitch fastball and hit it way out to left field for his seventh homer of the year and a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Gausman retired Binghamton in order on 15 pitches in the first, getting a fly out and back-to-back strikeouts, one on what looked to be a curveball and the second on a changeup. He got a strikeout and fly out in the second before a homer and a pop out after it. His fastball touched 98 mph on the stadium gun, which might be a tick fast.

This is Gausman's first Double-A outing since May 17, 2013.

Gausman is the sixth Oriole to play on a rehab assignment in Bowie this season. The others were Jimmy Paredes, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty, Matt Wieters and Bud Norris.

The Baysox pitchers saw a 31-inning scoreless streak snapped in the sixth inning last night during their 9-4 win over Binghamton.

Gausman is expected to throw about 65 pitches tonight after he went three scoreless innings on 40 pitches last Friday for Single-A Frederick at Wilmington. He has been on the Orioles' disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis retroactive to May 7. He started the year in the O's bullpen, going 1-0 with 4.50 ERA and now is working his way back toward the rotation by building up his pitch count and innings.

Gausman exits in the fourth: After pitching a 1-2-3 third inning, Gausman gave up a three-run homer to left to Binghamton shortstop Josh Rodriguez in the fourth inning and reached his pitch count, leaving tonight's game with Bowie trailing 4-0.

After he got the first out of the fourth, Gausman allowed two straight singles before Rodriguez hit a 3-1 fastball over the left-field wall. Then Baysox manager Gary Kendall went to the mound and Gausman exited as right-hander Marcel Prado came on.

Gausman's final line: 3 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 4 runs, 2 homers, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts. He threw 61 pitches, 35 for strikes.

Gausman showed liberal use of his changeup and breaking ball tonight along with a fastball that often touched 96 to 98 mph on the stadium radar gun, which might be a tick or two fast.

In my next entry we'll provide some Gausman quotes on tonight's outing.