O's game blog: Cashner looks to bounce-back from Texas start

One night after they suffered their seventh walk-off loss of the year and first since July 20 in Toronto, the Orioles play at Tropicana Field again tonight. It's the second game of a three-game series and the seventh game of an eight-game trip on which the Orioles are 2-5.

When Willy Adames homered off Miguel Castro with two outs in the ninth last night, the Tampa Bay Rays had a comeback 4-3 win that evened the season series between these clubs at six wins each.

In their three previous games before last night versus Tampa Bay, the Orioles had scored 37 runs on 45 hits with eight home runs. But then they were held to three runs on seven hits and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night.

The Orioles got solo homers from Tim Beckham and Trey Mancini. They've hit six homers the last two games, nine in the last five and 28 in 16 games since the All-Star break.

Mancini is batting .286/.318/.508 since the All-Star Game and has three homers his past six games. His .826 OPS since the break far exceeds his .655 before the All-Star Game.

On the mound tonight, right-hander Andrew Cashner (3-10, 5.05 ERA) will make his 22nd start. On Thursday at Texas, Cashner allowed a career-high 10 runs in 1 2/3 innings. That exceeded his previous career high, which was eight runs allowed. He and the Orioles trailed 10-1 after the second inning.

"I don't think I located all that well," Cashner said after that outing at Globe Life Park. "It was really a battle on my front side getting over and finishing my pitches. I didn't really finish any of them. Just a lot of mistakes down the middle. I was really struggling finishing my pitches and I think it showed with everything kind of leaking back over the middle. Love pitching here, but just one of those days."

In his previous nine games before that start, Cashner had six quality starts with a 3.46 ERA. In 10 road starts for the season he is 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA. In two 2018 starts against Tampa Bay, he is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA.

The Rays will start an "opener" in right-hander Ryne Stanek (1-3, 2.27 ERA). He will be making his 18th start and 37th appearance. For the season, he's thrown 43 2/3, allowing 25 hits with 19 walks, 56 strikeouts and a .162 average against.

In 20 home games, 11 as a starter, Stanek has a 0.39 ERA, allowing one run over 23 innings with 12 walks and 34 strikeouts. In 17 starts, he is 0-2 with a 2.13 ERA. His ERA is 0.00 in 17 first innings in which he's allowed eight hits.

Stanek is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA this season versus the Orioles in four games, two of which were starts. He was the opener July 28 in Baltimore and gave up three runs and two hits in two innings, allowing home runs to Mancini and Joey Rickard.

Right-hander Alex Cobb tossed his third straight quality start last night, allowing one run over seven innings. He has pitched to a 2.25 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break. His ERA ranks second in the American League since the break among pitchers who have made at least four starts.

Major League Baseball and the Arizona Fall League announced organization and staff assignments for the 2018 season that begins Tuesday, Oct. 9. The Orioles players will be part of the Glendale Desert Dogs, managed by Orioles minor league infield coordinator Dave Anderson.