O's game blog: Andrew Cashner faces the White Sox

After losing four games over the last three days, the Orioles look for their first win on this homestand tonight. The Orioles (8-16) host the Chicago White Sox (9-12) in the second game of a three-game series.

O's pitching has an ERA of 8.50 during the 0-4 homestand versus the Twins and White Sox. The Birds are 1-10 at home with seven consecutive losses. Last night they allowed 12 or more runs for the third time in a series-opening 12-2 loss at Camden Yards.

With their win Monday, the White Sox improved to 5-0 this year in night games. They are the only team unbeaten in the majors at night. They are also 13-4 in their last 17 road games against American League East opponents, dating to last year.

Baltimore's Trey Mancini recorded his team-leading 10th multi-hit game of the season with a single and a double, his 10th two-bagger of the year. He drove in the O's first run of the game on his double in the fifth inning. Mancini is batting .347/.406/.642 with six homers and 14 RBIs and he's hit safely in 20 of 24 games. He singled in the first inning and is now batting .579 (11-for-19) in the first and his 11 hits in the opening frame are the most in the majors.

Renato Núñez singled in the first inning and has hit safely in 15 of his last 18 games, batting .329 (23-for-70) during this stretch. He entered play ranked tied for third-most hits in the AL during this span. Rio Ruiz collected his fourth multi-hit game after singling in the second and fourth innings. He has reached base safely in 16 of his 20 starts.

On the mound tonight, right-hander Andrew Cashner (3-1, 4.97 ERA) will make his fifth start. Cashner has three wins already after posting four in 2018 in 28 starts. For the year, he has thrown 25 1/3 innings, allowing 27 hits with 12 walks and 15 strikeouts to go with a WHIP of 1.539. He averages 4.3 walks/nine and 5.3 strikeouts/nine.

Cashner has allowed three earned runs of fewer for four consecutive starts with an ERA of 3.38 in that span. The Orioles are 4-1 in his starts. He is one of three O's pitchers (with David Hess and Dylan Bundy) to record a quality start. He did that with six scoreless innings on April 2 at Toronto. In five career games (three starts) against Chicago, he is 1-2 with a 4.34 ERA.

Right-hander Iván Nova (0-2, 6.23 ERA) gets the ball for Chicago. In two of his previous four starts, he has allowed just one run, but in two others he gave up seven runs and six runs. He has yet to allow a homer over 21 2/3 innings.

The 32-year-old Nova has made 18 career appearances (17 starts) against Baltimore, going 8-4 with a 4.98 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. In nine career games at Camden Yards, he is 3-1 with a 5.33 ERA. Nova has not faced the Orioles since June 6, 2017 while with Pittsburgh.