O's game blog: A look at Gonzalez's success against the AL East

Orioles starting pitchers have pitched to an ERA of 2.03 over the last six games. Miguel Gonzalez (8-7, 3.38 ERA) will try to keep that going tonight when the Orioles begin a three-game series at Boston's Fenway Park. In 40 innings over the past six games, O's starters have allowed 30 hits and nine earned runs with five quality starts. Gonzalez is on a roll of his own. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight of his last nine starts, going 4-2 with an ERA of 2.00. Gonzalez pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout in his last start against Cincinnati. Gonzalez is 14-7 with a 3.47 ERA in 33 career starts against the American League East. This season, he is 3-0 with a 2.98 ERA in the division. In six career games against Boston, he is 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA. Right-hander Joe Kelly gets the start for Boston. In six starts since the Red Sox traded for him, he is 1-1 with a 3.89 ERA. He has never faced the Orioles. The Red Sox (63-80) have gone 7-6 in their last 13 games against AL East teams, playing Toronto, Tampa Bay, New York and Toronto. With a loss Sunday coupled with the Orioles' win, Boston was officially eliminated from AL East contention for 2014. The Orioles improved their major league-best extra innings record to 13-5 Sunday, and are 37-14 in extra innings since 2012. The Orioles have won 12 of their last 15 series-opening games, and are 29-18 in series openers for the season. The Orioles are 7-6 against Boston this season and 31-19 since 2012. Since Sept. 20, 2011, the O's are 18-9 at Fenway Park. Earlier today, Nelson Cruz was named American League co-Player of the Week with Detroit's Miguel Cabrera. From September 1-7, Cruz batted .407/.467/.963, with six extra-base hits (four HRs) and a major league-leading 12 RBIs, including his third career game of at least seven RBIs Sunday at Tampa. The Orioles used 23 players in yesterday's game, the most by the club since also using 23 on September 14, 1960 at Detroit (one shy of the franchise record - 24, September 7, 1958 vs. Boston).