O's game blog: Andrew Cashner faces the Nationals

The Orioles and Washington Nationals have played every year since 2006, and that is 12 season series through 2017. The Orioles have won more games head-to-head seven times, the clubs tied four times and the Nationals won the season series just one time, in 2007.

That is until this year. The Nationals are 4-0 against the Orioles with two games to go in the season series. So they have their second season series win over Baltimore after last night's 9-7 win in Washington.

The Orioles had an early 5-1 lead but were tied up at five-all in the fifth, only to go back ahead 6-5 an inning later. The lead would not hold as the Nats scored four in the seventh to post a come-from-behind win.

Washington (39-32) has won just two of its past eight games. The Nats have outscored the Orioles 20-9 in the four games between the teams. The Nats are 17-17 at home and 28-16 since starting the season 11-16.

The Orioles (20-51) have lost 10 of 11, 17 of 20 and 19 of their past 24 games. They are 9-28 in road games, losing 24 of the last 30 games.

Adam Jones is batting .407 (11-for-27) during a six-game hitting streak. Over his last 20 games, Jones is batting .365 (31-for-85) with two homers and seven RBIs.

Right-hander Andrew Cashner (2-8, 4.98 ERA) returns from the disabled list tonight to make his 14th start. His last two starts were quality starts, and were his first back-to-back quality starts since he had three in a row April 5-17. In each of those games he gave up three runs and nine hits over six innings - once against the Yankees and once versus the Blue Jays.

In six road starts, Cashner is 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. For the season, lefty batters hit .273 against him and right-handers bat .331.

Cashner will be making his second start against an interleague opponent this season. In 27 career interleague games (20 starts), he holds a record of 6-10 with a 3.50 ERA. That includes an undefeated record of 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three interleague starts last season

For Washington, lefty Gio Gonzalez (6-3, 3.01 ERA) will make his 15th start of the 2018 season. In his past two starts he gave up nine runs and 15 hits, allowing three homers, over 9 1/3 innings. In his three previous games he had pitched seven innings or more each time, with a 2.08 ERA. In seven home starts, he is 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA.

Gonzalez allows a 0.64 ERA in both the first and second innings of his starts. Lefty batters are hitting just .190 off him and right-handers bat .256. He yields an average against of only .131 when pitching with runners in scoring position, and that goes down to .083 when pitching with RISP and two outs.

In one 2018 start against the Orioles, Gonzalez threw 7 2/3 scoreless on six hits in Baltimore on May 28. In 11 career starts, he is 2-6 with a 3.90 ERA and 1.507 WHIP.